bdnews24.com :
The mayor of scandal-tainted London Tower Hamlets council, Lutfur Rahman, has been stripped of his powers to dish out grants and sell property with a takeover squad moving in.
Two commissioners on Wednesday entered the council office to meet functionaries and the controversy-ridden Bangladeshi-origin mayor, reports ‘London Evening Standard’.
The commissioners have been appointed by Communities Secretary Eric Pickles.
Pickles told Parliament in a written statement: “I remain satisfied that the Council is failing to comply with its best value duty. It is
disappointing that there is a culture of denial in the mayoral administration about its systematic failures.”
The commissioners, who moved in, are being led by Sir Ken Knight, a former London Fire Commissioner and advisor to the government. He is backed by former council chief executive Max Caller, the chairman of the Local Government Boundary Commission for England.
Pickles said the issue was merely not one of money. “The abuse of taxpayers’ money and the culture of cronyism reflects a partisan community politics that seeks to trade favours and spread division on the rates,” the Cabinet minister said.
“Such behaviour is to the detriment of integration and community cohesion in Tower Hamlets and in our capital city. This remains my view,” he added.
The mayor of scandal-tainted London Tower Hamlets council, Lutfur Rahman, has been stripped of his powers to dish out grants and sell property with a takeover squad moving in.
Two commissioners on Wednesday entered the council office to meet functionaries and the controversy-ridden Bangladeshi-origin mayor, reports ‘London Evening Standard’.
The commissioners have been appointed by Communities Secretary Eric Pickles.
Pickles told Parliament in a written statement: “I remain satisfied that the Council is failing to comply with its best value duty. It is
disappointing that there is a culture of denial in the mayoral administration about its systematic failures.”
The commissioners, who moved in, are being led by Sir Ken Knight, a former London Fire Commissioner and advisor to the government. He is backed by former council chief executive Max Caller, the chairman of the Local Government Boundary Commission for England.
Pickles said the issue was merely not one of money. “The abuse of taxpayers’ money and the culture of cronyism reflects a partisan community politics that seeks to trade favours and spread division on the rates,” the Cabinet minister said.
“Such behaviour is to the detriment of integration and community cohesion in Tower Hamlets and in our capital city. This remains my view,” he added.
