Muslims get into politics for the same reasons all people do: to represent our communities and to improve lives.
My article for
@MiddleEastEye
on Islamophobia in public life👇
1/ BREAKING: I am absolutely thrilled to announce that, as of just now, my Cabinet has agreed to reinstate the Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA) grant and introduce a University Bursary for our young people, making us **the only borough in England** to offer EMA🧵
The people of Tower Hamlets are more important than profits.
I'm thrilled to announce that we've decided to bring our leisure services back in house, a move I know will benefit everyone. 🏊 1/5
Keeping 2nd properties empty while there’s a major housing crisis is unpardonable.
Some say there’s nothing you can do. There is.
Today, I can announce I’m looking at ways to seize 2nd properties kept empty in Tower Hamlets, to help house our residents.
1/ 🚨ANNOUNCEMENT🚨
An historic day in Tower Hamlets: Cabinet has just officially approved the roll-out of Universal Free School Meals for secondary students - making us the first Local Authority in the country to do so. 💪
My historic election was newsworthy enough for
@Independent
to run 3 full stories on it. But after agreeing to run a piece I then spent time drafting they spiked it with no explanation.
Such treatment is normal for Black/Asian politicians. Even in 2022.
It needs calling out.
Tomorrow,
@RMTUnion
members have made the difficult decision to take industrial action.
I offer my full solidarity to these workers and all Trade Unionists, who are leading the fight in this cost of living crisis.
As your Mayor I will work with unions to protect workers.
I wish to thank all those who came out to participate in our democracy.
I am honoured to have been elected as your next mayor of Tower Hamlets.
Thank you for your support. Let’s get to work rebuilding our borough and our children’s future.
-Lutfur
1/ It’s official - I can now announce that
@THHomes
is coming back in-house, meaning almost 22,000 homes in Tower Hamlets are being brought back under public control.
We have decided to freeze council tax in Tower Hamlets.
The cost of living crisis is spiralling out of control - the last thing our residents need are extra bills.
1/ I am deeply concerned by footage showing a violent incident involving a police officer and a member of the public circulating online.
I am urgently seeking information from
@MPSTowerHam
and the Borough Commander.
Today I was heartened to march with 500,000 people in solidarity with the people of Gaza. Amid the darkness of the past 3 weeks, it was an important and powerful display of humanity.
People across the world are demonstrating to demand a ceasefire now. World leaders must listen.
Students around the world are standing united in their call for an immediate and permanent ceasefire in Gaza, as well as a free & thriving Palestine 🇵🇸
Students from our own
@QMUL
have added their names to this historic international call for justice.
They have my support.
2/ Education is something I’m passionate about, so when the government scrapped EMA in 2011, I immediately made it my priority to keep this vital payment going during my first term as Mayor.
In my first relief package, I am:
🍽 Rolling out a holiday food programme for kids entitled to free school meals
🥪 Keeping universal free school meals and extending that to our secondary schools
❄️Freezing council tax ASAP
Ppl of Tower Hamlets should live, not just survive
3/ School and university got me to where I am today, allowing me to gain my law degree, and do good for my community. I want those same opportunities for all our young people.
8/ IMPORTANT INFO 🗓: The application for EMA and University Bursaries will open on November 1st 2022, and payments will be backdated to September. The Council and I will send more correspondence on the application when it goes live.
1/ Today, a large group of young people from Tower Hamlets marched on the Town Hall in Whitechapel to call for an immediate and unequivocal ceasefire in Gaza.
My message to them ⬇️
1/ Starting from today, 38,000 additional young people in Tower Hamlets will receive universal free school meals.
Our borough has funded free school meals in primary schools since 2014 & from today we become the only borough in the country to extend to secondary schools.
7/ Wealth or class should never stand in the way of opportunity, which is why I am making this worthy investment in the young people of Tower Hamlets.
There’s no reason our young people from all walks of life shouldn’t fill the corridors of Oxbridge and
@RussellGroup
unis.
As mayor of Tower Hamlets from 2010-15, I introduced a new energy cooperative that saved people £130 per year in bills.
Now, as we grapple with a new and unprecedented cost of living crisis, I similarly intend to tackle it head on.
Today I can announce the Mayor’s Emergency Energy Fund.
£830,000 will be paid to Tower Hamlets residents identified as most at-risk of fuel poverty.
I will be looking to extend the scheme with additional measures in coming months.
More policy announcements to follow this week.
4/ I made it clear throughout my election campaign that bringing back EMA and University Bursaries, after the previous administration scrapped both to make ‘savings’, was among my biggest priorities.
5/ EMA can make all the difference to a student, and help change the course of a young person’s life. It’s the ability to travel to college and gain qualifications, whether it be an apprenticeship or to get to university.
1/ I am very pleased to share that the *waste strike in Tower Hamlets is now over*
We have negotiated a deal with our refuse workers that ensures they are better compensated and better protected – and which ensures our streets are cleaner for our residents.
6/ That extra boost of money to pay the rent and bills while studying at university can make a huge difference to grades by alleviating the financial strain so many students face.
1/ I am a Mayor who listens, and who refuses to adopt a ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach to complex issues.
For that reason, I will not be removing road closure restrictions from the Wapping bus gate.
Today I had the great honour of seeing another one of my manifesto commitments realised.
The Watney Market Idea Store was closed under the previous Mayor, despite providing vital learning services to our residents.
The Watney Market Idea Store is now reopened for learning.
A huge thank you to the 24 Aspire candidates who have secured an unprecedented overall majority in Tower Hamlets!
I look forward to working with councillors of all parties.
Commiserations to all those who served our borough and are stepping down, or who stood & lost.
1/2 A huge number of Tower Hamlets residents marched today in central London to express their deep concern over the unfolding humanitarian catastrophe in the Middle East.
We will have the space to tailor our leisure facilities to the needs of our borough without having to worry about profits and shareholders.
For example, more services for women, BAME communities, and SEND kids. 4/5
An absolute privilege to meet these young men from
@CoffeeAfrique
, who rescued residents from the Bentworth Court fire last week.
Their bravery and altruism represents the very best of us, and all of Tower Hamlets is proud of them!
1/ Today marks International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People. 🇵🇸🧵
For 75 years, the Palestinians have been without a state - subject to forced displacement, occupation, and apartheid.
I plan to make it worth everyone's while, by making it more accessible and affordable for people to enjoy Tower Hamlets' leisure facilities, with some really good deals on the cards! 3/5
1/ No child should have to steal to eat.
That's why, in addition to primary schools, I am working towards extending universal free school meals to secondary schools.
Labour lost core voters in the former industrial North, and now is shedding young & multiracial city core voters too.
My former party owes progressives serious thinking on what it must offer - not just lashing out at those it's taken for granted who have gone elsewhere
#LE2022
I want a cabinet that represents all of Tower Hamlets.
That’s why today I wrote to my former party,
@TH_Labour
, inviting women councillors from the Labour group to join my administration.
Let’s rebuild this borough constructively.
I am very concerned to read this and have instructed Council officers to look into it urgently. Women and girls’ participation in sport is one of my top priorities.
The girls of Vicky Park Rangers FC secured a contract with an astro pitch for midweek training, only for Tower Hamlets council to pull it away from them after one week and hand it to a men’s team - and the more you read, the more shocking this gets! SORT IT OUT
@TowerHamletsNow
This is a good initiative, and something we’ve been doing in Tower Hamlets since 2013.
Soon, ours will become the first borough in England to extend FSM to all secondary schools.
I look forward to working with
@MayorofLondon
on tackling child hunger.
1/ I am delighted to announce I will be investing £950,000 fixing solar panels to 11 council owned buildings as part of the Mayor’s Energy Fund and my radical green programme 🌱
2/ Any officers involved in this violence must be suspended while the investigation is carried out.
This situation requires deescalation. I call for calm in the community and a thorough investigation to be carried out urgently.
When wildfires are ripping through London, we know the climate emergency has arrived.
Under my administration, Tower Hamlets will treat the situation with the gravity it deserves.
1/ Communications in Gaza have been cut off amid what is being reported as the heaviest bombing yet.
A ground invasion is imminent and vast numbers of civilian lives, including many children, are in grave danger.
As a lifelong resident of Tower Hamlets, I feel deeply connected to the rich history and character of our community.
We will protect important cultural sites in our borough from predatory developers.
Today marks 45 years since the murder of Altab Ali, a British-Bangladeshi textile worker stabbed to death by racists.
In response, my generation joined together with other communities in Tower Hamlets to reject hatred & build a fairer borough.
Rest in power ✊🏽
1/ Refuse workers in Tower Hamlets are having their overtime threatened, and today felt they had no choice but to make their voices heard at the Town Hall.
I went down to meet with them and listen to their concerns.
I’m saddened that Labour refused an invite to join my Cabinet & work collectively with me.
When our women candidates were unfortunately not elected, we listened to criticism & invited Labour women on board. Disappointing Labour won’t take this chance to achieve gender balance.
1/ Another big piece of news out of yesterday’s Cabinet: we’re banning junk food adverts on Council property in Tower Hamlets.
Over half of kids in our borough will be overweight or obese by age 11. Bombarding our youngsters with unhealthy food options is a contributing factor.
Tower Hamlets is a special place where communities have lived side-by-side and supported each other for centuries.
We are proud of our home and today, as ever, we will not be divided.
Following yesterday’s prediction that the cost of energy could rise by a further 77%, I have been working on an emergency package for our poorest residents.
More will be announced next week.
The scenes from the so-called Rafah ‘safe zone’ are unbearable.
Our leaders must do everything in their power to avoid even more killing of innocents by securing an immediate ceasefire.
I’m so proud that - from June - Tower Hamlets will offer free swimming to all girls and women over the age of 16, and all men over 55.
Our borough has wide health inequalities. We will continue to think outside the box to tackle them.
1/ I am pleased to announce that I will be improving parking provisions in Tower Hamlets with two new schemes, in line with my manifesto commitments.
This move will help local traders and families. Here’s how 🧵
1/ I am delighted to announce that over 400 new council homes have been given the green light in Stepney.
The new development includes communal gardens, bike storage & recycling facilities.
Delivering genuinely affordable homes is and always will be one of my top priorities.
I started the week by announcing the Mayor’s Emergency Energy Fund and our plans to bring leisure facilities back in-house. I have one more policy I’d like to share with you before the week is over. 🧵 1/5
Delighted to welcome the talented Amy Jackson as my new Chief of Staff. Delighted, also, to welcome back Alibor Choudhury.
They are both capable and brilliant people, who will work with me to deliver my promises to you. We’ll make a great team!
Some months ago, our borough was described publicly as a ‘no go’ area.
At this week’s Full Council, we passed a motion affirming that we are in fact a ‘go to’ area + stating our desire to become a designated ‘Borough of Sanctuary’ for refugees & asylum seeking peoples👇
I am a mayor who listens, a mayor who values honesty and transparency.
Please read my letter on how I will be making Tower Hamlets - our home - the greenest borough in London. 🌳
1/ Today marks 1 year since my re-election as Mayor of Tower Hamlets.
My return to politics was motivated by one thing: the opportunity to serve the borough, re-empower people, and improve lives.
Here’s what we’ve achieved in 1 year…
A long 🧵
I am grateful to the people of Tower Hamlets for putting their trust in me and my transformative manifesto.
Now the hard work begins to deliver on my promises and rebuild Tower Hamlets.
Instead of taking the day off, I have come to the town hall with lead member
@CllrKabirAhmed
during Eid to oversee the plans to deliver 4000 homes for rent in four years.
It is important to us that this is done. It is one of our biggest priorities.
Today marks the beginning of an historic week for the people of Tower Hamlets.
At Wednesday’s Full Council, we will be voting to pass this budget👇
It’s a budget that delivers on so many of my manifesto promises.
More updates to follow.
Residents such as Linda have judged me on my past achievements, and returned me to office on the 5th of May.
Thats the story I wish the mainstream media would cover instead.
Murals of Palestinian children, doctors & journalists murdered in Gaza should never be conflated with hate speech.
I was not made aware of the removal of these murals & am urgently seeking clarification on how this happened.
Cockney emerged from the lives of working people, enabling them to thrive in an environment of social inequality and exclusion.
My letter on how we’ll be working to preserve Cockney and community languages👇
2/ Access to a decent, healthy meal is integral to a young person’s success, and a key part of my vision for improving life chances in Tower Hamlets.
Especially in a cost-of-living crisis, UFSM can change lives.
My best wishes to people around the world celebrating Eid ul-Adha.
Eid reminds us of the values of compassion, sharing and sacrifice, and it also gives us an opportunity to celebrate our incredible spirit of community and togetherness here in Tower Hamlets.
Eid Mubarak!
It was great to lay out my plans for Tower Hamlets and welcome my new cabinet in my first full council meeting.
The hard work to rebuild our borough starts now!
Tomorrow is the most important day for our borough.
I’ve fought this campaign on policy.
But my opponents have sought to make this about the past.
If you’re not sure what to believe, read this by academic Dr Ashok Kumar which sets the record straight.
1/ The war on Gaza continues to deeply affect the residents of our borough.
The situation for ordinary people is getting more desperate by the day, with civilians in Gaza suffering heavy bombardment and a siege that has stopped basic supplies.
It was an honour to stand in solidarity with the physiotherapists of the
@RoyalLondonHosp
.
The NHS is facing an existential crisis and it’s the responsibility of each and every one of us to save it.
Devastated to hear Tower Hamlets planning Committee approved plans to turn Truman Brewery into a commercial mall.
Brick Lane is the cultural heart of Tower Hamlets, and this Labour council ignored locals who opposed the plans, and chose to bow down to developers
#savebricklane
1/ It was great to officially launch the Mayor’s £1,500 per pupil University Bursary at
@QMUL
today.
This money will give aspiring youngsters in Tower Hamlets the opportunity to realise their potential through further education.
2/2 Thousands of innocent people, including many children, have already died.
Thousands more are injured, and over a million are displaced. There must be an immediate ceasefire, and leaders must work together to find a political solution to this crisis.
This will put off young, capable people from going to university.
This is why we will be introducing uni grants for local youngsters who want to study, and EMA for further education. Money should not stand in the way of education.
At tonight’s Council AGM, we were delighted to vote for
@CllrNathalieB
of
@TheGreenParty
as lead on the Environment & Climate Emergency scrutiny committee.
The future of our environment is too important to play party politics with – we look forward to working with you.
I am delighted to announce that I will be standing for mayor of Tower Hamlets again.
Only
@AspireParty
can end
@TH_Labour
’s service cuts, tax hikes & road closures.
In the coming weeks I will outline my ambitious programme to
#RebuildTowerHamlets
, and
#RebuildOurFuture
.
2/ Evidence and responses to the public opinion surveys the Council and I have been carefully considering are overwhelmingly in favour of keeping the current restrictions at Wapping.
As Mayor, I am proud to stand in solidarity with the
@CWUnews
& all working people forced to strike for fair pay & working conditions.
The cost of living crisis wasn’t created by the hardest working & poorest in society, and they shouldn’t have to pay for it.
#StandByYourPost
The ELM is a centre for religious and cultural life for Muslims in London and the UK.
That this is the 2nd bomb scare in as many months is very worrying.
We must all stand together against Islamophobia and all forms of intolerance.
We will not be divided.
The East London Mosque received another bomb threat this afternoon. The Police have carried out a thorough check of the premises and did not find anything suspicious. As a result of the bomb threat, the Asr Jammah (prayer) was slightly delayed.
1/ Great to officially launch my plan for a cleaner, greener Tower Hamlets today at our conference with partners and local stakeholders.
Whatever your belief system, we can all agree that our planet is fragile and precious. I’m determined to play my small part in protecting it.
‘As much as anything else, I am trying to expose the fallacy that “there is no alternative” to these programs and ideologies that invariably punish the many and reward the few.’
My latest piece for
@jacobin
👇