Transcript

Good evening and welcome everyone. As-salamu alaykum. My name is Councillor Sayyfuddin Khalid of Gromley-Notewood and I'm the Speaker of the Council and I will be chairing the meeting today. I would like to thank everyone for attending, including the online participants and the members of the public in the gallery. I trust you will show courtesy. In particular, I would like to remind all members of the public that you must not shout out or otherwise disrupt the meeting. If anyone does disrupt the meeting, I will ask for them to be removed from the meeting. This meeting is being broadcast via live, live via the Council's website. The cameras will be mainly focusing on the Council meeting in view of this. I would like to remind members that the residents are looking on councillors to act in a professional and respectful manner and to show the borough in its best possible light. I am aware that the monitoring officer has written to all members recently on this subject, but in summary, I would like to remind members as follows. To keep all contributions brief and relevant to the subject matter under discussion, to not stand or start to speak until I have called you, to speak through me and do not address comments to other members or to the public gallery. To not interrupt each other or make comments whilst other members are speaking, and to be respectful to each other at all times, to not criticise officers during the proceedings, and most importantly, if I stand, all members must sit down and be quiet. Although I would only take the action as a last resort, I will ask for the removal of any member or visitor should their behaviour become very disruptive. I will continue to ensure that all sides of the Chamber has a fair opportunity to contribute. To ensure this, I have obtained a list of members to speak for the items. Should any other member wish to speak, please indicate your wish to do so. I cannot guarantee, however, to accept your request. Please also note that supplemental information has been published, including with the proposed amendments to the motions for debates. If the fire alarm rings, please follow the instructions of the facility staff who will direct you to the exits. As for the formality of the speakers' announcement, good evening and welcome everyone to the Town Hall and this full Council meeting. A very happy new year to everyone of you. Since my last update at November's Council meeting, I have enjoyed representing the Council and the borough at a variety of different engagements. Given the thriving and diverse community we have in Tower Hamlets, there are many opportunities to celebrate achievements and make special occasions with our community organisations and individuals. I would like to thank them for inviting me to share these experiences. In the last couple of months, there have been events to celebrate organisational milestones, the independence, the victory day of Bangladesh, educational achievements, the annual career awards where it will come as no surprise to anybody that a number of restaurants in Tower Hamlets were finalists. I have also attended Tower Hamlets in bloom awards celebrating the achievements of our resident schools, voluntary and community groups in making our borough a more beautiful place. Our borough truly excels in this area. We have dedicated Council officers who work hard to make our parks and open spaces into places where our communities can spend quality time winning eight gold awards in 2024 London in bloom awards. We also proudly hold 14 green flag awards and Victoria Park has once again been ranked among the top ten parks in the country for the green flag awards. The people's choice award. I understand that this was a contributing factor to Tower Hamlets recently being named as the best place to live in East London. We are also fortunate to have individual residents, schools, groups in our power who have passion for cultivating beautiful spaces, whatever the size and reaching all of our surroundings. They have transformed our streets, parks, gardens and for that I thank them. In November, I had an opportunity to welcome visiting artists from Bangladesh to our town hall and to hear about experiences throughout their visit. I am also honored to be invited by staff members in town hall to join them for their Christmas carols, which I thoroughly and really enjoyed. I recently, ladies and gentlemen, I recently visited Bangladesh and returned yesterday. This visit was full of great experiences and source of inspiration for me. My concert young aspiring leaders of the young members of the community, Muqam al-Haqq, was also with me. I met with a number of government ministers, including Foreign Advisor Right Honourable Mr. Tawheed Hussain, and Information and Technology Advisor Right Honourable Mr. Nahid Islam, one of the main architects of the recent revolution in Bangladesh. I also met government officials, army officers, political leaders, student leaders, NGO officials, leaders of the community, members of the ethnic minority leaders, teachers, students, journalists and people from diverse walks of life in Bangladesh. Some days, I had more than 10 engagements, which was quite overwhelming, starting from 6 a.m. in the morning to 2 a.m. at night. It seems Dhaka and Selet never sleeps. I tried my best to accommodate as much as possible, and I offer my sincere apologies for those engagements which I couldn't attend. I attended many meetings, conferences, mostly attended educational institutions. I think I visited more than 15 educational institutions, which was my priority in any way on this visit, as I wanted as much as possible to meet and hear from the students of Bangladesh, particularly Generation Zoomers, their views, their psychology, their thinking and their dreams and aspirations. I also visited Supreme Court, High Court, War Crimes Tribunal of Bangladesh. I observed Supreme Court proceedings, War Crimes Tribunal proceedings, met judges, leading lawyers, prosecutors, including Chief Prosecutor of ICT, Right Honourable Tajul Islam, who expressed their commitments to uphold justice and rule of law in Bangladesh. I also met many of our community members of our community members in Bangladesh, who were visiting there. Wherever I went, Tower Hamlets was at the heart of my messages and speeches. I forwarded good-wish messages to the people of Bangladesh on behalf of the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. Wherever I visited, people received me with warm heart and informed me that one way or another, they know about Tower Hamlets. Many have their family members, friends, relatives and businesses here in Tower Hamlets. People of Bangladesh, particularly the people of Sillat, gave their best wishes to all of you, to the great London Borough of Tower Hamlets. Please give them a big round of applause. The respect and the recognition I received during my visit to Bangladesh was definitely not because of my personal credentials, but because I am your speaker. So the full credit goes to the mayor, the councillors, officers and of course each and every resident of this great borough. Please give ourselves a big round of applause. On my behalf, I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to the people of Bangladesh for your hospitality, delicious food, respect, honour to me and to the great London Borough of Tower Hamlets. I hope, I believe and I am of the opinion, that under the new leadership of Dr. Mohamed Ennis and his great colleagues and the leadership in the foreseeable future, Bangladesh will emerge as a country of democracy, rule of law, fairness and justice, equal opportunity for each and every citizen of Bangladesh, regardless of their race, religion, ethnicity, political opinion and gender. I sincerely hope and wish that the friendship and relationship between Bangladesh and Tower Hamlets, between Bangladesh and United Kingdom will continue to grow in respect of democracy, diplomacy, rule of law, human rights, trade, commerce and immigration. Thank you. I would like to take this opportunity to thank my other consorts, Barrister Nurul Huda Junaid, Hassan Choudhury for their wholehearted, active support and cooperation to make it a meaningful visit from the beginning to the end. I am also grateful to my wife, Mrs. Sayida Saifa Khaliq, for being patient with me throughout. I would like to now formally welcome our Director of Legal, Supriya Iqbal, who is with us this evening and I would also like to welcome Kim Bromley-Derry, Shokat Lal and Pam Parkes-Paks as our new envoys. We look forward to working with you. I understand that Kim and Pam are in the audience tonight. It was with great sadness that I learned of the passing of former councillor Ray Gibson at the end of last year. Many of you may remember Ray, who served as the Livedam councillor in Bofu for 12 years and then founded the Borghese Group organising activities and campaigns for elderly gentlemen in the area. My sincere condolences to go out to his family and loved ones. He will be dearly missed. Councillor Goulds, you wanted to say something? Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Councillor Goulds. It's both a pressure and great sadness to refer for the last time to Ray Gibson in the council chamber of the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. On one respect, I was obviously not a member of his political party, but at the same time you could not, in fact nobody who knew Ray, understand how much this borough meant to him. This was a man who was born, incidentally delivered by the call the midwives, that's how far he goes back, he was one of the call the midwife children. Lived here all his life, began his life as a lorry driver, but worked and loved this borough. And he did so much, not only whilst as a counsellor, but when he left office he didn't stop, he didn't cease. He carried on working for the community and elderly people. And indeed setting up the geezers clubs, which was for geezers, which are basically blokes. But he made sure the other half weren't missed out and set up the bow bells. And they were not blokes. And if ever you met Ray or dealt with Ray, what a wonderful man he was. Sadly, Councillor Francis isn't here tonight because Mark Francis knew him well. Mark Francis took over as counsellor for Bow West. But many of us would like to think that there might be something in the future that we can do in this borough to remember Ray Gibson, who was an incredible servant to our people. Thank you, Councillor Gould. Thank you, Councillor Gould. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you very much for your introduction, introductory speech. Obviously, I actually followed you while you were in Bangladesh. You did a tremendous job for our Barbara. Thank you, Councillor Gould. Councillor Ahmed. Councillor Ahmed. Councillor Ahmed, on Ray Gibson. Yeah. Ray Gibson was very close to me, Mr. Speaker, just when he was a counsellor. We worked very closely, although he was from different political party. But he was such a gentleman that you cannot just ignore him. Last time when I went to Bow, I met him, I spoke to him. And he was always active, as Peter Gould said. He was always active in the community. I went with some police officers to work about, and he joined the event, and he was with me And he joined the event and he was with me throughout the whole session. So, yes, there was somebody from a different political party. He was a good human being. He was a very, very honest person. And obviously, you know, we all miss him. But what I want to say, this is our life. We need to learn a lesson from him. Any time we have left in our hands, we need to do best for our community. We need to do good for our community every single day. Every single day will go away. Thank you. Thank you, Councillor Ahmed. Councillor Abdalullah. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Can I echo my colleagues, Councillor Gauze, Councillor Ahmed, in recognising, although I joined this council many years later, but since for the last 25 years, I've had some role in London, and more particularly from 2000 to 2006, when I used to attend the council as a police authority member, I got to know Ray a little bit. He was, as later, a geezer. He had a colourful character. Everything about the Roman road, he encompassed to that. The friendliness, the warmth, the cockney character. So learning about his passing is sad. As Councillor Gauze says, many of us who are honoured, it is an honour, to be elected by your fellow residents to serve in this borough. I think it is fitting that, I mean, I have done many things, as many of you, in recognising residents in your ward, that we as a council, and I asked the administration, in particular the mayor, who also would have known him since 2002, when he was first elected as a councillor, to do something in Bow. I know previously, in early days, when the Lib Dems used to run this borough, they did certain things in Bow, you will see certain landmarks and so forth. Maybe we can turn one of those into remembering Ray and all the good work that he did around Bow West. Thank you very much, Mr Speaker. Thank you. Councillor Talugda. Thank you, Mr Speaker. I don't know, personally, I don't know Ray, but I've heard good things about him. I've heard his name. So we would like to join and pass our condolences to his family. Thank you. Thank you for your contributions, councillors. I would like to now formally propose one minute silence, in the memory of our former colleague, councillor Ray Gibson. Finally, before we begin the formal business of today's meeting in relation to the agenda, Item 10.1, Briefing Note on the Ofsted Inspection Report Outcome, I would like to call upon councillor Mayim Talugda to propose a change of the order of the business. Thank you, Mr Speaker. Under the procedural rule 12.1 , we change the order of business to bring in agenda item 10.1 forward, as we have our proud young children here from St. John's, Bethnal Green, to perform and celebrate the Ofsted achievement. Thank you. Thank you. Could I have a seconder for that proposal? I formally second. Thank you. Thank you, councillor Ahmed. Is that agreed by the full council? Thank you. The agenda item has been moved forward. Thank you, everyone. Agenda item one is the apologies for absence. I have received apologies for absence from councillor Shiraj Alislam, leader of the opposition, councillor Mark Francis, councillor Asma Begum, councillor Ayas Mia, councillor Amina Ali, councillor Amina Ali, councillor Amina Ali. Do we have any other apologies? Anyone? Councillor James King is being late. He will join us soon. He will join us soon. Yeah. I don't think any other apologies. So let me just swiftly move to agenda item number two is the declarations of disclosurable pecuniary interest. Would any member who has a disclosable pecuniary interest to declare in any item on the agenda, please indicate now? Councillor Rohit Ahmed. Mr Speaker, thank you. I just wanted to have an advice from the monitoring officer about the administrative motions on divestment. I led a delegation in Palestine in 2013. I was involved with this campaign. Obviously, we went for a fact-finding visit, and we visited many places in Palestine. So I just want to have an advice whether it is pecuniary or just a personal. I think it's a personal, you know, interest, but I'd like to hear from you. Councillor Bionfait. Thank you, Mr Speaker. Similarly to Councillor Ahmed, I spoke at both of the rallies campaigning for the divestment of the council's pension funds. I think it's only relevant to mention it. Monitoring officer, do you want to address that? Yes. Both their members have asked for advice on this point, and I've said that they should, for the sake of transparency, disclose it, but then obviously remain in the room. Thank you. That has been clarified. Councillor Shubo Ahmed. I also spoke at the rally outside. Yeah, I joined Councilor Hussain. I was at the rally as well speaking. Sorry, Speaker. Can I ask just for a dispensation in relation to, because there will be many in the room who may have attended. I don't think I need to give a dispensation. I think it's just if there's something that, you know, for transparency that it should be declared, but it's not. We're not talking about, you know, a DPI or anything. Thank you for your contributions, councillors, and, of course, the clarification from the monitoring officer. Right. Simply moving on to agenda item number three is the minutes of the previous meeting, the draft unrestricted minutes of the ordinary meeting of the council, held on 20th of November 2024. Are the draft minutes agreed as a correct record? Yes. Agreed. Moving to agenda item number four is to receive the announcements. I would like to now hand over to you, Chief Executive Steve Holsey, who has some announcements to make. Chief Executive Steve Holsey. Chief Executive Holsey. Chief Executive Holsey Thank you, Mr Speaker. I will be brief. As you will be discussing shortly, I'm delighted to report that our children's services have been rated as outstanding by Ofsted. The Ofsted report, published on Monday, 30th of January, found that children in Tower Hamlets receive timely and effective help and that staff are ambitious with children, encouraging them to reach their full potential. As a result, children receive excellent support. The inspection credits a journey of relentless drive and continuous improvement after the service was rated good five years ago. Also, our youth provision continues to be rolled out across the borough. Wapping Youth Centre opened earlier this month following refurbishment and Samuda and The Reach opened on Monday. I'm also delighted that The Times, as already been referred to, has ranked Tower Hamlets as the 33rd best place in the country to live, the highest of any East London borough. The Times list was put together by a panel of expert judges and looks at data for categories such as education, parks and open spaces, healthcare and crime. It is Holocaust Memorial Day this Monday, 27th, which we will be marking internally and externally. This includes an interfaith commemoration at the Town Hall taking place this Sunday. Finally, I'm looking forward to the debate at next month's full Council meeting as the Council progresses its medium term financial strategy. Thank you, Mr Speaker. Thank you, Steve. Agenda item number five is to receive petitions. There are no petitions to be debated or presented to the Council. As agreed earlier, I will now proceed to Agenda Item 9.1, Briefing Note on the Ofsted Outcome Report. Before I ask the lead member to introduce the report, we will hear from the local choir of the young people. Can everyone allow us a few minutes and please for them to set them up? Thank you. Where are you? Thank you. Thank you. Both on one side. The higher you build your barriers, the taller I become, the farther you take my rights away, the faster I will run, you can deny me, you can decide to turn your face away, no matter how is this, something inside so strong, I know that I can make it, though you're doing me wrong so wrong, you thought that my pride was gone, oh no, something inside so strong, oh, something inside so strong, the more you can still get my boy, the louder I will sing, Oh up, you're amazing, your eyes are a Fernandez and your eyes are a powerful nowadays, you deny my faith in time, you scrub the world that's mine, my mind will shine so brightly, My light will shine so brightly, it will blind you, cause there's something inside so strong, I know that I can make it, you know you're doing me wrong so wrong, you thought that my pride was gone, oh no, there's something inside so strong. Brothers and sisters, when they insist we're just not good enough, hurry up that road, just look in the eyes and say, we're gonna do it anyway, we're gonna do it anyway. There's something inside so strong, I know that I can make it, you know you're doing me wrong so wrong, you thought that my pride was gone, oh no, there's something inside so strong, oh, there's something inside so strong. That miy думam Well, I'm going to try by by by by by by by by by by by by by by by by by by by by by by by by by by by by by by by by by by by by by by by by by by by by by by by by by by by by by by by by by by by by by by by by by by by by by. Rockin' our sisters, women and sisters, we're just not good enough. Well, we know better, just look them in the eyes and say, we're gonna do it anyway, we're gonna do it anyway, we're gonna do it anyway. We're gonna do it anyway, we're gonna do it anyway, something inside so strong, I know that I can't make it, but you're doing me wrong, so wrong, before that my pride was gone, oh no. Something inside so strong, something inside so strong, I know that I can't make it, but you're doing me wrong, so wrong, before that my pride was gone, oh no. Something inside so strong, oh, something inside so strong, oh, something inside so strong. Are you strong? Thank you. They smashed it, didn't they? They did. We are definitely more stronger now because of them being here and, of course, because of their confident and courageous, strong performance. So give them again. One more? One more. All right. Okay. Right away. I am a city on a hill. I am the light in the darkness. Jesus living in me can change the world. I am a city on a hill. I am the light in the darkness. Jesus living in me can change the world. I am a city on a hill. I am the light in the darkness. Jesus living in me can change the world. Let my light shine, let my light shine, let my light shine. Let my light shine, let my light shine, let my light shine. If God is for me, who can stand against me? Let my light shine, let my light shine, let my light shine. I am a city on a hill. I am the light in the darkness. I love the light in the darkness, Jesus living in me can't change the world. I am the city of you, I am the light in the darkness. And living in me can't change the world Let my light shine, let my light shine Let my light shine Let it shine Let my light shine, let my light shine Let my light shine If God is calling Who can stand against me Let my light shine, let my light shine Let my light shine If God is calling Who can stand against me Let my light shine, let my light shine Let my light shine We are a city on a hill We are a light in darkness He exists in the middle of the kitchen world We are a city on a hill We are a light in darkness We are a city on a hill I can't change the world Let my light shine, let my light shine Let my light shine Let your light shine, let your light shine Let your light shine If God is calling Who can stand against us Let your light shine, let your light shine Let your light shine God is for us, who can stand against us? Let your light shine, let your light shine, let your light shine. I will shine for you, burning bright with your light forever. I will shine for you, burning bright with your light. Thank you, well done, well done. They smashed it again. Of course, with the contributions of the youngsters like them, we can change the world for better, for peace and harmony forever. Now, I would like to formally ask Lead Member Mayim Taludza to introduce the report. Thank you, Mr Speaker. Firstly, I would like to thank our young people for joining us with an excellent performance, outstanding performance, in joining the celebration of our Ofsted outcome. Mr Speaker, I am thrilled to announce that our Hamlets has received an outstanding rating from Ofsted for our children's services. This result is a testament to the exceptional quality care and support that we provide to our young children and families. Our staff have shown incredible resilience and innovation, and this result reflects the dedication of everyone in our community who contributes to building a brighter future for our children. Whether it is our foster carers, social workers, family group, experts, or our various partners. Every part of the system has come together to make this achievement possible. Mr Speaker, while we are proud of this recognition, we are not complicit. This outstanding rating sets a high bar, and we remain committed to the continuously improving and delivering even greater outcome for our young people. In April, we will present our detailed improvement plan, which will focus on enhancing early intervention, strengthening support for vulnerable groups, and continuing our strong engagement with families and communities. Finally, before I finish, I would like to thank the mayor for his investment and trust in us, and Steve for his leadership, and especially Susanna and her team for their excellent dedication, work, and commitment to our young people and the whole council. Thank you. Thank you. Do we have a second? I formally second, Mr Speaker. Thank you, Councillor Ahmed. I would like to now ask Councillor Badrul Choudhury. Thank you, Mr Speaker. It's an honour and a privilege to speak on this item. Outstanding for the children and family services in Tower of Hamlet. I am sure, as the Captain Member has expressed, it's a team work from the top to the bottom, and I was grateful to be the chair of children services in Tower of Hamlet. I am sure, as the Captain Member has expressed, it's a teamwork from the top to the bottom, and I was grateful to be the chair of children services in Tower of Hamlet. It's a teamwork from the top to the bottom and I was grateful to be the Chair of Children's Services for two years. So it's an honour and a great privilege and long may it continue. I'm sure other departments will get the outstanding awards soon. We are working hard towards this. Thank you very much Mr Speaker. Councillor Mohamed Choudhury. Thank you Mr Speaker. Today we celebrate the outstanding rating received by Tower Hamless Children's Services in the recent Obstet inspection. A fantastic achievement for our residents and most importantly for the children and families who rely on these services. Having completed my final placement here in 2016 as a postgraduate social worker student, this place holds a special place in my heart. I want to congratulate the social workers, practitioners and everyone involved. Your dedication has truly paid off. However, it is important to remember that this outstanding rating is not the result of a single administration or individual. Achieving excellence in children's services is the outcome of sustained investment, leadership and continuous improvement over many years. In 2017 this service was rated as inadequate. From that point, significant efforts were made to improve the quality of practice and by 2019 it was rated good. Since then the service has continued to improve, culminating in today's recognition. This achievement is the result of years of hard work and collaboration across many levels, staff, political leaders and partners. While we should celebrate this success, we must also recognize that ongoing investment and commitment are essential to maintaining and further improving this service for the future. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I'd like to thank you and lead members for children's services and the mayor and the council staff and all of the people involved who gave outstanding results from 2017 to 2024. It is a great achievement. So everybody who has put their work into this department, well done, congratulations and we should all be aiming at other departments doing the same as well. So, other speakers have spoken. This is a benchmark set by the children's services. As I said, I'm the Schooling Chair of Children's Services. We should aim at other services to achieve this standard as well. Thank you. Thank you, Councillor Manan. Councillor Mufidabaste. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I mean, sometimes it's hard enough to stand up and speak at these council meetings, but to stand up and sing is quite remarkable. So, well done to the children and well done to the council. This is an amazing achievement for our children and for the children of Tower Hamlets and it's something that we should all be celebrating. It's not something that's come about easy. There's a lot of hard work behind that one word. And I think we, every member in this chamber, I'm sure, recognises that and wants to say a massive thank you to Susanna, Habon and their team, as well as to Steve and others who I don't have enough time to mention. But, yeah, really well done and look forward to seeing the improvement plan and how it progresses as well. Thank you. Thank you. Councillor Bustin. Councillor Peter Goulds. Thank you very much, Speaker. When you're a long-term opposition member, it's an incredible pleasure not to actually be opposition, to stand up and look at the council and read outstanding, good, good, outstanding, outstanding. And I think that's an incredible tribute to our staff, our teachers and most of all to our borough. And this is quite something to read. And sometimes we criticise Tower Hamlets a lot and people moan about Tower Hamlets. But I think people ought to go out and sometimes actually have, perhaps have on a badge saying outstanding, good, good, outstanding, outstanding. Because we're talking of the young people for the future. And there are many problems we have in our country, but I draw everybody's attention to page 107, paragraphs 11 and 12, which refer to children at risk from domestic abuse and disabled children. And it shows just how well we have done in those particular subjects. Look at that carefully and just think what we read elsewhere in the country and what we've heard elsewhere in the country. And we can say tonight, the whole council can say tonight, thank you Tower Hamlets for what you do for our children who have problems. This is not a 30-minute slot we have. It's just I would like to request every member, whoever will be speaking, to make it very short so that we can go as far as we can go in this meeting. Councillor Abdelullah. Thank you, Councillor Speaker. I'll make it very short because I was going to just echo pretty much. It's a very rare occasion that I totally agree with Councillor Goldstein. I think this is one of those occasions. But I think credit to the six, seven years of investment from that day when the report said it wasn't good. It needed improvement. So credit to, I know Steve doesn't want to take the full credit. He's only been here for a year. And equally the administration has only been here a few years. But it's a long work of dedication to staff, the people themselves. I'm sure some of the parents probably still logged on who saw their children perform here. It's overall. So credit to this council, for every person who serves in this council in different capacity, for everybody who puts energy behind our young people who definitely are our future. So a full credit. But as I said, you know, I would love to see, I know the envoys in the room and maybe when they leave, they might say this council is outstanding, outstanding, outstanding. So I live with that hope. Thank you. We definitely hope so. Councillor Abdelullah Choudhury. Thank you, Mr Speaker. Congratulations once again to everyone involved. This is a huge achievement. From a community safety lens, I don't need to mention how incredibly important proper support for our children is in preventing crime in the long term and making our boroughs a safe place for all communities. When I heard that our children's services had received an outstanding rating from Ofsted, my first thought was how many children will be able to live safe, happy and productive lives free from crime and addiction because of the work of our service. In some ways, this impact has been very direct, like in the form of our innovative detached team, which provides specialised mentoring and support to children moving down the pathway of criminality and gives them all the resources they need to turn things around before it's too late. But so many other parts of our children's services have the ability to change a young person's life in intangible ways. From something as simple as providing a child with a safe space near home, to hanging out after school, to ensuring that our looked after children are given special attention and don't fall through the cracks. The rating of Outstanding is a monumental achievement and shows that our impact on the children of this borough. I hope you all will join me in supporting this briefing and committing to continue to do more for our youth every single day. Thank you. Councillor Sabina Khan, kindly try to finish it within 30 seconds, please. Hi. Hello. Good evening, everyone. I'm very proud and thrilled to be standing here today. I just want to say one of the comments the Ofsted inspected made was that you need strong leadership from the council. And me as a school governor, I see that every day and the inspectors have acknowledged that there was strong leadership from the council. So without that, we wouldn't have had this outstanding award. But the second thing they also said, you can't teach hungry children. And let me just say that when I did my food poverty review, when I first became a councillor two years ago, we gathered young children from youth councils and secondary schools and they all came. They all said one thing, that they're all hungry in school. They're sharing meals with other children who are on school meals and they are not in school meals because they weren't eligible for it. So what I want to say is I'm really thrilled and I want to give congratulations to our team, our council for introducing free school meals to secondary school children. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. And also, we also have supported the parents. We have supported the parents with cost of living support. So without food, without leadership, this couldn't have happened. But I want to finish with saying a personal note. I recently attended the Tower Hamlet Young Award ceremony and I got out of that ceremony. And do you know what? The first thing I did, I called my mum. And my mum lives in Southgate. She used to live here. And I said to my mum, Mum, I'm so proud. I feel so privileged to be councillor in Tower Hamlets because I could see so many leaders in that room. And I want to congratulate all of us for giving that chance to all the children. Thank you. Thank you. Councillor Abdul Wahid, you promised you're going to be very brief. Yeah. Thank you. I'll be very brief and very short. Firstly, it's an amazing achievement by the council. As I'm not going to repeat, a lot of things have been said by colleagues. But what I want to emphasise is that as a teacher in the borough, I know what dedication it needs, hard work it needs to achieve an outstanding mark by Ofsted. And I think it's testimony to the mayor having faith and investing a huge amount of money in these services and to the young people of this borough who are the future of our borough. So congratulations to lead member Steve and everyone who has been involved in achieving this achievement. Thank you. Thank you. We're going to have a brief one from Councillor Wahid Ahmed. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Yes, I'll be very brief. Just congratulations to everyone involved. Mr. Speaker, I was cabinet member for education and youth service back in 2005. At that time, obviously, we invested heavily building schools for futures. All these schools in this borough, we renovated, we modernised and we gave them a new ICT. And ambition was always to have our children to do well in their education. We always said, particularly, we need to target 14, 13, 14, 15 years children. And I think we came quite far. Well, what do we need to do? We did not do well in sixth form. In neighbouring borough, we have many good sixth forms. We don't have one in our borough. I think just like it is a partnership work. From my experience, I can tell you it is a partnership work. A lot of partners involved in children's services. So we want to thank everyone involved in this process. And I would like to congratulate our staff and all the leaders involved with this process. Thank you. Councillor Kabir Ahmed. Thank you, Mr Speaker. I won't take too long. I think it's important that, as a council, we don't turn this into a political football. We acknowledge the outstanding that we have received this as a council. We are thankful to officers who have worked extremely hard around that. Clearly, budgets have been articulated and investment has gone in. But that also includes support for officers as well. The leadership has also been there. And it's important to acknowledge the work of the chief executive, the corporate director, CMT, DLT and so on and so forth. That golden thread that operates within the council. So let's just enjoy the Ofsted outstanding as opposed to sort of playing football with this award. And hopefully we will move further on. And I'll finish off with the song that was sung, which is higher. Sorry, I'm not as eloquent, but higher you build your barriers, the stronger I will be. But as a council, the stronger we will be. And I'll finish off with that. Thank you. I actually wanted to finish with Councillor Ahmed. But I can see that Councillor Shafi Ahmed, he is the former speaker. And I will be former very soon. So I don't want to deprive him of that set of precedent. So Councillor Shafi Ahmed, very quick, what are the final ones? Oh, God. Okay. I'm delighted for you to recognize me and didn't miss me in the corner there. So obviously, being on a governing body for three different schools in Tower Hamlets, outstanding to achieve outstanding is a big achievement. And I'd like to, it's the highest possible recognition. And this remarkable achievement is for the Tower Hamlets children's services. Outstanding is not just a badge, it's a badge of honour. It is a testament to the tireless dedication, expertise, and commitment to all those involved in delivering services to our children and the young people. The high quality of care and support provided has propelled Tower Hamlets into the 20% of local authorities nationwide. And we are now recognized as one of the best performing local authorities in London. The Ofsted report is a clear reflection of significant strides made in improving services. And it demonstrates the positive impacts our teams are having on the lives of the most vulnerable people and vulnerable children and young people in our community. The recognition speaks volumes about the hard work and unwavering commitment of our dedicated staff and social workers, managers, and everyone who contributes to making a real difference every day, including our lead member of youth and education. It is essential to recognize this achievement and not be complicit and slowly rely on the result of one individual or a team. It is a collective effort driven by shared commitments ensuring that children and the young people of Tower Hamlets have the opportunity and support they need. Again, I would like to finish off by just mentioning the first song that was taken by the children today. And it's, I can't, well, only if I had a beat behind me, but anyway. I would just want to say something inside so strong. I know that I can make it through your, through your doing me wrong. So wrong you thought that my pride was gone. Oh, so, oh no, there's something inside of me so strong. I think this echoes this leadership, this administration, and long may the success continue. Thank you very much. Thank you, thank you. I actually wanted to finish this with the former speaker, but I have a request from one of the youngest members of the councillors. What do you think, Mr. Speaker, shall we go finish this with Councillor Maisha Begum? Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As the youngest councillor in the chamber, I feel like I have the closest experience to the children. So I would like to say that Councillor Kabir did make a point saying that we shouldn't do political football, but it is very important to see the collective effort across the board on all levels, from the children themselves to the care workers, the ones that kind of are invisible actors that work behind the scenes. So it's important to, first and foremost, recognise their efforts. Second, I think it's also important to see the future progression. Like my councillor mentioned, from 2017 to now, there has been an extensive growth, and we should be looking at it as a positive outlook, not that we're using it as a political incentive in some way, but me, myself, I did actually, when it came to college, I didn't attend a school in town. So I did go across to Newham, to LAE. So I think Councillor Ohi did mention a good point. We should think about how we can also, not just at primary level, but also secondary and sixth form, how we can find improvements within those specific areas where we aren't doing as well compared to other boroughs. So it's just something to note. But that's it. Thank you. Thank you. We will now conclude happily, of course, this item. So now I'd like to ask the members, does full council agree to note the briefing note? Yes. Agreed. So it is formally agreed. Now, simply moving to agenda item number six, item number six is the Mayor's report. I'll call upon Mayor Luthrou Amman to give his report to the council. And you have six minutes, Mr. Mayor. I similarly convey my gratitude to the young people for their courage and their confidence. Well done to them. And thank you for coming to the council. As-salamu alaykum. Greetings of peace to each and every one of you. I hope you had a good start to the new year. I would like to extend a welcome to the government envoys who are here today and very much look forward to working with the government to deliver the improvements outlined in the directions to the council. I would like to present our motion, which will come later on as an administration motion for the council this month. We have proposed a motion, ladies and gentlemen, to divest our local pension funds from unethical investments, such as the purchase of arms. We will be conducting an audit, should this motion go through, to see how our pension funds are invested. Our residents and workforce deserve to know where their hard-earned money is being spent. And this motion calls for that transparency. Moving on, we are currently in the process of finalising our medium-term financial strategy proposed budget that will come to full council next month. We believe in sustainable and long-lasting investment in the people of this borough. An efficient, financially prudent council with our residents at the heart of all that we do. I and the lead member, Councillor Sayeed, are excited to present this report next month, a report that continues to build on our ambitious agenda for change. As an administration, we are committed to rebuilding our borough, to serve its residents, and this report will demonstrate our passion once again for the people of Tarahumdus. They come first. I am pleased to announce that since announcing our winter fuel payment scheme, over 2,500 pensioners have claimed the £175 payment already. That's 2,500 pensioners who have not had to choose between heating or eating. The deadline for applications is this Friday, 24th of January. So, if you believe that you or your relatives or your neighbours are eligible for the payment, please ensure that you submit your application in a timely manner. We strongly believe that those who have given so much to this borough throughout their lives deserve to be supported in their time of need. Schemes such as this and our Meals on Wheels offer will ensure that this support continues for our elderly. Finally, I too want to express my pride in the Council's delivery of our outstanding Ofsted result, following an inspection of our children's services. This represents a marked improvement and demonstrates the improvements this Council is making in service delivery and resident satisfaction across the Council. I hope that we can build on this success in other departments across the Council and show that this authority provides the best services that our residents deserve. I too want to thank the Chief Executive, the Corporate Director, the Director, the Officers throughout the Children's Services and the Deputy Mayor who have all worked tirelessly for this wonderful result. Thank you very much. Thank you very much. Thank you, Mr. Mayor. I would like to call upon Councillor Emily, Deputy Leader of the Labour Group. Would you like to respond to the Mayor's report? If you do, you have two minutes. Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and thank you to you and to our officers for allowing me to speak. As I think everybody is aware, the Council of Islam is in Wales, that's why I'm here today. And I'm sure we're sending my best wishes. Let's start with the outstanding result. We've gone over it already, but it is really nice to have something to unite us all this evening. It is fantastic news for the borough. It's fantastic. And it is a testament to the hard work, the passion, the dedication of our officers here at this Council, but also staff across our stakeholders and partners. It really is something we can all be proud of, and I'm really glad that there's something to unite us this evening. On the budget, I want to take this opportunity to welcome the news that this Council is receiving tens of millions of pounds in extra funding from the government. Labour government. Thank you, Abdel. In this show's local government finance settlement. This means millions of pounds extra for social care, council housing, schools, roads, and most importantly, a tripling of the funding to tackle the scourge of homelessness in our society. I know that this is a shared aim in this council is to tackle homelessness, and I know that this is something you're also addressing in your budget. So we were really pleased to see that in particular. However, we all know that this isn't going to reverse the last 14 years of austerity from the government. And that's why on this side, and I hope that you'll join us, we will be pushing our own government for the reinstatement of multi-year funding settlements for councils, so that local authorities are given the chance to properly plan and budget for the years ahead. Mr Speaker, I want to welcome the news of a ceasefire in the Middle East. Whilst there is relief that comes with the release of hostages, there is also unimaginable grief and sorrow that comes with the tens of thousands of Palestinians who have been killed. We must now see a sustainable permanent ceasefire in the Middle East, and I'm sure that's also something that unites us across this room. Lastly, I want to join the Mayor in welcoming the ministerial invoice. Kim, welcome back. Pam and Shokat. We look forward to working with you, with the Minister and with the administration over the next three years. We are committed on this side to improving this council and ensuring our residents are getting the best value for their benefit. And again, I hope that that is something that is shared on all sides of this chamber. Thank you, Mr Speaker. Thank you. The Mayor Rahman, would you like to respond? If you do, you have two minutes. Sure. Can I also convey my regards and best wishes to Councillor Chiraj, the Leader of Opposition, please? Thank you. Thank you, Mr Mayor and the Deputy Leader of the Labour Group for your speeches. We would now like to, moving swiftly to Agenda Item 7, is the motion for devotes submitted by the administration. As usual, the debate will follow the rules of the debate at Council Procedure Rule 13 and will last no more than 13 minutes. Before I call for the motion to be moved, the Monitoring Officer would like to say a few words. Monitoring Officer, now. Yes, thank you for that. All I wanted to say is that we have received a number of comments about this motion. When the motion came in, I looked at the motion. It was a valid motion and it was appropriate that it went through the normal process. However, you will note that within the motion, it does refer to the Pensions Committee and that is entirely correct. It is not for Full Council to make this decision. It is for the Pensions Committee. The Pensions Committee is bound by rules, guidance in the way it makes its decisions and particularly in relation to the investment of funds. And it will be bound by those. So, it is important to make that clear that obviously you are having a debate, but it will not be Full Council that makes the decision. It will be the Pensions Committee. So, that is all I wanted to say. Thank you. Thank you, Linda, for clarifying the issue, illustrating your views. Mr Speaker. Mr Speaker. Mr Speaker. Yes. I will come to you. I will come to you. Thank you to the Monarch. Yes. Give me one second. I will come to you. Councillor Oedhamad. Thank you, Mr Speaker. Just, if we cannot make a decision, what is the point of wasting time in this chamber debating it? Thank you. I will be making a recommendation for it to be referred and considered at the Pensions Committee. That is what motions are, that you are resolving to do something. You do not have the ability to make a decision on how funds are invested because that is not something that is within the remit of Full Council. It is for Pensions Committee. Right. Councillor Oedhamad. Thank you, Mr Speaker. As the point of clarification, I appreciate the monitoring officer's comment, but as somebody who is a member of the Pension Committee, sitting in this debate, I know you refer to the fact that it is not a policy decision, it is about a debate. But can you, and I am sure colleagues on the other side, who are also members of the Pension Committee, might want to sort of consider their own position, taking part in this debate and then go and sit in the Pension Committee afterward. Is that something that is? I think the important thing is, I mean, this is not an issue about an interest, it is an issue about predetermination. So, you can take part in this debate, but you must satisfy yourself that when you go to the Pensions Committee, you are going to that committee and you are making a decision with an open mind. And, obviously, it is an individual sort of choice, you have to make that decision yourself. And if you feel that by taking part in this, that would predetermine you for Pensions Committee, then you should withdraw. If you feel that you could take part in the debate and that won't predetermine you, then you can stay. Mr Speaker, you are my learned friend, you are much more qualified, I am sure, than the new monitoring officer, the new head of legal could also say, as a serving councillor, taking part in a full councillor debate, where one chooses to maybe participate or vote on a matter of such importance, then, if you are then going to sit in that committee in the near future, I think you are in public discourse, it puts you in jeopardy. So, on that occasion, as much as the strong opinion on this room, I will sit out on this one, and I also would maybe urge other members of the Pensions Committee to do so also, in respect of what the monitoring officer says. Councillor Azmaizla. Yes, I would like to challenge officers advice, if that is okay. Firstly, when you vote on a motion, you have taken a position. You cannot then go into a committee with an open mind, and that is for the public to see, so I would like some advice on that. And also, a question for you, does this motion, where there are three results, does that change? Because it is directing this council to do three things. Yes, but the resolutions, not decisions, and in referring it to the Pensions Committee… They are actions. Yes, they are actions, but you are not deciding here that this is the position that the council is going to take, because that decision will be taken by the Pensions Committee. So, it seems that you will have two shots at one target, isn't it? Councillor Peter Golds. Yes. Chair, I have spent decades serving and chairing quasi-judicial meetings. I remind everybody, and I am sure the monitoring officer will concur immediately with me, that there is advice given to councillors who serve on both planning development and licensing. You can put out a leaflet saying, I oppose a planning application, or I am concerned about something, and this has been held by the High Court. But as long as you go to the meeting and say, I am now looking at this with an open mind, and I will consider what happens at the meeting, you are okay. What are we talking about? And just following on from that, I mean, that is entirely the situation. And also, when it goes to Pensions Committee, there is going to be a lot more information, greater considerations, a lot more detail, because you are working within a framework with different criteria than the decision that has been made today. But if you feel, any member feels that by taking part in this debate, then that would predetermine them then, as Councillor Ulla says, then you would actually leave the meeting and not take part in the debate. But that is a matter for an individual councillor to make that decision. I just wanted to clarify, are the members not allowed to change their mind, if they express their view on one side, and then later on in the Pension Committee, can they not change their mind? You are perfectly entitled, and that actually demonstrates that you have gone with an open mind, because you have done something in one meeting and then you have actually changed in another, so that would be exactly the evidence that would prove it. Right. Let's proceed. We have, you have had your fair amount of say, and of course, this is the position of the Council, particularly the position of the Monitoring Officer. I act on the advice, and I would like to now, with that, Councillor Sayeed Ahmed, can you please move your motion as set out in the agenda? You have four minutes. Thank you, Mr Speaker. Our employees deserve to know where their pension money is being spent. Many of our staff have approached me, either via the trade unions or in person, to outline the discomfort in knowing that their pension money could be used to fund weapons, and in some instances, killing of civilian people. Investment into the arms trade feeds into devastating conflicts across the globe, including Palestine, Sudan and other conflict zones. It is unsettling to think that money generated in our borough could be used to fund this trade. In addition to this, local government pension scheme funds, administered by councils across Britain, collectively invest billions in companies that fund war and conflict. This includes companies that supply weapons and military technology. The UK has a legal responsibility to take actions to deter and prevent government from engaging in legal war practices. Stemming from this obligation, councils must take immediate action to divest pension funds from companies that enable unethical purchases of products. Mr Speaker, public money should be nowhere near immoral industries of death and destruction. This is a sentiment that I believe is shared by the vast majority of the people we represent, as well as council staff who work day in, day out, to deliver essential services for those in need. Our values as a council and community do not make room for complicity in civilian murders and the indiscriminate levelling of towns and cities. This is why our administration is bringing forward this motion. From today, we call for a complete audit of how all pension funds are being used and where funds are invested. Our staff have the right to know how their pensions are invested and our residents have the right to know where public money is put into. Which has already been discussed in the pensions committee and has already been discussed in detail regarding divestments. So I urge members from this side and the opposition side to support this motion and ensure that our pension funds are ethically invested. Thank you Mr Speaker. Thank you Councillor Ahmed. I would like to call upon Councillor Mayim Thalukza, Deputy Mayor to second the motion. You have three minutes or you may reserve your right to speak later. I formally second this motion. We are not alone in this. Other boroughs like Walton Forest have already taken the stir to divert their pension funds from armed companies. If they can do it, so we can. Tar Hamlets has always been a borough that stands for justice and solidarity with oppressed communities. This motion allows us to align our actions with our values. So I would like to second this motion and urge colleagues to support this. Thank you. I would like to now formally call upon Councillor Amy Lee of Labour Group. Can you please move your amendment? You have three minutes. Thank you Mr Speaker. So we were pleased to see this motion brought forward because it's very similar to a motion that we tabled in October. Which unfortunately the clock ran out on so we weren't able to hear in the chamber. And what our amendment does is it essentially adds back in some of what we think is missing. But I want to make it as clear as possible that we do believe that this is a friendly amendment to strengthen the motion. So the aim of our amendment is to improve what was already tabled, broadening the ethical investment policy to ensure that pension funds are not invested in companies involved in violations of human rights or international law. And this goes further than what's been tabled because this is not just about firms supplying weapons. This is also about the firms supplying the bulldozers, the fences, the diggers and the cranes. It's not just about the conflict but about the occupation itself. Mr Speaker our amendment is also not solely just focused on the conflict in the Middle East. It also includes the ongoing conflict in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo. Which armies backed by different states have killed and displaced hundreds of thousands in battles fought for the materials which make our smartphones. Or in Sudan where there's a civil war raging over 100,000 civilians are estimated to have died as a result of the conflict. And over a million have been displaced by famine, by genocide and by death and destruction. If we limit ourselves this evening then our pensions could be funding the next conflict, the next civil war or the next occupation. Mr Speaker, the other thing that we thought was missing was the environmental aspect which is what was mentioned in our original motion. It is no use for this council to aim to reach net zero if our pension fund is going to continue to be used to fund new fossil fuel explorations. Our staff who are working hard to make this council as green and clean as possible for future generations should not be in the position where the hard-earned money were used in heat waves and destruction. I want to stress again, Mr Speaker, we believe this is a friendly amendment. We believe this strengthens the motion that's been tabled. We would really urge you to have a think about this. As I say, originally we were pleased to see this motion come forward as it was similar to the motion proposed by Councillor Hussain back in October. But we would urge you to look at this and seriously give a think about accepting this friendly amendment. I would like to ask Councillor Hussain to second the amendment. You have three minutes. Mr Speaker, I have seconded it but could I reserve to speak again? You may, yes. Right. Right. Um. Councillor Abu Talha Choudhury. Thank you, Mr Speaker. We would like to begin by paying respect to the thousands of war victims across the globe. Sadly, acts of genocide in Sudan, Burma, the Democratic Republic of Congo are mentioned in the motion. And are sadly or could be conducted with arms that could very well have been built using money from the Council's pension fund. Thanks to the recently declared ceasefire in Gaza, there is now some hope of peace. We must not forget that until British money is taken out of arms manufacturing and military investment for good, the cycle of violence and occupation will continue. Though my question to you and this chamber today, have we done enough to stop the cycle of violence? We are often reminded that foreign policy is for our MPs, but why have local councillors from Liverpool, Walden Forest, like me, you and others in this chamber, decide to divest their pension funds? Simple. It is their belief in ethical investing. We take our responsibility to invest the fund ethically extremely seriously. We work hard to balance this responsibility with the important task of ensuring the fund performs well and continues to support the people who rely on it. That being said, there is no reason why a pension fund should be investing in the weapons manufacturing sector and even less reason for a local council in Britain to be associated with weapons. As councillors, we may not control foreign policy, but we have the power to ensure that Tower Hamlets does not profit from suffering. We cannot turn a blind eye. We cannot be complicit in tyranny. By divesting from companies complicit in destruction, we send a message, our borough stands for justice and sanctity of all human life. Which has been demonstrated time and again in Tower Hamlets history. It does not matter how many ceasefire agreements are signed. As long as pension funds are going into the manufacturing of arms, there is every chance that our money could very well support in killing innocent men, women and children. We owe it to the staff of this council to ensure that they do not have to retire on blood money. For these reasons, I urge every single person in this room to join me in committing to audit our pension fund, accelerate the process of divestment and commit publicly once and for all that from this day forth, not a pound of Tower Hamlets money will contribute to genocide and the destruction of oppressed people. Thank you. Thank you, Councillor Chaudhary. I have Councillor Peter Gold, Shahed Chaudhary, Oheida Ahmed and of course, I have a list of aspire groups, but I do not have anyone speaking on behalf of the Labour Group. So if you put your hands up then of course, I will accommodate. It does not mean everybody will have to do that, otherwise I would not be able to accommodate. But let's go with Councillor Peter Goulds, and then of course I will accommodate, yeah. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. For tonight, I will be extremely controversial because I should be voting against both motions. Let us be absolutely clear. We've heard of Islington and Waltham Forest. On the 3rd of December last year, Islington Council received advice by Council to say that their motion would not stand the law. It doesn't work. It doesn't matter. So that's well published, and indeed it's in documents that you can find. Waltham Forest Council received similar notice on the 27th of November, which was included in an officer's report submitted to their committee. And I can actually quote, as it appears, the proposed investment may well involve the risk of significant financial detriment to the fund, thereby failing to satisfy the second criteria identified by the Law Commission. And I have four clauses of which the Law Commission are. Indeed, let me quote this. In cases where the issue is clearly controversial, the courts may well expect trustees to focus on financial factors rather than becoming embroiled in disagreements between the members. Look, arms are not pleasant, but I'm afraid it's a fact of life. Are we actually going to say that the United Kingdom is going to abolish its defence industry? Are you going to shut down the whole defence industry? Are you going to leave the UK defence list? Because I can say one thing. If Mr Putin comes calling, I'm not sure President Trump is going to say, well, you've shut down your defence industry, but I'm going to say something to help you out. Of course they're not. Defence is unpleasant, but it is a fact of life. Countries defend themselves. Nations defend themselves. I think it is significant, and I'm very liberal on many, many issues. I think it was right. The Attorney General looked at things and said there is the possibility that certain factors, certain subjects could be sent to another country in a current conflict, and therefore he said no orders. That is correct. That's what you should do. But there is a great deal differently to sending, let us take an example, helping people in Ukraine, not building cluster bombs, not chemical weapons, not having the facilities where Bashar al-Assad was able to murder half a million people in his country with bombs, thankfully, provided by Mr Putin. That's the obscenity of war. Our job is to look after our pensions. Our job is to look after our people. Because if we say we don't like, if you don't like, if we don't like minor investments in what can be construed as defence industry, well, where does it go next? I would also point out that there is an effect, a misconception that pension funds are used to pay for weapons. The position is the reverse. Companies in which the pension funds are invested pay dividends on the funds. They don't actually pay for the weapons. So I'm terribly sorry. I will listen to the debate with great interest, and I've looked at it, but I'll be voting against and have my name recorded as against. Thank you. Karsala Jahad Chow, the former speaker. This motion is calling for a complete audit for how all the pension funds are used, where any of our funds are invested, and I waste all funds away from the companies who deal with arms that are used in killing innocent people in various conflicts, including Gaza. So I'm going to tell my colleague, Councillor Peter Gould, I am all for defence. I have no problem with defence, but our main objection should be with offence, people who are killing their innocent people using the arms in different countries and different. Mr. Speaker, I believe colleagues in the chamber will agree with me that funds from our pension fund or from any council or organisation should not be used to arms any groups or country to kill innocent people. Mr. Speaker, we live in a free country and enjoy all the democratic and basic rights as a citizen. Mr. Speaker, it should be our moral duty to condemn any atrocities throughout the world, regardless of race, religion or any other orientation. Mr. Speaker, what happened in Bangladesh recently is a prime example. More than a thousand young people, including a four-year-old, was killed by the Australian government just because they were demanding their rights. So, Mr. Speaker, I urge our government or any government of the developing countries to offer humanitarian help and build the water, Gaza as well. I would urge everybody, and I will be supporting – I'm in any position now, so I will be supporting the administration motion and the friendly amendments proposed by the opposition. So, I will urge everybody, my colleague, to support the motion and also agree with me that any leader or any government or any organisation that commits war crimes or crimes against any humanity should be facing the people, you know, law or justice. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, thank you, Councillor Chaudhry. I have an overwhelming request, actually. Let's see how far we go. Now, Councillor Ahmed Er Khan. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I welcome the opportunity to do something practical. To resist the global tyranny, armed fields, war, war lead to death, destruction, displacement. Mr. Speaker, babies, children, women, men are often the victims of the war. Mr. Speaker, the first few months, we have watched destruction, a grand scale, play on our TVs like a horror movie. Mr. Speaker, as a council, we have a history of strong ethics. We cannot be knowingly complicit in atrocity or tyranny. We must be clear that pension funds should not be invested in a company who deal in death and destruction. Mr. Speaker, I support this motion. And I clear the declaration that we want to de-invest all the funds away from the companies who deal in arms. Mr. Speaker, I welcome the request for the formal report on how the de-investment process will be accelerated. Mr. Speaker, we must do our bit to ensure that none of our money are money off. We are responsible for use to pay for the distractions of the homes, hospitals, schools and place of worship. Mr. Speaker, in 2025, it must be the year when de-investment is completed. I support the motions and urge the council to do the same. Thank you, Mr. Speaker, for giving me the opportunity to speak. Thank you very much. Mr. Speaker, I already mentioned in my earlier speech that we went to Palestine in 2013. In our delegation, we had local people, we had local teachers, local businessmen, social workers and a lot of community leaders. We all witnessed firsthand the sufferings of Palestinian people in the ground. We all know exactly what is happening in Gaza. In light of this, we wanted to have a motion of our ceasefire in this chamber. We were not allowed. A lot of people in this side, we became frustrated. And obviously, someone in this chamber talking about politics. Yes, it is politics. We are actually playing politics with people's life and we don't care about it. When there is an injustice, we run away. And when we come back again, when we see an opportunity to become a councillor. And we have this kind of people in this chamber. So let us not talk about politics. Let us not talk about hypocrisy. We need to be serious about the issues like this. We have people sitting here, a lot of campaigners. We need to respect them. And I think it is late. But obviously, it is better to be late than never. And I think we are going in the right direction. We need to make sure, I think, that the Labour motion is also very, very, very important and timely. I think if you can find a way to actually find a friendly amendment, I think it would be better. But if not, obviously, I am here to support both motions. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. As mentioned before, I supported the rally and also the campaign for which brought a motion to the Pensions Committee to divest the council's pension funds from arms sales and fossil fuel companies. I am also, so I am really pleased to see that Aspire have responded to the petition with this motion. And also that the Pensions Committee has taken concrete steps towards divesting the Talhanet's pension fund. I will not repeat all of the points that people have made about the devastation in Gaza. But we really, this really is an example of what we, what happens when brutal governments are not properly held to account. But we have also seen in 2024 that we surpassed the 1.5 degree threshold for the first time. And we are seeing ever more extreme weather threatening the survival of people in the global south. And in these cases, the very people who did nothing to cause the emergencies, so the innocent women and children and the subsistence farmers are the ones suffering and being displaced. So we have a responsibility to do what we can to solve both of these crises. But obviously this is all very scary. It can feel very overwhelming and intractable for us as individuals. And we can't achieve anything without coming together and acting collectively. My firm belief is that institutions like councils and companies, it's institutions rather than companies, rather than individuals, that can really make change. And this council has a huge amount of purchasing power. We invest billions through our pensions. And all of the work we do every day, all of our council offices in this building and across Tower Hamlets, as a public institution, must be set by the highest moral standards. It's crazy to me that we absolutely must do the same with our pensions. I will respectfully disagree with Councillor Gold's points. I firmly believe that it must be possible to work towards peace, stand up to brutal dictators, not finance the production and sale of weapons. We don't know where those weapons go. We may know where they go, but if we make weapons in this country, can we be sure that they can be used for the right reasons? Who are we to say what the right reasons are? Violence should not be the answer. And in the Green Party, we fundamentally stand for working for dialogue and peace rather than using weapons. I'm going to be supporting both the motion and the amendment. So I hope the amendment is taken as friendly by the majority group. And a final word of advice and a request, I guess, for the members of the pensions committee. Please be tired of your investigation about which companies we're investing in. Because we can be fobbed off by companies saying, oh, it's an ethical investment vehicle. We have to get to the bottom of what we're investing in and where our money is going. Thank you, Councillor Bielfait. Councillor Sulu Garmuth, Deputy Speaker of the Council. Thank you, Mr Speaker. I'm pleased that this motion has been brought to the Council. It has not been easy watching the carnage on TV. Perhaps many are the world's first televised genocide we have witnessed. Mr Speaker, I cannot help but wonder if warring factions could have been pursued to negotiate any ceasefire much sooner to many wars if they didn't have the weapon they were using. Unfortunately, our harmless pension funds have been invested in companies dealing with arms, Mr Speaker. Mr Speaker, the Middle East is only one of many conflicts around the world where we may be aiding and abiding the warring parties. Mr Speaker, the Pension Committee took note of the Waltham Forest Council's decision to divest nearly a million pounds from companies engaged in selling weapons. Mr Speaker, Mr Speaker, as a borough with a well-deserved international reputation of solidarity and supporting justice, we need to publicly declare our intention to divert all funds away from arms daily. Mr Speaker, Mr Speaker, Mr Speaker, Mr Speaker, Mr Speaker, Mr Speaker, Mr Speaker, we must set for our children and young people. Council staff have a right to know where their money is being invested. I hope the whole council will support this motion, Mr Speaker. Thank you. I would like to put you on notice that I have only, we have only six minutes. I would like to request the councillors, if you help me by concluding your speeches within one minute, that would be great then I will be able to accommodate as many councillors as possible. Rebecca Sultana. Ms. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Unfortunately, we live in a time where genocide war and exploitation have become normal. It is 2025. Yet innocent civilians continue to pay the price for political failures. Across the UK, local government pension funds, money meant to support the hardworking people who keep our communities running, are being used to invest in industries that profit from war, occupation, and suffering. But this must end now. Tower Hamlets, a borough known for its diversity and commitment to justice, cannot be complicit in funding companies that manufacture weapons used in wars around the world. We have all witnessed the ongoing genocide in Palestine, where innocent men, women, and children are being killed simply for being Palestinian. The Press- Thank you. Ms. The weapons that fuel these are financed by investments like ours, investments that are destroying families and communities. How can we allow this? We cannot. And now is our chance to take a stand with a more ethical approach. Palestine, Sudan, Syria, Congo, Ukraine, Yemen. These are just a few of the many places suffering because of unethical investments. The Press- Thank you, Councillor Sultana. The Press- And yet, despite, thank you. The Press- And yet, despite ongoing devastation, these companies continue to receive our money. These are not businesses that deserve a single penny of public funds. The Press- Thank you. The Press- Thank you, Mr. Speaker. So, this- The Press- One minute, please. The Press- I'm trying to be fast to save your time. This motion as a policy position calls for a vital and ethical decision regarding the use of our pension funds. It asks that we diverse from companies involved in arms dealings and I stand here in full support of this principle. However, I do think this is a good start but doesn't go far enough. Public money should never be used to fund destruction of human life, especially when the destruction falls on innocent civilians in conflict zones like Gaza. The people of Ta Hamlets, our residents, our neighbors, would not want their hand, hard-earned contributions going towards companies that profit from death and destruction. We have a responsibility to ensure our investments reflects the value of peace, human dignity, and sustainability. The ethical argument for divestment is clear. As the motion highlights, our pension funds should not contribute to global conflicts, whether it's drones, missiles, or other arms that are used in these wars. These investments are not just morally questionable. They represent a systematic failure to consider the broader impact of where our money goes. But while the moral imperative is clear, we must also approach this with a level of responsibility. We must ensure that any divestment is legally sound and financially viable. I fully support the call for an audit to identify exactly where our funds are invested. This process must be transparent, thorough, and conducted with due diligence to ensure we are acting in the best interest of our pensioners. Moreover, the divestment is only one part of this conversation. If we are to act ethically, we must not only remove investment in companies that cause harm, but also redirect our funds towards sectors that contribute positively to society. We should explore opportunities to invest in renewable energy, healthcare, education, industries that not only provide the return for our pensioners, but also contribute to building a better, more sustainable future. Thank you. I will have to bring it down to half a minute, actually. So, Councillor Goulam Kibriya Choudhury. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The divestment of pension funds by council is a significant and often contentious issue. On one hand, it reflects a growing awareness of the need of the ethical investment, particularly in light of concern about social justice and corporate accountability. Our council has a proud history of internationalism and standing up in whatever way it can to global tyranny and acts of atrocity. Mr. Speaker, public pension funds should not be used to facilitate the mass murder of thousands of men, women, and infants. Our workers deserve better than that. Council staff have a right to know where their money is being spent. Thank you. Mr. Speaker, we have no excuse not to take steps, so please join me in support of this revolutionary motion. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Councillor Kabir Ahmed. Half a minute, please. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It's difficult to speak about this issue without getting quite passionate about it, so I'll try to contain myself. Now, can I start off by saying that we, as a council, and both us and the pension committee can't be bullied by arms companies to pay for their profits with blood money, all right? And I believe that both the unions in Tower Hamlets as well as those who are pension holders with this council would appreciate and value the diversement because they do not want profit from death. Thank you. I'm not finished yet. Now, unfortunately, we, as a council, have a right to decide the direction this council follows, not arms companies. We, within the council, the pensions committee, has a right to decide where investments made, and good investments. And there are multiple investment opportunities outside of arms companies that they can choose to invest in. And, again, every legal process will be followed in doing that. But the intention has to be made clear. And that intention is ethical investing for profit. Thank you. Not for a loss. Sorry, I haven't finished yet. Mr Speaker, with the utmost politeness, every full council, you have not allowed me adequate time to speak in line with the constitution. That is not fair, and that is quite discriminatory. This is very unkind. Always, I do not have any particular choices or preferences. Thank you. So, this is for the record. So, last, Mr Speaker, unfortunately, we can't accept the amendment. Although we appreciate the intentions of the opposition, it's important to highlight this case in its specifics in relation to arms and weaponry that are used and the pension funds that go into that. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. I have requests from Mufida Bastin, councillor Badril Choudhury, Abdul Manna, Iqbal Hussain, Shafia Ahmad, Ahmad Al-Khabir, and so many. Unfortunately, the time has finished. Councillor Shubay Hussain, your reserved right to speak. Thank you. Thank you, Mr Speaker. I promise to keep it quick. Thank you. I rise this evening to ask members to vote for our amendment of this motion. It should have actually been spoken about back in October when we tabled it. But I'm glad to see this motion in the chamber this evening and ask that everyone in this room to read our amendment. It adds to this important and timely motion. Mr Speaker, I believe the Labour amendment goes further than the table motion and will ask the pension funds to consider not only targeting the weapons that kill but also the walls that divide and the diggers that demolish. Companies should not be receiving funds paid from hard working officers of ours to enact violence and apartheid. Workers would not want their retirement funds to be used for destruction of the planet. There is no peaceful retirement in burning violence. Thank you. Thank you, Councillor Hussain. Councillor Saeed Ahmed, do you wish to exercise your right to reply? Thank you. Thank you, Mr Speaker, and thanks to all the members who spoke in favour of this motion. The concerns of members supporting this motion have been raised at the Pensions Committee, where detailed information was requested from our investment advisor and Elsie about the divestment process and how it can be initiated as soon as possible with legal advice. An updated paper will be brought back to the Pensions Committee that reviews our investment options and gives due consideration to the pension fund review. When opposition tabled a motion back in October, it wasn't to do with direct involvement of the Council's pension fund. Today, we are calling a complete audit via the Pension Committee to understand how all pension funds are used and where funds are invested. They should have tabled a substantive motion if it was such an important matter to them. Finally, it was important for this issue to be raised at full Council, and I hope that I can depend on your support for bringing this very important motion forward. Thank you, Mr Speaker. Right. We have now concluded the debate. We will now vote on the motion moved by Councillor Saeed Ahmed and the amendment submitted by Councillor Emily. Starting with the amendment from Councillor Emily. Can those in favour please show? Mr Speaker, note that I'm voting because the legal monitoring office is advised. You can change your mind, of course, later on. Thank you. Thank you. All those against? Thank you. Any abstention? Thank you. We will now vote on the original— The amendment false, yes. Thank you for the record. Thank you. We will now vote on the original motion submitted by Councillor Saeed Ahmed. All those in favour? All those against? One against? Any abstention? The motion is formally carried. Thank you. Thank you so much. Okay. Thank you. Swiftly moving to agenda item number eight is the opposition motion for debate. The debate will follow the rules of the debate at Council Procedure Rule 13 and will last no more than 30 minutes. Proposed amendments to this motion have been published as supplementary pact. So the opposition motion is on best value. I would like to formally call upon Councillor Emily, Deputy Leader of the Opposition. Mr Speaker, point of order. Yes. Yes. Thank you, Mr Speaker. Under the Procedure Rule 12.1c, I would like to recommend that this meeting takes agenda 10.2 and 8 together, considering the Chief Executive's report on the best value inspection and the opposition on the same topic. This is to prevent the duplication and to allow time for other key items within the agenda. Thank you. Thank you. Do we have a view from the opposition? Mr Speaker, we wouldn't necessarily be opposed to that, but our motion should come first as it is first on the agenda. I think this is quite a sensible thing to do, actually, to avoid, of course, the waste of time. And we can have – sorry? Mr Speaker, yes? Seconded. Of course, yes. Seconded. Of course, yes. Yeah, that's the idea. Thank you. Right. Point of order, Mr Speaker, we don't want to take both together. So it's not – How do we take both together? One after another, isn't it? We take together to save the time. It's the same discussion. But it's the mechanism for that. Take one after the other. Yeah. Mr Speaker, I don't see how that works. I don't know the mechanism, how to do it both together. I mean, we'll have to go one after another, isn't it? Unless you illustrate to me what is the mechanism. Anyway, don't worry. Let me use my – Mr Speaker? Yes? Can I just then clarify how much time we're going to have to discuss this matter? Matthew is going to offer a suggestion. Thank you, Mr Speaker. It's just a thought. But what we could do is introduce the report before we start the 30 minutes for the motion, then have the full motion debate for the 30 minutes, and then come back to vote on the report afterwards. So you'd have your full time for your motion. Yes. Fantastic, Matthew. Just an idea. Yeah. So the introduction of the report – can you – sorry. I haven't used this one for a long time, yeah. So the method suggestion is to exclude the introduction of the report from the 30 minutes, so the members will have full 30 minutes for the debate. And then, of course, let's see how far we go, and then we will use our common sense approach to see how far we can go. Councillor Emily. Thank you, Mr Speaker. The reason that we brought this motion is because it is different to the report. So the motion that we're speaking about and the report being brought aren't exactly the same thing. It's two different things. Thank you. It's two different things addressing different matters. I don't believe that they're the same thing, and I don't believe that they can be taken in that manner. And I also think if we're going to do that, we should have far more time to discuss it. If it was the motion alone, it would be 30 minutes. I understand if it was an alternative report, you would also allocate time for that report. So I don't – I think there's an issue here. I don't think we can support that. Let me hear the view of the monitoring officer on that, yeah. But I thought this is almost on the same subject matter. There are differences, so that's why what Matthew is suggesting is that the report's presented. Then you go through the same process with your motion, and you have your full 30 minutes. So it's not sort of taking anything away from that. But then rather than them waiting till further down the agenda to do the report, that will follow straight after. And the time for that is, you know, whatever the time's going to be. So each thing would get the same level of discussion. But because they're taken closer together, it will avoid, like, some duplication. Right, thank you. Sorry, without wasting any further time, let's just use my own common sense. I think it's important, and I want to speak, I want to speak. Okay, Councillor Islam. I just want to make a quick point that it's been a very – it's been a while since the report has been published. It's been a while since this best value inspection has ended. We are – we've not had an opportunity to debate that here in the chamber. So that's what the motion does. However, the report, in order to have synergy in what we're doing, the report should come after the motion, as we're talking about how we move forward. So we need to get this debate done first. Right. I don't understand why can we not have the debate together, because you will have your motion and then the report. And then you will then have the full spectrum of the best value inspection report and the additional points raised by the chief executive. So let's see how far we go. I think we need to move on without wasting any further time. Yeah, thank you. Councillor Emily, can you please move your motion? You have four minutes. Yes, thank you. So, as I said, the reason that we brought this motion forward is because there's been no opportunity in this chamber to discuss the best value inspection report. And obviously, things have moved on since then, considering we now have envoys sitting in this room. But the point is, this hasn't been discussed openly in front of our residents yet. Transparency and openness on this matter is vital. Shying away from criticisms will not help us to address those criticisms. I know that changes have already been made and I know that we're going to hear about this. I also, probably don't expect me to say this, I think it's also important to acknowledge that there are a number of positives in the report, which I'm sure you'll tell us all about. But there is a lot to do and a lot to improve. And we all in this room owe it to our residents to discuss the challenges ahead of us out in the open in this room. That's why we brought this motion and that's why it is different from the report that we will hear. The report describes a suspicious and defensive administration which refuses to accept constructive criticisms. Staff who feel intimidated, who feel they'll be marginalised if they make a challenge, concerns about a culture of cronyism and patronage, senior appointments not being made on merit and a lack of engagement with key strategic partners who also deliver important services for our residents. These are just some of the problems that we have to solve to make this council the best that it can be. We are bringing this motion today because we on this side are committed to working together to address the problems that we are facing. And the first step to solving any problem is talking about it. And I really hope that we can have this debate and the debate that we're going to have for the next three years in an honest, open, robust but civilised way. And set an example for ourselves going forward as we enter this best value period. Unfortunately, I have to say that the amendment I've seen cancels all that out. So I think we'll get on to that. I'm quite taken aback to be honest that the administration would choose to start this period in that manner with that amendment. But that's it. Thank you. A call upon Councillor. We will feed the best in to second the motion. You have three minutes. I formally second the motion but reserve my right to debate later in the debate. Thank you. Thank you. Can you please move your amendment? You have three minutes. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It's a shame that the opposition have decided to continue politicising the best value report through their opposition motion, given the findings of a toxic political culture in the same report that the opposition are complicit in. It is incumbent on all members of this chamber to respectfully represent the people of this borough, listen to the directions that have emerged from this report, and to strive for the improvements that our residents deserve. I could spend many minutes listening, listing the failures of the past that we inherited from the previous administration. However, we need to move on, focus on delivering the best services for the people of this borough, and continue improving the journey that we have embarked on. On this, the ministerial directions were published this morning. When this council paper was published, the directions were still in draft. These are small changes to note between the draft of this report, and the final ministerial directions in response to the representations the government received. But the substance remains the same. Government have appointed Kim Bromley-Derry as the ministerial envoy, with Shawkat Lal and Pam Parks as assistant envoys. As the mayor has done, I want to welcome the envoys to our council, and express our commitments to working collaboratively in partnership with them to deliver the requirements in the ministerial directions. The envoys will act as advisors and mentors, and will monitor and report on our improvement journey progress. Executive and non-executive authority will remain with the elected mayor and council. The directions seek to support the council with four specific aims. Provide the additional scrutiny, external challenge, advice and monitoring which is needed to oversee the improvements. Continue to review and improve governance and the scrutiny arrangements. Political leadership to ensure members and officers are empowered to challenge and speak truth to power. Steps that we have begun taking already. Rebuild trust and reset the organisational culture. And the department have also confirmed that the minister will visit our council to host a ministerial roundtable on the 29th of January. The directions are a significant matter for the council and set out a new model for statutory intervention nationally. The statutory support package set out in the directions acknowledges that improvement work has already begun and is designed to expand on the improvement progress that has already been started by the authority. This report provides a summary of the actions being taken to improve our best value performance in respect of areas noted in draft directions. But to put in place the arrangements necessary to support the ministerial envoys and their work. Ensure we have the capability and the capacity to deliver the actions specified in draft directions. We will support envoys and new members of the Transformation Advisory Board to get to know the council, key people and partners and will engage honestly and openly with the statutory support package. We are proud of the improvements that we as an administration have made, as acknowledged by Jim McMahon in the administrative statement today. We believe that this support will provide us with the opportunity to build on the exceptional delivery that this council has provided residents over the last two years, two and a half years. Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and I urge everyone to support my amendment. Thank you. I'll call upon Councillor Kabir Ahmed to second the amendment. You have three minutes. I formally second it and reserve my right to speak later in the debate. I formally second it and reserve my right to speak later in the debate. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. So, Tarnamlitz Council, through the espy administration, has become somewhat of a paradox. The best value report highlights many failings, yet Tarnamlitz remains a dynamic and diverse borough rich in culture and history where communities thrive in resilience and ambition. Tarnamlitz Council has always been a high performing council. This is not dependent on any one individual, be it Look for Rahman or John Biggs. Our council is bigger and more important than any one person. The council works tirelessly to provide essential services from housing and education to social care and community support, ensuring the wellbeing of all our residents. This does not happen by magic. It's because our officers and staff are dedicated, hardworking professionals who consistently strive to deliver excellent services. It is their commitment to improving Tarnamlitz that ensures we continue building a more inclusive borough for all. However, the report commissioned by the Department for Housing, Communities and Local Government raises serious concerns about governance, leadership and accountability. As the report states, the lack of trust between counsellors, officers and partners is extremely worrying and is not conducive to good governance and decision making. The report also highlights issues with leadership, noting the perception of many interviewees was that many good managers had exited the organisation as a result of speaking truth to power. This points to a culture where open dialogue and accountability have been stifled. Leadership must never fear constructive criticism. It is the cornerstone of a healthy organisation. Equally troubling are the findings regarding the council's scrutiny culture. The report states, inspectors found the council's scrutiny culture to be weak and confused with the level of challenge or in-depth scrutiny offered has, in our view, been inadequate. Strong scrutiny is essential for good governance. Without it, we risk poor decision making that fails to meet residents' needs. As a member of ONS myself, I can now say that we are truly committed to strengthening this area to ensure that every decision undergoes through thorough and constructive challenge. If you live in Tower Hamlets, on one hand, you will hear about all the positive things this council is doing. On the other hand, you will hear news that drag this council down. The alarming paradox with the spy administration is that while they bask in the glory of their successes, they live in denial about their failures and shortcomings. Your achievements cannot undo your failures. Failures must be seen as an opportunity to change, and I truly hope you will. Because, most importantly, the £6 million that are now earmarked for improvement should have been invested in the people who put you in your positions in the first place. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you, Mr Speaker. I would like to take the opportunity to acknowledge the findings of the best value inspection. The Opposition should note that this Administration has and always will be committed to working with the Government to ensure that we are performing with excellency for the betterment of our residents, community and the future of this borough. I want to draw attention to a critical aspect of the report, Section 3.6 and other parts of the command, the service delivery and the pride staff taking their work. This was further confirmed by the recent Ofsted inspection of our children's service, which found our service to be outstanding. Well done to the officers and the lead members and the whole team. These recommendations are not only a testament to the dedication and commitment to our staff, but also the resilience of the Council in providing excellent service under difficult circumstances. We should be proud of these accomplishments while simultaneously working to make improvements that are necessary to build a stronger, more effective organisation. Addressing the concerns raised in the inspection is essential. Rebuilding tasks both within our own ranks and with the people we serve is the priority. The work cannot rest with any one individual, nor with one group. It is a collective responsibility. All members of the Council on both sides of the Chamber must contribute to work for rebuilding and improving. We owe it to our staff, our residents and ourselves to lead with integrity, humility and a shared commitment to progress. Staff, officers and residents alike deserve a council that operates with the highest standards of transparency, respect and accountability. We must prioritize professionalism, inclusivity and the culture where every voice is valued. We welcome external mentoring, which will play a constructive role in supporting us and will be instrumental in helping us create and implement meaningful reform that will strengthen our councils, operations and restore public confidence. Therefore, I urge everyone to support our amended motion. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Carl. Mr Speaker, apologies. I just want to raise a point of order. I just want to put something on the record. We spoke to the monitoring officer and the Chief of Secretary about this just before the meeting. I'll stand up. Sorry. It is our understanding that there is some information in the amendment that's been put forward that was contained in a restricted set of papers and that shouldn't have been published. And we also believe it to be factually inaccurate. And we just want to put that on the record. I know we spoke briefly before the meeting, but we want that in the minutes of this meeting. Thank you. Let's hear from the monitoring officer of our views. In response to that, because obviously we didn't have an awful lot of time, we actually have spoken to the section 151 officer and she could actually respond to that. So, you know, the position. Hello. Hello. Can you hear me? Hello. I just wanted to clarify you're correct that there is an inaccuracy. The inaccuracy is relatively easy to explain. The statement that refers to the overpayment of social care contracts to the tune of over 60 million. 60 million refers to the value of the contract, not the value of the unreconciled payments, which was 11.9 million. Thank you. So, I think it needs to be corrected. So, how do we go? Sorry, we can correct it and republish that after the meeting and obviously it's been published in the, it's been drawn to your attention in the meeting and it'll be minuted. I mean, that is a, that is a significant error. I'm not sure we're entirely comfortable with that. Your comments have been duly noted. Um, Councillor Abdi Mohamed. Yeah, go on. Sorry. Mr. Speaker, there, there have been motions and amendments in the past that have contained inaccuracies that have had to be withdrawn. So, I just wonder why that's not being applied now. It wouldn't be amended, it would just, it wouldn't be withdrawn, it would just be amended. Are you asking the, are you asking the motion to be withdrawn or? We are not comfortable that something has been published with such an egregious error. I mean, you have to be very specific because you can't give, uh, put us in a dilemma situation. So, be specific, yeah. Then I'll ask for it to be withdrawn, Mr. Speaker. On what grounds? That it's inaccurate, Mr. Speaker. And then, is this materially, I mean, I will have to take advice on that. Is this materially, because, uh, asking a party to withdraw the motion is quite a significant thing to do. Is this, uh, uh, that, um, the incorrect information is materially so, so much with gravity that deserves the withdrawal of the motion. You need to, uh, advice on that. Yeah, go on. Councillor Islam, are you, are you... I, that's, that's one inaccuracy. There's another one at, uh, this council notes, point two, when it talks about this is a culture that has been exacerbated over the previous seven years. Please point to me where that is evidenced. The LGA was reviewed within that time. It did not pick up any toxic political culture in this council. However, this LGA report, the latest one, and the best value inspection, has picked that up. I'd like to know where that is factually, um, where has it been proven that this is factually accurate? There's other inaccuracies in there, and that's why we're asking for this amendment to be withdrawn. Can we have some views from this side of the chamber? On that? Uh, yeah, I think it's, it's better for you to answer that, because you should have the opportunity. Sorry, Mr. Mayor. Do you want to... We're happy to follow the monitoring officer's advice. What, what I was thinking is, um, obviously there's, there's a statement that there's, uh, inaccuracies. Maybe somebody from Aspire could respond to that and explain, um, why that had occurred. Sorry, that's, this isn't a debate, it's, it's an inaccuracy. No, no, no, this is not a debate, but of course you have heard yourself, you explained and you pointed out there's some inaccuracy and then, uh, I actually wanted to see whether, how much we, in terms of the gravity of the inaccuracy, is it, uh, is it, uh, going to put us in a situation where the motion is going to be, uh, withdrawn. But let's hear from the councillor. Yeah, we'll go on. Point of order, Mr. Speaker. It seems that they're, they're not willing to speak that much. With respect, the, without divulging the information for the public audience, we might not know, taking the time to read, there's a significant error and a problem with their amendment. The, it's a huge amount of money we're talking about. It's factually incorrect what they've put out. This is what's wrong with this administration. And if we now debate this, without them withdrawing that, it goes beyond what the recommendation, what the envoy is here for. I understand. Which is inaccurate, false information by the administration. So my advice to the monitoring officer, and through you, Mr. Speaker, is for, ask them to withdraw that, and that's the end of it. Without going, it's not that a penny, it's millions of pounds that they have falsely accused, uh, the previous administration. Thank you. Uh, I think, Councillor Islam, I think, uh, your colleagues have illustrated, uh, the position. Uh, my understanding is, of course, I will act on the advice of the monitoring officer. But, uh, why, it's just a common sense approach I want to take. But, of course, I will, um, let you know later on, of my view. Uh, why the amendment of that particular part of the motion, which was, you are referring as incorrect. Is it, is it not going to suffice the purpose? If you, if you, Mr. Speaker, if you, if you are still adamant that you want to give this administration. Oh, if we, if this team here are adamant to give this administration a chance to now amend their amendment, then you're going to have to allow us to take a break in order to go through it. Because there's more than one. I know my colleagues have spoken about the money, about the, um, adult social care contracts. And that's been corrected by our section 151 officer. But I've also pointed one out. And unless you can prove that I am wrong, then we need to go back and either withdraw the amendment or fix the errors that exist in that amendment. Right. You are making an allegation. And you just mentioned there's not, this is only, uh, there's more than one, uh, incorrect information. Let me finish, Councillor Islam. Incorrect information. So this was, uh, published a long time ago. You must have identified those incorrect, uh, information. Uh, was in a... Mr. Speaker, we received, we received the amendment today. Yeah, sorry. And regarding the allegation, it's not an allegation. It's not an allegation. It's not an allegation. I've pointed to two factual reports. The LGA report before this one has never picked up any political toxic culture in this council. All right. Thank you. However, the last one in the best value inspection does point to that. So unless I am... I have. Okay. Thank you, Councillor Islam. Thank you. Thank you. I have the Mr. Mayor and the Deputy Mayor, uh, in the chamber. And why is it not deserving because of the incorrect, uh, information? Why you, uh, the motion cannot be withdrawn? Mr. Speaker, we went through a proper process. We submitted it on time. They had the opportunity to, uh, review the motion. Do you accept the incorrect information? No, I don't. I think our motion is correct. So, we'll go ahead... You're not accepting the 1-5, section 151 officers, sir. We will go ahead with our motion. We accept that. We, we, we submit it to the, uh, monitoring officer. It was approved. It was checked. And we stand by our motion. Thank you. Mr. Speaker, we, we accept the 11.9 million overpayment. You do? Yeah. Uh, that's a typo. That's a typo. And... I, I understand your position. Mr. Mayor, I understand. I understand. And... Mr. Mayor, I understand. I understand. And... Mr. Mayor, I understand. Your position. Let me just handle this. Yeah. And in, in relation to the, and in relation to the other areas, uh, there, there was a lot of issues that were raised from 2015 going right the way to 2022 around staffing. I previously presented it in this council, which saw a turnover of circa 67 senior members of staff within this council, which falls right in the same catchment as what we've described already, Mr. Speaker. So this is actually correct. Right. Mr. Mayor, my position is, uh, is that you're not accepting that more than one incorrect information. I think, uh, Mr. Mayor is suggesting to put it on the vote whether to, uh, withdraw this motion or not. I don't think this is the right position. Me being the speaker, I think we need to first identify what are the incorrect information. Just because, uh, the council has put their hands up and then, uh, voting, uh, in favour of a motion which contains incorrect information, this is not acceptable. However, uh, I would want to give you the opportunity. Councillor Islam, you have had your say, isn't it? Yeah, go on. Go on. So, Mr. Speaker, coming back to Councillor Ahmed's point, I don't think he's read the best value inspection report properly because the staff turnover refers to another point of the best value inspection. What I'm talking about is a political, toxic political culture in this, in this council. That refers to a totally different point. This is something else, Councillor Islam. Okay. Let's, let's hear from the monitoring officer on that. I don't really know what else to say. I'd understood that, um, the, they accept, uh, the Aspire members accepted what the Section 151 officer said and, and will amend it. Um, they won't withdraw their amendment, their amendment to your motion because they're, they're sort of, there's a lot more within the amendments than those points. So, that's what I understand the position is. And, you know, I think the thing is now to debate, debate the motion. Well, Councillor Islam, can I ask you, we did, I'm so sorry, uh, uh, yeah. Okay. No, no, can I ask you this same question I wanted to ask you. Do you, how many, how many, uh, incorrect information in there do you think? I mean, I don't want you to be exactly specific, but. Mr. Speaker, I would argue that one is too many. We had a motion rejected previously because of inaccuracies. No, if one is too many, they're accepted that it's going to be corrected, isn't it? They haven't, they haven't accepted the other points that we've just raised. What is it? What are they? The Councillor Islam's just raised it. So, under, uh, council notes, point two, that is, that is fundamentally a big part of the report. And the report talks about what's wrong with this administration. Yet, it's repeated again, and it's been allowed to. So, they introduced the report, uh, sorry, the motion. Allowing this point to go through actually means we haven't learnt, we haven't acknowledged, and we don't welcome the changes that need to happen in this council. You gave me only one incorrect information. This is a big thing for me to decide. You gave me only one information which is incorrect. So, what is the second one? Sorry. The one has been accepted. The other one, the very big one, is the council notes, under point two, their amendment is factually inaccurate. Yeah. Councillor Saeed Ahmed. Mr. Speaker, I think this just shows the toxicity that's reported in the, in the report. It just shows, because... It shows the incompetence of the administration. Don't need to... Councillor Ahmed, Councillor Ahmed. Do not need to make a political point scoring here. Just give, help me, help me. I'm helping you. Yeah, go on then. You're not helping by... Our 151 officer has clarified, where they said the two, two errors. The first error, let me clarify that. It says that, thanks Councillor. It says that the, the overpayment of contract is to do with, to do with one contract. Now, the overpayment is within that contract. So if we quoted something, if we quoted something, the umbrella amount, but the overpayment of £11 million is within that £60 million contract. No. Yes, this is exactly what Section 151 officer confirmed. So it's up to us how we want to amend it. If we want to specify the overpayment amount, we could have done it. But we said the overpayment is to do with a contract which is worth £60 million. Now, if you want more details around it, that's fine, but that should have been picked up and the monitoring officer, had that been factually incorrect, she would have clarified that. But thank you. This is factually correct. The overpayment is contained within the £60 million contract. I think that clarifies exactly what our Section 151 officer said. Let's hear from the wise Mufida Bastin very quickly. Thank you, Mr Speaker. With all due respect, the Section 151 officer did not say an overpayment. She said unreconciled. The lead member in the administration can't even recognise when they have made a mistake in their own amendment. They must withdraw it, review it properly and resubmit. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Wise words. Let's hear from the Section 151 officer again of her view after she heard the views of the members of this chamber. Is it on? Yeah, it's on. So, again, just to clarify, the contract payment value, sums paid under this contract, have been reported in the public domain to the Audit Committee as being the £60 million. It was actually £62 million. Within that, there were, as publicly reported to the Audit Committee, unreconciled payments of £11.9 million. The risk of the unreconciled payments is one associated with you've made a payment but you don't know if you've received the goods or the services. And that's where the risk of duplicated payments comes in. So, I just want to be very, very clear. I do think there's a simple amendment that can be made that allows all sides to have a factually accurate statement containing information that has already been in the public domain. Thank you. Having heard from Section 151 officer and the views of, I'm not allowing any further on this. We have already wasted much of our time. I'm of the view and I heard from the monitoring officer as well. I'm of the view of the same of the Section 151 officer and so we'll proceed as we started. Thank you. Thank you. So, I'm not asking the administration to withdraw the motion. But, of course, there has to be amendments to be made in terms of the correct information, the figures, of course. It's a big difference. Thank you. So, where were we? Where were we? All right. Okay. Right. Councillor Abdi Mohamed. Thank you, Mr Speaker. I'm not sure how I top that, but I will attempt to. I welcome the opportunity to discuss the best value report and the serious situation our Council finds itself in. It's deeply disappointing that our borough is once again under the spotlight and not for the right reasons. As you know, I was elected as a Council in September after the inspection took place. When I first heard about the best value inspection, like many residents, I was concerned and angry that once again the Council finds itself in this position, especially after all the hard work that took place during the last best value inspection. And now our residents see this report and the decisions taken by this administration, they see that we need to spend six million pounds of hard earned money that is needed to rectify these mistakes. Something that should never have arisen. They expect us to do so much better. In my short term here, I've reflected on a few key findings of the report, and I want to touch on two critical areas, culture and partnership. First, the culture of the Council. The report painstakingly paints a picture of a toxic culture that undermines decision making, widespread mistrust among councillors, officers and partners, staff grappling with anxiety and low morale. It really doesn't make for easy reading. If we're serious about grappling with these issues, then we must all take action in this chamber. Speak as one voice and say this is unacceptable. Tell how this is a public body and its sole purpose should be serving the people of this power. In the spirit of the report, we as councillors must lead by example to rebuild the trust and foster a positive collaborative approach within this institution. The residents of Tower Hamlets expect nothing less. Second, our relationship with partners and the glaring absence of co-production. The report highlights the lack of meaningful consultation with service users, partners and staff. Voluntary and community sector organisations feel excluded. There are clear frustrations coming through in this report. Again, our residents and the voluntary sector deserve so much better than this. When they turn to us, especially in moments of crisis, they expect us to work hard and in partnership with the community, with the voluntary sector and all key partners to find a solution, not to present fractured, ineffective relationships. Addressing these issues requires honest reflection and decisive action, not a defensive stance. So it's unfortunate to see the amendment that was placed here tonight. Tower Hamlets must become a council that listens, collaborates and earns back the trust of residents. We've seen this work in action when it comes to Ofsted and when we all speak as one voice, we can achieve great things. So let's refocus our efforts to make sure we serve our residents properly. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you. Thank you. Councilor Siluka, Deputy Speaker of the Council. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, Best Value helps us deliver quality services for our residents. As a democratically elected representative, we have a mandate from our residents. Mr. Speaker, the 2024 Best Value Inspection Report acknowledged that this council is a well-functioning authority in many respects. The minister has opted for directions only statutory intervention in recognition that Tower Hamlets is able and committed to lead its own improvement. The transformation advisory boards are key. The ministerial envoys will support our improvement journey with advice and mentoring. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the best value helps us deliver quality services for our residents as democratically elected representatives. I'm just… Sorry, Mr. Speaker. I just wanted to… Mr. Speaker, this administration has already achieved a lot. Over 70% of our manifesto has been delivered. The previous administration left unsigned accounts, unpaid VAT, and failed to publish annual governance. This administration has corrected that governance failure and delivered 42.5 million savings while investing in our residents. Mr. Speaker, in 2019, under the previous administration, the lead member resigned as a result of a failed offset. In contrast, Children's Services was awarded outstanding by Ofsted after an inspection in November 2024. This demonstrates clearly that this council is changing for better. Mr. Speaker, our best value story is a good one. 20 seconds. In 2024, the value inspection report acknowledged that there was a very strong and effective communication function within the council. Mr. Speaker, we have the political will to address the weaknesses identified. We will continue to support residents through the cost of living, Mr. Speaker. Thank you. Mr. Speaker. I urge the council to support the aspired amendment, Mr. Speaker. Thank you. Mr. Speaker. Of course. Thank you. Thank you. Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker. Mr Speaker. The Secretary hangs out to the GP. Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I think my colleague has very, articulated the point, but I just want to bring some lived human experience in this. Whatever you say, whatever gloss stories that might come out of this administration, the fact of the matter is they've been in powers in 2022, the best value report. 2022, the best value report, the fact that there's wonderful envoys that are in this room is because of them. Now, I've had 25 years of some experience of this council in various capacity. First six years of this millennium as a police authority member, I came as a partnership member of the partnership board, which was there working in partnership with the police, the fire service, the health, you name it, the education, to make sure this borough was a beacon status borough. I think at that, 2002, then the current mayor became a councillor in the back benches. What I'm saying to you is, in the last seven years of the Labour administration, there was no government envoy, there was no government support, there was no government babysitters, let's be honest. Some of these guys need it more than anyone else, right? A holding hand. I stood in this council chamber and said some of the lack of experience, and tonight it was a classic example of lack of experience. The factual amendment was wrong. You know, they're good at putting out spin. They've got well-paid officers who work for them, putting out spin in the community, free this, free this, free this. But the reality is not free, because the good people of this borough are paying for it. Just ask the residents in the audience, wearing the green tops from the weightlifting, the offing green weightlifting, were they really properly consulted before the door was about to be slammed on their organisation? This just shows the lack of transparency, lack of openness. This is about them having the numbers, deciding what they want to do in this council chamber. Very toxic, very self-selective, working for specific communities that they think they will get their vote. And I'm really pleased, as much as it's £6 million that's going to be spent off our taxpayers' money, making sure there is watchful eye on this administration leading up to the next election, which I hope will be fair, free, and I hope transparency will prevail, honesty will prevail. And, Mr Speaker, under your leadership as Speaker, I think fairness is being really allowed to flush in this council chamber. All I will say is that there's a lot to be learned from the best value report. Let's not read out what you've been given by your highly paid staff, what to say. Look at yourself honestly and say, is this council, is this administration delivering? It wasn't the last Labour administration that brought in government advisers. It wasn't the last local government, the last mayor bringing in special advisers from a Tory government. It's your administration that allowed the Tories to come back in, is now allowing four members to keep an eye on you because you are not able to do it yourself. Thank you. Thank you, Mr Speaker. The best value inspection report is extensive, and while I cannot address every issue it highlights, I would like to focus on one critical point. The report paints a concerning picture of the council's leadership, describing it as dominant and directive, this is not leadership that fosters collaboration and all openness to feedback. For instance, mayor's decision to take over the staff canteen space to create a lavish office for himself is spending about £400,000 on its reconstruction and decoration at a time when so many of our residents are struggling in the midst of a cost-of-living crisis. This came at the same time as Tower Hamlet's food hub delivery budgets were slashed by up to 80%, impacting families and organisations. The mayor's move to take over the staff canteen was opposed by the unions, but their concerns were dismissed. This speaks volumes about the leadership style we are dealing with, one that is out of touch with the reality faced by everyday people. The report reveals a troubling lack of engagement and over-bearing defensiveness at the top. Leadership should be about listening, understanding concerns, and working together with the staff and other political groups to address the issues facing our community. Instead, we have a leadership style that isolates and undermines others, leading to poor decision-making and a lack of vision for the future. I call on the mayor and his team to confront these issues, take full responsibility for their actions, and commit to real meaningful change. Only then we can begin the long process of restoring the trust and confidence that has been severely damaged. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you. I have two members of the Council. They reserve their right to speak after that. And then, of course, I have a good list of Councilors. Shuba Hussain, James King is not here. Lilloo Ahmed, Farooq Ahmed, received a request from a backbencher, Ahmad Al-Kabir. I used to be a backbencher. Whenever I receive a request from a backbencher, I can't ignore, because I will probably, after my speakership, I will be a backbencher. So, Councillor Ahmad Al-Kabir, I will appreciate if you can finish in one minute. From now on, one minute, please. Thank you very much, Mr. Speaker. After all, you just recognize me. I am the backbencher. Mr. Speaker, culture does not develop overnight, and it's been previous seven years had impact on the Council. Mr. Speaker, the 2024 Best Value Inspection Report raised concern about the Council culture. Culture in organization is determined by many facts, including technology. Organization, culture, ethics, normal belief, attitude, behaviors, people, leadership, as well. Mr. Speaker, the Council has taken note of the need of improved culture and positive change in happening as well on this level. Mr. Speaker, the Best Value Statutory Guidance stated the annual government statement prepared in accordance with CIPA solace in this curriculum of the meaningful review designed to de-stress test both the governance framework and the health of the control environment. This is one of the characteristic of well-functioning authority. Mr. Speaker, it is matter of the record. Under the previous administration, there was a failure of signing five years annual governments. Mr. Speaker, Mr. Speaker, I am proud to be on this side. I would ask my opposition, can you give me a single example what they have done in their life they can proud of. I can proud of many things what I did. I can give you lots of examples. We've been here for two years. We've done many things. I can proud of being on this side. Council Talha Choudhury. Hold on, hold on, hold on. Can you be kind with me? Half a minute, please, yeah? And then I will go, because I was advised otherwise, yeah. Okay, Mr. Speaker, I wish I had more time, but let's talk about some aspects of this motion. Toxic culture. The people opposite would make you think that toxicity is one-sided, which needs to be challenged for the record. I quote 3.14 of the report. We recognise that Labour councillors have criticised the previous Lutf Rahman administration. And 10.9 of the report. The political environment within the council has been described to us as toxic and is categorised by a disproportionate focus from the two main political groups. Mr. Speaker, I beg my colleagues across the chamber to take some responsibility and stop the toxic propaganda in the community. Let's move forward and work collegiately, like myself and Councillor Abdi did this morning at the scrutiny session. And one final thing, Mr. Speaker, I am actually insulted. This is the second time Councillor Ullah has questioned the integrity and the ability of our councillors. So we don't all read from speeches that someone else has written for us. Just because you may be the only person that speaks freely, it doesn't mean that we are not able to speak. So this is the second time. Thank you. Councillor Niloua, I'm at half a minute, please. You're not on the list? Okay. Thank you. Let's go for Councillor... Was it Mufidabustin? You reserved your right to... Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I know you love a good movie, and I'm sure you're familiar with Remains of the Day and the famous line, Why, Mr. Stevens, why, why, why do you always have to pretend? Expertly delivered by the great Emma Thompson in the film. And the film, of course, is based on the Booker Prize-winning novel by Kashiwo Ishiguro, the British-Japanese author. And for those of you who don't know, it's set pre-World War II and narrated by the butler, Mr. Stevens, who is fiercely loyal to his master, and during the course of the novel, we find out that his master is actually a Nazi sympathiser. And obviously, that's reminded me of some of the actions and words from some prominent people across the pond on Monday. But it's particularly relevant, as the author is the master of the technique of the unreliable narrator. And it's a shame that we've had to bring this motion. We were denied the opportunity to debate it in November. And until today, the only representatives who have spoken publicly about it are the two people who were named in the report. We were promised an opportunity to debate the report at this meeting, but I was disappointed to see the report at 10.2, with barely a reference to the failings that have resulted in the special envoys being sent in. And as we see in the tabled amendment, there seems to be a culture in this administration of denial, avoidance, and distraction. And the debate tonight demonstrates that, with the Aspire administration unable to talk about a single failing in the 300-page report. But here we are. And like many great novels, this report requires more than one reading. And I want to point out two things. At 4.67, the report says, the council provided us with information showing that the client net cost of agency workers in the mayor's office amounts to £1.1 million. It is difficult to establish the value added of this group of advisers, as they provide limited written advice to the mayor or council. They seem to be tasked to promote the mayor and his priorities externally. And that is from the report. It makes me really angry. But there's another paragraph that I must read. In a second. Thank you. But I must read this because it's really upsetting. We are also aware of specific examples of poor treatment of female officers in public meetings. There was a feeling among some interviewees that such poor behaviour was more likely to be directed to female officers of colour. The number of issues raised about the culture and behaviours and their impact on women in particular is deeply concerning. It is not how you would expect women in a modern, progressive organisation to feel in the workplace. Thank you. Thank you, Mr Speaker. Thank you, Mr Speaker. Can I start off by welcoming Councillor Ulla back to the front benches? Yeah. Mr Speaker, since the inspection, a lot has changed, including two female councillors in the Aspire group. Hopefully more will follow. In relation to ONS, Mr Speaker, it is something that I do agree with the inspection report. And one of the key areas was 40 to 45 minutes of wasting time and postulating on a non-agenda item. And I agree with the inspectors that scrutiny needs to be strengthened. But scrutiny involves both Aspire members, Labour members, as well as independent members as well. And that goes throughout. So when they speak about scrutiny, it's not just Aspire they're talking about. They're talking about the whole of scrutiny and how scrutiny attempts essentially to weaponise political debate rather than focusing on the policies and scrutinising lead members such as myself. And I welcome being scrutinised. I'll tell you that for sure, Mr Speaker. Now, it's categorically clear that there is a report in place which is a fact. We've got envoys here, another fact. And the utmost fact is there are four areas of what this council resolves. With the slight adjustment of point number one, we agree to all four of those, what this council resolves. All four of those points, we agree to it. So, do we agree to being collaborative and working fully with the appointment of government employees? Yes, we do. As the whole council does. Agreed. Ensure work is taken to include all political groups within the improvement process. Absolutely. Agreed. Prioritise creating an open and collaborative culture within the council, ensuring staff and residents feel their voices are heard and valued in the decision-making process. Absolutely. Agreed. So, essentially, after all of this debate and to and froing, what this motion once resolved is agreed by the whole council, well, Aspire group included. So, we have agreement there. Lastly, Mr Speaker, I want to articulate that if it was a motion which actually looked at supporting the council as opposed to having digs, it would have highlighted positive elements of it, which is the robustness of the finance that has been delivered under this administration, which is that all statutory posts have been fully posted with permanent members of staff. You know, these are areas of serious stability that is created within councils. Unfortunately, that wasn't the intention of the motion. Hence, we had this whole saga of a debate today. But, absolutely, we will work with the opposition group, the independents that are there as well, the envoys, the officers, in order to improve this council and provide the best for our residents. Thank you, Mr Speaker. Thank you. I do apologise to the members, particularly Councillor Shubha Hussain, Lillu Ahmed, I wanted to relay from you, Farouk Ahmed and former Speaker Sabine Akhtar. Unfortunately, at this stage of the debate, I wouldn't be allowed, I'm not allowed to allow anybody to speak. I'm going to now go to Councillor Emily. Do you wish to exercise your right to reply? You have three minutes and I believe you will be more kind towards me. Thank you, Mr Speaker. I always try to be brief. Look, the behaviour just displayed there does not show a willingness to work collaboratively, it doesn't show a willingness to improve. I think there was something there that hit the nail on the head, actually. We're talking about facts and what are facts. I would remind you that reading out sections of the report is not politicking, it's not political game playing, that is facts, it's reading out sections of the report. But you did read out sections of the report that says that the Labour group previously criticised the last time the mayor was in office and you said that that was toxic. So that hits the nail on the head to me, that this administration thinks criticism is toxic. That is not an administration willing to make changes, willing to accept constructive criticism. I was so clear in my speech that we brought this motion today because it is important that we discuss this matter publicly, openly, I don't know what you're laughing at, openly, transparently in front of our residents. Okay? That's why we brought this motion. That has been an attempt to avoid that, the correct information being published. I genuinely thought and I think people on this side of the chamber thought Mr Speaker that this would be the start of a genuine journey of change and we would actually work together and improve this council, improve this borough together. I'm not convinced unfortunately by what I've seen this evening and that is really disappointing, not for us, not for me, but for the residents because that's who we're here to serve. So I think we on this side of the room are abundantly disappointed by what's going on this evening. Thank you. We will now vote on the motion moved by Councillor Emily and the amendment submitted by Councillor Syed Ahmed starting with the amendment from Councillor Syed Ahmed. Can those in favour please show? All those against? Any abstention? The motion is carried. Sorry, the amendment is carried. And now we will yeah, the original motion. Motion as amended. Yeah, motion as amended. All those in favour? All those against? Any abstention? The amendment is carried. Thank you. Yeah, we have a request from Councillor to bring forward the report. Councillor, was it Councillor Syed Ahmed? Yeah, chief execs report on the West Valley, yeah. I need a seconder. Yeah, I'll I for a millisecond. Right. So, give me a second. So, all those in favour of changing the agenda? All those against? Any abstention? The order of the business is changed. Thank you. Mr. Speaker. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Thank you. I have five minutes to deal with that. So, Agenda Item 10 is the progress update on the best value improvement matters. Can Councillor Sayeed Ahmed introduce the report? Thank you, Mr Speaker. Following the conclusion of the best value inspection and the issuing of draft directions by the Minister of Housing, the Chief Executive has committed to bringing progress updates to full council on best value improvements where he addresses the issues set out in the government directions. This report provides a summary of the actions being taken to improve our best value performance in respect of those areas, put in place the arrangements necessary to support the ministerial invoice and their work, ensure we have the capability and the capacity to deliver the actions specified in the draft directions. The council is therefore recommended to consider the content of the update report and comment upon it. Thank you. Thank you. I call upon Councillor Mayim Thaluk that will second the report. I don't think we have enough time, but Councillor Peter Goulds very quickly. One minute, Mr Speaker. I think this is basically the meat and potatoes of what we should have been discussing tonight. Let's welcome the report. Let's look at the direction of travel, because the report is the report. We've seen it, but what we want to know, what the residents want to know is where we're going. Let's have a look at the future board. Let us see how we collaboratively will work together with the envoys and do the best to deliver for the council, because already this report is fractionally out of date, because yesterday we now know who the envoys are. We now have a better document on what to do. But the important thing tonight is we should be talking about this, or at least looking at this report, get it on the record so our residents know we're going to move forward and go forward to deliver the best for the London Borough of Tahanits and the people we represent. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Sunday was my birthday. Happy birthday. Thank you. And rather than spending the day listening to my favourite Snoop Dogg track, I was in Warwick being trained on effective audit committees. On Monday evening, we had an informal meeting. The audit committee members came together and worked together to start thinking about how we can improve the functioning of the audit committee and make it more effective. So I think Councillor Goulds is right. It's a shame that we've only got a few minutes to debate the way forward. But I will say one thing, Mr. Speaker. In order to move forward, we have to acknowledge the findings of the report. And only one side of the chamber has done that tonight. Thank you. Unfortunately, we don't have enough time for other members to contribute. But does full council now agree to consider the content of the update report and comment upon it? Thank you. The report is agreed. Second item number nine is the report from the executive and the council's committee. Councillor Mayim Talag, the cabinet member for education. Deputy Mayor, can you introduce the report? Thank you, Mr. Speaker. It's a note in the report. There are many positives within the report. We have made significant progress. I would like to propose the report. Thank you. Thank you, Councillor Kabir Ahmed. Can you second the report? I formally second the report. Does full council agree to the recommendations made to note the progress and the achievements made in respect of the Youth Justice Strategic Plan 2024-25 and agree the plan going forward? Thank you. Agenda item number 9.2 is the pooling district and the pooling places review 2024. Councillor Mayim Talag, the deputy mayor, introduce the report, please. No, sorry. Oh, sorry. Second. Rebecca Sultana. Rebecca Sultana to introduce the report. Does full council agree to recommendations made to agree the review report and to agree the action set out in the appendix? Agreed? Thank you. Which one? 30? 35. We are making progress. 30? 34. 34, okay. Right, okay. Thank you. Agenda item 10.3 is the proportionality allocation of the places on the committees of the council 2024-25. Can councillor Mayim Talag introduce the report? Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I formally propose the report. I'll call upon councillor Asma Islam to second the report. Thank you. I'm trying to be accommodating. Okay, does full council agree to the recommendations as set out in the report? Thank you. Anything else? 36, okay. Agenda item, simply moving to agenda item 10.4 is ER. Can we have some silence in the chamber, please? Yeah. Let's finish it with a good environment, a quiet one, please. ER, obli, VR exit payments. I understand there are no requests to speak in relation to the restricted appendices, the appendix. If any member does not wish to speak on that, please let me know. That's the script I'm reading. I'll call upon councillor Sayeed Ahmed to introduce the report. Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The guidance issued by the Secretary of State maintains that salaries on appointment... You just introduced the report. Just move the report. You don't have the time. You don't have the time. Oh, okay. That's fine. I'll formally move the report. Thank you. Thank you. Yeah. You will have opportunity after the meeting, yeah. Yeah. Council Talogda seconded the report. Right. Does full council agree to note and approve the exit payments, including the redundancy and the cost of the early payment of pension benefits, the applications for early retirement and voluntary redundancy, as set out in appendix one. Two, note the redundancy payment is part of the individual's contractual terms and conditions of employment and that the only payment of pension benefits is linked to the local government pension scheme. Yes. Mr. Speaker. Thank you. Right. Okay. Thank you. The time limit for this meeting has now been reached. Any motions not taken will fall. I thank you for your contributions. It's been emotional and as well as informational. And of course, it was a good, we had good debates in the meeting today. Thank you, all members of the chamber and of course the members at the gallery. Please note that the members must wait for the maize to be removed before they leave the meeting. Thank you. With that, I formally conclude the meeting. Wait, let me leave first and then we will leave.