Tower Hamlets to be monitored

Lutfur Rahman

The government will appoint three commissioners to Tower Hamlets council after a damning report into finance and administration was published this week.

Communities Secretary Eric Pickles told MPs “executive power is unchecked and executive power has been misused” after accusations of missold assets including Poplar Town Hall.

Mr Pickles said a copy of the report by PricewaterhouseCoopers would be sent to the police for their information, adding: “If I was the mayor of Tower Hamlets I would be holding my head in shame, because what he’s allowed to occur in Tower Hamlets is shameful, not that I’ve made a final decision.”

In response to the report, Tower Hamlets mayor Lutfur Rahman said it had not found evidence of fraud. The three commissioners could be appointed in two weeks, after the council has had an opportunity to respond to the PwC report.

Erick Pickles