Tower Hamlets London Borough Council
Encyclopedia
Tower Hamlets London Borough Council is the local authority for the London Borough of Tower Hamlets
in Greater London
, England. The council is unusual in that its executive function is controlled by a directly elected mayor of Tower Hamlets
, currently Lutfur Rahman
.
Following the May 2010 election
, Tower Hamlets London Borough Council was composed of 41 Labour Party
members, 8 Conservative Party
members, 1 Respect Party member and 1 Liberal Democrat
member. Eight councillors elected in 2010 as Labour Party candidates are now independent members and following a by-election in December 2010 there is a further Respect Party member.
The council was created by the London Government Act 1963 and replaced three local authorities: Bethnal Green Metropolitan Borough Council, Poplar Metropolitan Borough Council and Stepney Metropolitan Borough Council.
on 1 April 1965. Tower Hamlets London Borough Council replaced Bethnal Green Metropolitan Borough Council, Poplar Metropolitan Borough Council and Stepney Metropolitan Borough Council. All three had been created in 1900, in Bethnal Green the borough council replaced the parish vestry
and in Poplar the council replaced the board of works; both authorities had been incorporated by the Metropolis Management Act 1855
. Stepney had a more convoluted history with the metropolitan borough council established in 1900 replacing the Limehouse District Board of Works, the Whitechapel District Board of Works and the parish vestries of Mile End Old Town and St George in the East
.
It was envisaged through the London Government Act 1963
that Tower Hamlets as a London local authority would share power with the Greater London Council
. The split of powers and functions meant that the Greater London Council was responsible for "wide area" services such as fire, ambulance, flood prevention, and refuse disposal; with the local authorities responsible for "personal" services such as social care, libraries, cemeteries and refuse collection. This arrangement lasted until 1986 when Tower Hamlets London Borough Council gained responsibility for some services that had been provided by the Greater London Council, such as waste disposal. Tower Hamlets became an education authority
in 1990. Since 2000 the Greater London Authority
has taken some responsibility for highways and planning control from the council, but within the English local government system the council remains a "most purpose" authority in terms of the available range of powers and functions.
London Borough of Tower Hamlets
The London Borough of Tower Hamlets is a London borough to the east of the City of London and north of the River Thames. It is in the eastern part of London and covers much of the traditional East End. It also includes much of the redeveloped Docklands region of London, including West India Docks...
in Greater London
Greater London
Greater London is the top-level administrative division of England covering London. It was created in 1965 and spans the City of London, including Middle Temple and Inner Temple, and the 32 London boroughs. This territory is coterminate with the London Government Office Region and the London...
, England. The council is unusual in that its executive function is controlled by a directly elected mayor of Tower Hamlets
Directly elected mayor of Tower Hamlets
The directly elected mayor of Tower Hamlets is a new directly elected mayor, elected on 21 October 2010, taking on the executive function of Tower Hamlets London Borough Council in east London, England...
, currently Lutfur Rahman
Lutfur Rahman
Lutfur Rahman is a community activist and local politician in London, England. He became the first directly elected mayor of Tower Hamlets in 2010, having previously been the leader of Tower Hamlets London Borough Council from 2008 to 2010.-Education:...
.
Following the May 2010 election
Tower Hamlets Council election, 2010
Elections to Tower Hamlets London Borough Council took place on May 6, 2010, on the same day as the United Kingdom general election, 2010. There were 17 wards electing 3 councillors each.-Summary results:-Ward...
, Tower Hamlets London Borough Council was composed of 41 Labour Party
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
members, 8 Conservative Party
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
members, 1 Respect Party member and 1 Liberal Democrat
Liberal Democrats
The Liberal Democrats are a social liberal political party in the United Kingdom which supports constitutional and electoral reform, progressive taxation, wealth taxation, human rights laws, cultural liberalism, banking reform and civil liberties .The party was formed in 1988 by a merger of the...
member. Eight councillors elected in 2010 as Labour Party candidates are now independent members and following a by-election in December 2010 there is a further Respect Party member.
The council was created by the London Government Act 1963 and replaced three local authorities: Bethnal Green Metropolitan Borough Council, Poplar Metropolitan Borough Council and Stepney Metropolitan Borough Council.
History
There have previously been a number of local authorities responsible for the Tower Hamlets area. The current local authority was first elected in 1964, a year before formally coming into its powers and prior to the creation of the London Borough of Tower HamletsLondon Borough of Tower Hamlets
The London Borough of Tower Hamlets is a London borough to the east of the City of London and north of the River Thames. It is in the eastern part of London and covers much of the traditional East End. It also includes much of the redeveloped Docklands region of London, including West India Docks...
on 1 April 1965. Tower Hamlets London Borough Council replaced Bethnal Green Metropolitan Borough Council, Poplar Metropolitan Borough Council and Stepney Metropolitan Borough Council. All three had been created in 1900, in Bethnal Green the borough council replaced the parish vestry
Vestry
A vestry is a room in or attached to a church or synagogue in which the vestments, vessels, records, etc., are kept , and in which the clergy and choir robe or don their vestments for divine service....
and in Poplar the council replaced the board of works; both authorities had been incorporated by the Metropolis Management Act 1855
Metropolis Management Act 1855
The Metropolis Management Act 1855 was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that created the Metropolitan Board of Works, a London-wide body to co-ordinate the construction of the city's infrastructure. The Act also created a second tier of local government consisting of parish vestries...
. Stepney had a more convoluted history with the metropolitan borough council established in 1900 replacing the Limehouse District Board of Works, the Whitechapel District Board of Works and the parish vestries of Mile End Old Town and St George in the East
St George in the East (parish)
St George in the East was a parish in the metropolitan area of London, England.-History:The parish was largely rural at the time of its creation, the main settlement a hamlet known as Wapping Stepney...
.
It was envisaged through the London Government Act 1963
London Government Act 1963
The London Government Act 1963 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which recognised officially the conurbation known as Greater London and created a new local government structure for the capital. The Act significantly reduced the number of local government districts in the area,...
that Tower Hamlets as a London local authority would share power with the Greater London Council
Greater London Council
The Greater London Council was the top-tier local government administrative body for Greater London from 1965 to 1986. It replaced the earlier London County Council which had covered a much smaller area...
. The split of powers and functions meant that the Greater London Council was responsible for "wide area" services such as fire, ambulance, flood prevention, and refuse disposal; with the local authorities responsible for "personal" services such as social care, libraries, cemeteries and refuse collection. This arrangement lasted until 1986 when Tower Hamlets London Borough Council gained responsibility for some services that had been provided by the Greater London Council, such as waste disposal. Tower Hamlets became an education authority
Local Education Authority
A local education authority is a local authority in England and Wales that has responsibility for education within its jurisdiction...
in 1990. Since 2000 the Greater London Authority
Greater London Authority
The Greater London Authority is the top-tier administrative body for Greater London, England. It consists of a directly elected executive Mayor of London, currently Boris Johnson, and an elected 25-member London Assembly with scrutiny powers...
has taken some responsibility for highways and planning control from the council, but within the English local government system the council remains a "most purpose" authority in terms of the available range of powers and functions.
Summary results of elections
Previous election results are as follows:| Election | Overall control | Conservative | Labour | Lib Dem Liberal Democrats The Liberal Democrats are a social liberal political party in the United Kingdom which supports constitutional and electoral reform, progressive taxation, wealth taxation, human rights laws, cultural liberalism, banking reform and civil liberties .The party was formed in 1988 by a merger of the... |
Others |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Labour | 8 | 41 | 1 | 1 |
| 2006 | Labour | 7 | 26 | 6 | 12 |
| 2002 | Labour | - | 35 | 16 | - |
| 1998 | Labour | - | 41 | 9 | - |
| 1994 | Labour | - | 43 | 7 | - |
| 1990 | Liberal Democrat | - | 20 | 30 | - |
| 1986 | Liberal/S.D.P. Alliance | - | 24 | 26 | - |
| 1982 | Labour | - | 31 | 18 | 1 |
| 1978 | Labour | - | 43 | 7 | - |
| 1974 | Labour | - | 60 | - | - |
| 1971 | Labour | - | 60 | - | - |
| 1968 | Labour | - | 57 | - | 3 |
| 1964 | Labour | - | 55 | - | 5 |
List of councillors
The councillors as at 17 December 2010 are as follows:| Councillor | Political party | Ward |
|---|---|---|
| Helal Uddin Abbas | Labour | Spitalfields and Banglatown |
| A M Ohid Ahmed | Independent | East India and Lansbury |
| Kabir Ahmed | Labour | Weavers |
| Khales Uddin Ahmed | Labour | Bromley by Bow |
| Rajib Ahmed | Labour | East India and Lansbury |
| Rofique Uddin Ahmed | Labour | Mile End and Globe Town |
| Shelina Aktar | Independent | Spitalfields and Banglatown |
| Shahed Ali | Labour | Whitechapel |
| Timothy Archer | Conservative | Blackwall and Cubitt Town |
| Abdul Asad | Labour | Whitechapel |
| Craig Aston | Conservative | Limehouse |
| Lutfa Begum | Independent | Limehouse |
| Mizanur Rahman Chaudhury | Labour | Bethnal Green South |
| Alibor Choudhury | Independent | Shadwell |
| Zara Emily Davis | Conservative | Millwall |
| Stephanie Eaton | Liberal Democrat | Bethnal Green North |
| David John Edgar | Labour | Limehouse |
| Marc Francis | Labour | Bow East |
| Judith Anne Gardiner | Labour | St. Dunstan's and Stepney Green |
| Carlo Gibbs | Labour | Bethnal Green North |
| Peter Golds | Conservative | Blackwall and Cubitt Town |
| Shafiqul Haque | Labour | St. Katharine's and Wapping |
| Carli Harper-Penman | Labour | Bow East |
| Sirajul Islam | Labour | Bethnal Green South |
| Ann Jackson | Labour | Bow West |
| Denise Jones | Labour | St. Katharine's and Wapping |
| Emma Jones | Conservative | St. Katharine's and Wapping |
| Aminur Khan | Independent | Whitechapel |
| Anwar Khan | Labour | Bow West |
| Rabina Khan | Independent | Shadwell |
| Rania Khan | Independent | Bromley by Bow |
| Shiria Khatun Shiria Khatun Shiria Khatun is one of the short listed mayoral Labour candidates in Tower Hamlets.-Early life:Shiria Khatun was born in Birmingham, United Kingdom, and raised and educated in Tower Hamlets. Her parents, Haji Mohammed Mokis and Joytera Khatun came to UK in late 1950’s... |
Labour | East India and Lansbury |
| Anna Siobhan Lynch | Labour | Weavers |
| Harun Miah | Respect | Shadwell |
| Maium Miah | Conservative | Millwall |
| Mohammed Abdul Mukit | Labour | Weavers |
| Ahmed Omer | Labour | Bow East |
| Lesley Pavitt | Labour | Bethnal Green South |
| Joshua Peck | Labour | Bow West |
| Fozol Miah | Respect | Spitalfields and Banglatown |
| Oliur Rahman | Independent | St. Dunstan's and Stepney Green |
| Zenith Rahman | Labour | Bethnal Green North |
| Rachael Saunders | Labour | Mile End East |
| David Snowdon | Conservative | Millwall |
| Gloria Rose Thienel | Conservative | Blackwall and Cubitt Town |
| Bill Turner | Labour | Mile End and Globe Town |
| Helal Uddin | Labour | Bromley by Bow |
| Kosru Uddin | Labour | Mile End East |
| Abdal Ullah | Labour | St. Dunstan's and Stepney Green |
| Motin Uz-Zaman | Labour | Mile End East |
| Amy Whitelock | Labour | Mile End and Globe Town |