Results tagged “Labour”

Ed Miliband channelled Benjamin Disraeli as he called for "one nation banking" in a speech at Canary Wharf this morning.

The Labour leader said the path the banking industry had taken in recent years would lead to a separation of society "economically, geographically, and socially" and said he would change the rules to create "a fairer society and an economy that pays its way in the world".

Tower Hamlets politicians have condemned the violence that has occurred across the borough in the last 24 hours.

Labour MP for Poplar and Limehouse Jim Fitzpatrick and Mayor of Tower Hamlets Lutfur Rahman have both promised that everything is being done to try and safeguard people and property in the area from rioters.

Bethnal Green and Bow MP Rushanara Ali is urging the International community to do more to help tackle the crisis in the Horn of Africa.

The Labour MP joined opposition leader Ed Miliband and Secretary General of the United Nations Ban Ki-Moon in calls for increased action.

A hero of the East End and one of the most effective prime ministers of the 20th century returned to his spiritual home this week.

Or at least a statue of Clem Attlee again stands in the East End, only a short distance away from the People's Palace where the Limehouse MP heard in 1945 that his party had won sufficient seats to form the first post-war government.

The independent mayor of Tower Hamlets, Lutfur Rahman, has secured agreement on his first budget.

At a second meeting on Tuesday night, the mayor accepted some of the changes offered by his former Labour colleagues in order to secure an agreement.

By Jim Fitzpatrick

I hear that some Labour members are calling on organisations in Tower Hamlets to refuse to cooperate with Mayor Lutfur Rahman. I must confess to finding this extremely naive. I have established regular meetings with the mayor, and the Labour Group leadership in Tower Hamlets is engaging similarly to try to influence his decisions.

Perched on a seat on the Jubilee line to Canary Wharf, Ken Livingstone is getting some early hits in on his old foe Boris Johnson.

Ken remains one of the most powerful and controversial politicians in London, despite not holding office for more than two years but he aims to change all that as he prepares for his fourth mayoral fight in 16 months' time.

By Peter Golds

Six days after Tower Hamlets' tumultuous first ever mayoral election, the council assembled to start work.

Under the new system the mayor has enormous personal powers and it is the duty of the 51 councillors to scrutinise his decisions and invite the him to reconsider if necessary.

By Tim Archer

The election to decide who will be Tower Hamlets' first executive mayor is almost upon us. Voters go to the polls on October 21 to decide who should run the council and its £1billion a year budget.

For many it's been a bunch of politicians arguing amongst themselves.

By Tim Archer

Given its size and unique geographical form, coupled with its proximity to the economic hub that is Canary Wharf, I've long campaigned for the Isle of Dogs to have its own full time police station.

It's what the vast majority of residents tell me they want.

By Jim Fitzpatrick

It's easy to get hold of a phrase such as "anti-social behaviour" and trot it out without stopping to think about it much.

But it's not a bad idea to consider what anti-social behaviour means in practice. It's not being able to open your window when it's 30C outside, because "problem" families are screaming their heads off.

The people of Tower Hamlets have decided they do want to have a directly elected mayor running the borough.

In a referendum on Thursday, residents voted 60,758 to 39,857 in favour of the change to the way Tower Hamlets Council is run.

Labour's Jim Fitzpatrick has hung onto his Parliamentary seat and beat Respect's George Galloway into third in the process.

Mr Fitzpatrick polled 18,679 votes, while Conservative candidate Tim Archer came second with 12,649. Mr Galloway received 8,160 votes.

Labour's Nick Raynsford has held on to his seat in Greenwich and Woolwich, despite a 5.1 per cent swing towards Conservative.

Mr Raynsford secured 49.2 per cent of the vote, earning 20,262 votes compared to Tory Spencer Drury's 24.5 per cent, with 10,109 votes.

Prime Minister Gordon Brown met East London residents at the Bromley-By-Bow Centre today.

The centre provides a range of services for the nearby community including support in setting up new social enterprises.

By Tim Archer

A budget has to balance sooner or later; black holes cannot be financed forever and they cannot be ignored. It's therefore interesting that the Labour-run council chose to overlook the fact that its books contain a £54million gap. Putting that into context, council tax in Tower Hamlets would have to rise by almost 30 per cent a year for the next three years just to plug that gap.

By Tim Archer

It must be an election year as the Labour-run Tower Hamlets Council has proposed to freeze Council Tax.

Coincidentally, the last time Council Tax was frozen in Tower Hamlets was in 2006, also an election year.

Tower Hamlets Council cabinet member Anwara Ali has left Labour for the Tories, saying she has become "disillusioned" with the party's NHS reform.

The Bow West councillor's defection will come as a blow to the ruling party, as the GP was lead member for health and well-being in the borough.

The Government is refusing to bow to pressure in bringing forward an increase in retirement age following the recession.

At the Conservative Party conference, George Osborne unveiled proposals to raise the age of state pensions for men to 66 from 2016, eight years ahead of the current Government's proposals.

MP Jim Fitzpatrick held a press conference in Canary Wharf this week to refute allegations of Islamophobia. The Wharf reports from the East Wintergarden

The press conference was for Bangladeshi media only, but a small group of politicians were outside anyway.

Some were taking pictures against the window, hands outstretched in a show of mock confusion. One pushed away the blocking arm of a man at the door, and strode into the doorway.