It is true that a minister’s letter said “further actions” might still be taken against Tower Hamlets Council if it fails to “collaborate meaningfully” with the people the government sent there in January to improve the running of the place under its comeback Mayor, Lutfur Rahman of the Aspire Party. But a fuller account of the story is less dramatic. That can be found in the 13-page account of what has happened so far compiled by the trio of government “envoys” themselves and sent to minister of state Baroness Taylor of Stevenage in May.
It was Taylor who wrote the letter mentioning possible “further actions”, replying to the envoys in response to their report – a letter that noted and shared their disappointments. That said, Taylor also welcomed progress made to date and expressed the hope that Tower Hamlets “continues its journey of improvement” and “will continue its commitment” to that goal. Slow progress, then, and not enough of it – but moving in the right direction.
The three envoys are Kim Bromley-Derry, a former chief executive of Newham among other things, who led a “best value” inspection of Tower Hamlets for the previous government, and his assistants Pam Parkes and Shokat Lal. Their report is not a scintillating read, but it was never going to be Micky Spillane.
What it does, in its measured, mandarin way, is paint a picture of an odd and unhappy governance ship, some of whose crew are so submerged in long-running feuds they have lost all sense of direction, while some of the officer class is bunkered in the captain’s quarters and won’t come out. Steady seadogs are keeping hands on the tiller and eyes on the rocks, but the envoys, though formally welcomed aboard, have discovered that some East End Jack Tars are keener than others to join them for a “best value” chinwag above deck. This vessel will take a while to turn around.
Good news has included Asma Islam, a Labour councillor for Weavers ward, chairing the oversight and scrutiny committee between October and May. “We encourage the council to consolidate and maintain this improved chairing to ensure appropriate and apolitical scrutiny,” the envoys write. They also say they support the council bringing in an independent figure to chair its audit committee.
The report says the envoys have had “regular meetings” with the council’s chief executive, Steve Halsey and a “first cut of an improvement plan” has been gestating. However, “We have not always felt that staff have prioritised making time for meeting with the Envoys,” the report says, “and meeting some individuals has taken longer than it needs to.” The envoys were “particularly keen” to meet the “wider Mayor’s office and advisors” – individuals whom Mayor Rahman’s critics might say are a significant part of the Tower Hamlets problem.
A transformation and assurance board has been formed, a reconfiguration of the previous transformation advisory board – from one TAB to another – which Rahman chairs. The council has appointed external advisors to sit on it, including former Mayor of Lewisham Steve Bullock as its guiding hand on political leadership.
The envoys’ report says there have been a number of one-to-one meeting between Bullock, Rahman, members of the cabinet and a “broader group of members” as part of putting together a mentoring programme. This is focussing on “member behaviour, capacity and capability”. There’s quite a bit of work still to be done. I quote:
“Some behaviours from all sides of the chamber continue to be problematic. Poor behaviour in the chamber sometimes goes beyond the usual political theatre, distracts the council from doing its business and limits scrutiny and debate. Whilst all sides are saying they are trying to change their ways, this is not yet evidenced in a range of public meetings. It is positive that the Mayor has clearly stated that he recognises these issues and the responsibility of the group leaders to support behaviour improvement. It will be important for each politician and political group to reflect on their own behaviour in the first instance rather than always see this as a problem created by the other political groups.”
It has long been a feature of Tower Hamlets politics that some of its more prominent participants have been mud wrestling each other for years. Coaxing them out of the swamp may not be easy.
It’s such a shame. The East End has so much potential, but its political culture often impedes its realisation. “We have been impressed by the extent of community interest in civic meetings evidenced through strong attendance by the public,” the report says. “This further emphasises the need for members to behave appropriately”.
The task of the envoys might not be made any easier by the appearance on the horizon of next May’s borough elections, which will see Labour hoping to wrest the mayoralty from Rahman’s hands. Politics on the streets in Tower Hamlets can be as fraught as in its council chamber. Will change for the better be as large and as prompt as the government requires, or will “further actions” become more than just a possibility?
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