Results tagged “views”
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 Jim Fitzpatrick
It's nearly time for the General Election and we have council elections, too, and a referendum on a directly elected Mayor in Tower Hamlets.
In the Mayoral referendum, I'll be voting "No". The local council has been performing well, with huge challenges. It's been regarded as a Beacon Council for over five years now.
By John Biggs
The Winter Olympics in Vancouver have held a special interest as we look to lessons we can learn for our Olympics.
We've seen the enthusiasm and pride of the city but we've also seen press reports that Vancouver's public transport system couldn't cope.
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.
By John Biggs
Well, it's budget time again. My job as an Assembly Member is to examine the Mayor's plans and look for the flaws.
So here they are (well, the big ones anyway). The good news is that the amount of Council Tax precept is remaining frozen in Boris' latest budget.
By Tim Archer
To fix the problems of pollution and congestion, Tower Hamlets Council introduced the concept of all new homes being built as "car-free".
The theory goes that if you ban people from applying for parking permits and prevent developers building parking spaces, residents abandon their cars and use public transport.
By Jim Fitzpatrick
I've been recovering from the operation I underwent in December, and getting back in the swing of things.
Anyone who has had a similar experience will know it takes time to climb back to full health, and I appreciate the understanding of all those who've contacted me since the operation.
By John Biggs
Albert Einstein said that he enjoyed travelling more than arriving. For people working or living in east London the opposite is often true.
Things do get better - longer DLR trains on the way for example - but often not.
For cross-river connections the year has not started too well.
By Tim Archer
I've spent the first week of the new year visiting Bangladesh. A third of the constituency I hope to represent, Poplar and Limehouse, are from, or their families originate from, Bangladesh.
It's important to get to know and understand as much as possible about all the people of the constituency and my second trip to Bangladesh has really helped me to do this.
By Jim Fitzpatrick
Happy New Year and all the best for 2010. This is my first week back after the Christmas break and my operation. Thanks to everyone who sent get well wishes.
I'm only doing part-time this week, but have made a good start back, and my team has dealt with most of the business while I've been absent.
By John Biggs
Another year draws to an end giving me an opportunity to set out my priorities for next year. My main focus for 2010 is to make the case for east London's connectivity to enable it to benefit from opportunities elsewhere, and to grow within.
London must climb out of the economic hole, and east London is key.
By Tim Archer
Christmas is an important time for celebrating with family, friends and colleagues.
But it is also a time when we remember those less fortunate than ourselves and those who are no longer with us. It's been poignant, therefore, that this week I have attended the unveiling of two new plaques.
By Jim Fitzpatrick
Canary Wharf's Community Christmas Reception is always an enjoyable event at which the Group invites along local community organisations and their representatives for a seasonal social get-together.
Everyone has a great evening, partaking of some Canary Wharf hospitality.
By John Biggs
For about a year I have been raising concerns about weekend rail closures in East London with the Mayor, and anyone else I can get hold of. So I'm glad that the issue of the seriousness of ongoing problems of the Jubilee line works has now got much wider attention. The weekend closures effectively cut off east London, particularly when they coincide with works on the DLR or District line.
By Cllr Tim Archer
In a fast-changing area like Tower Hamlets it is imperative that what little heritage we've got left is cared for and preserved.
So it's especially disappointing that the Grade II listed Limehouse Library on the Commercial Road is being left to rot. I am heartbroken by its shocking state of disrepair.
By John Biggs
One of "my" two X-Factor contestants (they live in my constituency), Rachel, has been voted out. Stacey remains. There is an East End tradition of success from a modest start to which they both belong. Other examples of success from the East End are numerous - another, from a different field, comes to mind each morning as I walk through Whitechapel and glance up at the blue plaque marking the home of the founder of Tesco.
I've been selling poppies again this year at Canary Wharf DLR station to the early morning commuters and I'm proud to say that we've been doing a roaring trade. Every year, credit crunch or not, I've been truly impressed by how generous Wharfers are. But I wonder how many know just how much bureaucracy there is involved in being allowed to stand there?
By Jim Fitzpatrick
Over the past year or so, I've held a number of coffee mornings on Saturdays, to give local people an opportunity to voice their concerns and exchange ideas on crime and anti-social behaviour.
The decision to organise such events stems from the large amount of casework I receive in respect of these kind of problems.
By John Biggs
Londoners face an above inflation fares increase from January next year. Bus fares will rise by 12.7 per cent and Tube fares by 3.9 per cent.
Some services will be cut but we don't know which ones yet. The Mayor says he has little choice because of the other pressures he faces.
By Tim Archer
Only days apart from each other we learnt that the Audit Commission has criticised the Labour-run Tower Hamlets council for the way it sacked its chief executive and the size of the bill that resulted and that there will be no increase in council tax next year. No increase in council tax is to be welcomed. But it's only a start.
