The Council of Tower Hamlets Council held its annual meeting on Wednesday, 17 May 2023. The meeting saw the election of a new Speaker and Deputy Speaker, and the appointment of councillors to various committees. A significant portion of the meeting was dedicated to paying tribute to the outgoing Speaker, Councillor Shafi Ahmed, and to the memory of Jackie Odeno, former Director of Housing.

Election of Speaker and Deputy Speaker

Councillor Jahed Choudhury was elected as the new Speaker of the Council for the 2023-2024 municipal year. Councillor Saifuddin Khaled was elected as the Deputy Speaker. Both expressed their gratitude for the election and pledged to serve the borough with fairness and integrity.

Tributes to Outgoing Speaker and Jackie Odeno

The meeting began with numerous councillors paying tribute to the outgoing Speaker, Councillor Shafi Ahmed, for his service, humour, and dedication during his year in office. Following this, the council observed a minute's silence in memory of Jackie Odeno, former Director of Housing for Tower Hamlets, who had recently passed away. Several councillors, including Mayor Lutfur Rahman, Councillor Rohit Ahmed, Councillor Mark Francis, and Councillor Basile Azul Islam, shared their memories and highlighted Ms. Odeno's significant contributions to housing and regeneration in the borough, as well as her commitment to public service and supporting vulnerable residents.

Appointments to Committees and Boards

The council agreed to the proportionality and allocation of seats on various committees and subcommittees for the municipal year 2023-2024. This included the establishment of a new Human Resources Committee. Following nominations and votes, the following councillors were appointed:

• Adoption and Fostering Panel: Councillor Badrul Choudhury and Councillor Iqbal Hussain (Aspire group).
• Corporate Parenting Board: Councillor Mayim Talugdar, Councillor Badrul Choudhury, and Councillor Murstak Ahmed (Aspire group).
• Local Government Group Annual Conference: Councillor Mayim Taligda, Councillor Khabir Ahmed, Councillor Abdul Malik, and Councillor Abdul Mannan (Aspire group).

The council also agreed to appointments for the Chairs of the Audit Committee, General Purposes Committee, and Overview and Scrutiny Committee, with the following councillors elected:

• Audit Committee: Councillor Haran Mir (Aspire group).
• General Purposes Committee: Councillor Shafi Ahmed (Aspire group).
• Overview and Scrutiny Committee: Councillor Mershtek Ahmed (Aspire group).

Council Constitution and Meeting Calendar

The council reviewed and agreed to the updated calendar of council and committee meetings for 2023 and 2024, noting that the first meeting of the HR Committee would be on 8 June. The council also considered proposed changes to the Council's constitution, specifically regarding the process for moving motions without notice. An amendment was proposed to allow the monitoring officer discretion in accepting emergency motions with very short notice, but this amendment was ultimately not accepted by the council. The council then re-adopted the Council Constitution as set out in the report.

Use of Special Urgency Provision

The council noted that there were no instances of the special urgency procedures being used by the Executive during the 2022-2023 period.