From the website of the London EVENING STANDARD dated 28 March 2012
Mayor's '£500,000 a year' for aides
Related Articles
28 March 2012
One of London’s poorest boroughs is to spend nearly half a million pounds a year on aides and media advisers for its mayor, a councillor has claimed.
Lutfur Rahman, the mayor of Tower Hamlets who was ousted from the Labour Party over alleged links to Islamic extremists, is advertising for two new £30,000 advisers — taking his total staff to 21.
The appointments would see the wage bill for his political staff rise to nearly £500,000 a year, it was claimed today.
The Standard last month revealed that Mr Rahman was spending £1,000 a day on Tony Winterbottom, an “executive adviser” on regeneration and development. The independent mayor is now advertising for a new communications and media adviser as well as a “branding” expert.
The borough has the worst child poverty in Britain, with 52 per cent of children below the breadline.
Tower Hamlets says there are only 10 advisers and one researcher, and the rest are support staff for the mayor and other cabinet members.
But councillor David Snowdon, the Conservative spokesman on resources, said: “Based on the additional consultants mayor Lutfur Rahman is looking to employ, I estimate that the total bill for his spinners, branding consultants media advisers, communication consultants and office staff could be approaching half a million pounds when his office is fully staffed.
“Tower Hamlets [already] has a huge media and marketing operation.”
The council said its spending on staff compares favourably with other boroughs that have directly elected mayors, including Newham and Hackney. However, Hammersmith and Fulham council, which does not have a directly elected mayor, employs no political advisers paid for by the taxpayer.
Mr Rahman became the first directly elected mayor of Tower Hamlets in 2010. He originally stood as a Labour candidate but was deselected amid claims about the Islamic Forum of Europe. He has denied having any links to the fundamentalist group and now controls a £1.3 billion budget after winning as an independent.
Local government minister Grant Shapps said: “Why does one of the poorest boroughs in the country need to be raiding the public purse for a branding expert? This money should be dedicated to providing first class frontline services for residents and not for propping up a Left-wing administration.”
Tower Hamlets has a separate media communications office.
A spokesman for the council said: “A modern mayor in a £1 billion local authority with challenges of extremes of wealth and inequality requires additional expert advice to ensure that the agenda upon which he was elected, which now forms part of council policy, is enacted.
“The council has confirmed that there are 10 advisers and one researcher contracted by the mayor.
“The advisers support the mayor in fulfilling the commitments he has made to local people, including securing record high affordable homes, introducing the mayor’s education award to alleviate financial pressures on young people and ensuring local people get the most out of this summer’s big event, London 2012.”
- Sail Royal Greenwich 2012
Tall Ship Event London 2012 Unique corporate hospitality cruise
www.sailroyalgreenwich.co.uk - County Hall Apartments
Selection of 1, 2 & 3 bedroom flats next to London Eye for sale & rent
www.CountyHall.Net - Get House Solar Panels
Solar Panel Prices Keep Falling. Install before FIT drops again.
www.getsolarpanels.co.uk - Free Audits by auditors
First year Free - save instantly Chartered Accountants will visit
www.thomasharris.co.uk
Comments
 | terryosser10 days ago and hackney and newham--both beacons of achievement--and postal votes--keep up the good work cityoption |
| davidl2d10 days ago What a sad and expensive farce! Whose stupid idea was it to have 'elected mayors'? Oh! Yes! The hugely successful, financially wondrous, corruption free New Labour shambles. |
| Anonymous11 days ago Grant Shapps says that does he? This coming from a Conservative minister that gives tax cuts to multi millionaires, takes his orders from Rupert Murdoch, sells policy to any billionaire with £200 000 to line his coffers, is gerry mandering London in favour of the rich, has privatised the NHS to the advantage of his cronies, has made millions unemployed and demanded less regulation on the banks one month before the world wide crash....etc.etc....shut your mouth. Reply 1 reply |
| cityoption11 days ago Written by a member of sad old RED KENS campaign team. You have got a cheek mouthing off about the rich. Red Ken is a multi millionaire and most of it he paid very little tax on. Of course he did raise taxes , 153 per cent on working class people. Look mate you know you are on an earner if RED KEN GETS elected,what is it advising on which trees to hug? Working people of London say no the PUBLIC SECTOR FAT CATS and there tax fiddler RED KEN RED KEN WILL RAISE YOUR TAXES |
| Anonymous11 days ago You people of TH were warned about this person. You are now reaping what you sowed. But you really don't deserve these arrogant thieving people. |
| cityoption11 days ago As you know folks Mr Rahman is a mini RED KEN . If you vote RED KEN this is what you will get. Hundreds of advisers not on six figure salaries but sending in invoices for six figures so they can fiddle there taxes just like RED KEN . RED KEN really is king of the Public sector fat cats. Is this what London needs? The answer is a resounding no to RED KEN and the likes of this scum bag. Rahman would rob children and there working class parents so that Tony Winterbottom can make one thousand pounds a day. Of course Tony like the other Tony is embarrassed because he does not think one thousand pounds a day IS THAT MUCH. RED KEN all over it i'm afraid , the rich get richer and fiddle there taxes while working class people can get stuffed. RED KEN WILL RAISE YOUR TAXES |
| Anonymous11 days ago We can look forward to similar vanity waste's of money in the different cities and towns where the coalition have enabled independent Police Commissioners to be elected and installed.. Can anyone imagine Prescott being a quiet withdrawn Police Commissioner in Hull? He is well accustomed to finding different routes to access public funds which at the end of the day have been a complete waste of money which has to be made up by taxpayers both national and local. I have little doubt that unless there are protections for public funds within the act that brought this TH mayor into office, then he as an independent will be able to squander a lot of money on things that he intends will keep the good times rolling for him way into a second term in office. |
| Anonymous11 days ago This is a disgraceful state of affairs. Yet again we see our money being spent to enhance the reputation of those we elect to serve us1 |
| Anonymous11 days ago How do these spokesmen manage to keep a straight face? |
| Matt J11 days ago Another article on one of Ken's pals... A warning to Londoners, vote for Ken an get people like this! |
| shallotman11 days ago And the gravy train rolls on. |
| Anonymous11 days ago i live in LBTH- we really do not need a mayor |
| Anonymous11 days ago Still, you've only got another 3 years to put up with him. Rahman is a disgrace. |
 | Bertthebuilder11 days ago No doubt the new staff will come in handy to double count all those postal votes, and then add a few on for good measure. |
| teamchiswick11 days ago When someone uses "I estimate" and "could be" how can you report it as fact? I am sure Boris will thank you. |
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: only a member of this blog may post a comment.