At a meeting in Tower Hamlets Town Hall, Mayor Lutfur Rahman is being roundly bollocked by a local petitioner over the council’s plans for Victoria Park. “Once again,” she proclaims, “the mayor has decided that he knows better than the Tower Hamlets people, that he can ignore the Tower Hamlets people and that he can cut out community groups as he sells off access to Victoria Park.”
Her disdain for the mayor and his newly founded Aspire party is not uncommon around here. One Aspire councillor attempts diplomacy, responding that, with the cost-of-living crisis, Tower Hamlets must administer its assets wisely. “I agree,” she replies, “and what’s more, I think it should start with the mayor’s office.” Applause erupts from Labour’s side of the chamber, acknowledging last year’s row over the mayor’s decision to spend around £450,000 of public money on an office upgrade, £50,000 of which went on a new meeting table and luxury chairs.
Rahman looks benevolently off into the middle distance. He’s not bothered. Why should he be? Following his landslide victory two years ago, he is more powerful than ever, having soundly beaten his Labour opponents in the race for mayor and for control of the council. On his side of the room, Aspire’s intake deliberate merrily. It’s easy to spot who’s who; whereas Labour has a mixed pool of representatives, Aspire’s councillors are exclusively British Bangladeshi men.