74-695: Tower Hamlets London Borough Council , also known as Tower Hamlets Council , is the local authority for the London Borough of Tower Hamlets in Greater London , England. It is a London borough council, one of 32 in London . The council has been under the majority control of local party Aspire since 2022. It has been led by a directly elected mayor since 2010. The council is based at Tower Hamlets Town Hall on Whitechapel Road . The London Borough of Tower Hamlets and its council were created under
148-493: A concentration of poor people and immigrants throughout the area. These problems were exacerbated by the construction of St Katharine Docks (1827) and the central London railway termini (1840–1875) with many displaced people moving into the area following the clearance of former slums and rookeries . Over the course of a century, the East End became synonymous with poverty, overcrowding, disease and criminality. The area
222-515: A decline in work in the docks, and the closure of many traditional industries. The Abercrombie Plan for London (1944) began an exodus from London towards the new towns . This decline began to reverse with the establishment of the London Docklands Development Corporation bringing new industries and housing to the brownfield sites along the river. Also contributing was new immigration from Asia beginning in
296-471: A fresh election. The evidence laid before this court has disclosed an alarming state of affairs in Tower Hamlets. This is not the consequence of the racial and religious mix of the population, nor is it linked to any ascertainable pattern of social or other deprivation. It is the result of the ruthless ambition of one man .. Today's ruling is a victory for honest politics. Rahman and his allies robbed
370-587: A post at the Royal London to work with victims and perpetrators of violence. Like other London Council Leaders, this all took place to a backdrop of massive budget savings, while working to protect services from national funding cuts. As a result of work achieved during Biggs tenure Tower Hamlets London Borough Council won a number of awards and was shortlisted for a number of others, including Biggs lost re-election in 2022 to Rahman and his newly formed Aspire Party by 40,804 (54.90%) to 33,487 (45.10%) votes,
444-588: A religion and 6.9% did not state their religious views. The following table shows the religious identity of residents residing in Tower Hamlets according to the 2001, 2011 and the 2021 censuses. There are 21 active churches, affiliated with the Church of England , which include Christ Church of Spitalfields , St Paul's Church of Shadwell and St Dunstan's of Stepney ; and there are also churches of many other Christian denominations. There are more than 40 mosques and Islamic centres in Tower Hamlets. The most famous
518-613: A result viewed by many as a surprise. Within nine months of Aspire's victory, in February 2023, with the unexpected departure of the longstanding lead official of Tower Hamlets Council , the Chief Executive of the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy raised the prospect that the authorities would once again have to intervene following Lutfur Rahman's mismanagement of the council. Following
592-509: A top-end estate agency recommends that 'extreme luxury' and ultra-modern residential properties are to be found at Canary Riverside, West India Quay, Pan Peninsula and Neo Bankside. Tower Hamlets is the earliest borough where the first skyscrapers were built and since 2014 it saw the completion of over seventy skyscrapers, more than any other place in the UK The End Child Poverty coalition published that Tower Hamlets has
666-642: Is "The Mayor and Burgesses of the London Borough of Tower Hamlets", but it styles itself Tower Hamlets Council. From 1965 until 1986 the council was a lower-tier authority, with upper-tier functions provided by the Greater London Council . The split of powers and functions meant that the Greater London Council was responsible for "wide area" services such as fire, ambulance, flood prevention , and refuse disposal ; with
740-563: Is a borough in London , England. Situated on the north bank of the River Thames and immediately east of the City of London , the borough spans much of the traditional East End of London and includes much of the regenerated London Docklands area. The 2019 mid-year population for the borough is estimated at 324,745. Some of the tallest buildings in London occupy Canary Wharf , one of
814-438: Is a local education authority and is also responsible for council housing , social services, libraries, waste collection and disposal, traffic, and most roads and environmental health. The council has been under Aspire majority control since 2022. The first election was held in 1964, initially operating as a shadow authority alongside the outgoing authorities until it came into its powers on 1 April 1965. Political control of
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#1732773333959888-489: Is a British Labour Co-op politician who was Mayor of Tower Hamlets between 2015 and 2022. Biggs was first elected to Tower Hamlets London Borough Council in 1988 where he served as a Councillor for St Katharine's Ward and later St Dunstan's Ward until 2002. He was selected as Leader of the Labour Group in 1991, and became a Council Leader in 1994 following a landslide election win. In 2000, he successfully ran for
962-680: Is a great place to live. Biggs stood for reelection against Rabina Khan now representing the People's Alliance of Tower Hamlets , a party formed from the rump of Lutfor Rahman's disgraced Tower Hamlets First , and Tower Hamlets Independent Group . Biggs won the election with 44,865 (72.66%) votes to Kahn's 16,878 (27.34%), and his leadership resulted in Labour increasing its number of councillors to 42 out of 45. In his second Mayoral term Biggs, Mayor Biggs committed to investing in additional council funded police officers and youth services, along with
1036-405: Is a sad indictment of the way our country is headed. Having won selection as the Labour candidate for directly elected Mayor of Tower Hamlets , Biggs stood against incumbent Lutfur Rahman in 2014 . Rahman had previously won support from Mayor of London Ken Livingstone. Livingstone reversed his public position after auditors were appointed to investigate allegations of mismanagement and fraud at
1110-580: Is also a major centre of hipster subculture. The earliest reference to the name "Tower Hamlets" was in 1554, when the Council of the Tower of London ordered a muster of "men of the hamlets which owe their service to the tower". This covered a wider area than the present-day borough, and its military relationship with the Tower is thought to have been several centuries earlier than the 1554 record. In 1605,
1184-1011: Is the East London Mosque , one of the first mosques in Britain allowed to broadcast the adhan , and one of the biggest Islamic centres in Europe . The Maryam Centre, a part of the mosque, is the biggest Islamic centre for women in Europe. Opened in 2013, it features a main prayer hall, ameliorated funeral services, education facilities, a fitness centre and support services. The East London Mosque has been visited by several notable people, including Prince Charles , Boris Johnson , many foreign government officials and world-renowned imams and Muslim scholars. Other notable mosques are Brick Lane Mosque , Darul Ummah Masjid, Esha Atul Islam Mosque, Markazi Masjid, Stepney Shahjalal Mosque and Poplar Central Mosque. Other notable religious buildings include
1258-776: The City and East Constituency London Assembly seat. Over the course of a 16-year career in the Assembly he served as a member of the Metropolitan Police Authority , London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority , London Health Commission, Deputy Chair of the London Development Agency , Deputy Chair of the London Thames Gateway Development Corporation , Chair of Transport, Chair of Planning and Spatial Development, Chair of Regeneration, Chair of
1332-856: The Fieldgate Street Great Synagogue , the Congregation of Jacob Synagogue, the London Buddhist Centre , the Hindu Pragati Sangha Temple, and the Gurdwara Sikh Sangat. The Great Synagogue of London , which was destroyed during the Second World War, is located just outside the borough's boundaries, in the City . The borough hosts the world headquarters of many global financial businesses, employing some of
1406-553: The Lieutenant of the Tower was given the right to muster the militia and the area east of the tower came to be a distinct military unit, officially called Tower Hamlets (or the Tower Division) . The Hamlets of the Tower paid taxes for the militia in 1646. The London Borough of Tower Hamlets forms the core of the East End. The population of the area grew enormously in the 19th century, leading to extreme overcrowding and
1480-540: The London County Council . Aerial bombing in World War II devastated much of the East End, with its docks, railways and industry forming a continual target. In the separate boroughs making up today's Tower Hamlets a total of 2,221 civilians were killed and 7,472 were injured, with 46,482 houses destroyed and 47,574 damaged. This led to some dispersal of the population to outlying suburbs. New housing
1554-505: The London Government Act 1963 , with the first election held in 1964 . For its first year the council acted as a shadow authority alongside the area's three outgoing authorities, being the three metropolitan borough councils of Bethnal Green , Poplar and Stepney . The new council formally came into its powers on 1 April 1965, at which point the old boroughs and their councils were abolished. The council's full legal name
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#17327733339591628-596: The Socialist Health Association (1997–2000), and was Deputy Chair of Bow Housing Action Trust (1995–2004). Biggs represented City and East Constituency at City Hall between 2000 and 2016, during the tenures of Ken Livingstone and Boris Johnson. Under Ken Livingstone's, initially independent mayoralty, relationships were frosty due in part to the circumstances of Livingstone's election and his subsequent support for Lutfur Rahman, but improved with time. As Assembly Member between 2000 and 2008 he
1702-724: The Thames Barrier , further east, has reduced that risk. Regent's Canal enters the borough from Hackney to meet the River Thames at Limehouse Basin . A stretch of the Hertford Union Canal leads from the Regent's canal, at a basin in the north of Mile End , to join the River Lea at Old Ford . A further canal, Limehouse Cut , London's oldest, leads from locks at Bromley-by-Bow to Limehouse Basin. Most of
1776-494: The University of Westminster while serving as a Councillor. He served as an elected politician in London, in Tower Hamlets and East London between 1988 and 2022. In his 20s, Biggs worked as a Systems Analyst in the City of London . Later, he was director of the Labour affiliated Socialist Health Association from 1997 to 2000. He is an Honorary Fellow of Queen Mary University (2007) and Birkbeck College (2016). Biggs
1850-553: The 1970s. According to the 2001 UK Census the population of the borough is approximately 196,106. According to the ONS estimate, the population is 237,900, as of 2010. Crime in the borough increased by 3.5% from 2009 to 2010, according to figures from the Metropolitan Police , having decreased by 24% between 2003/04 and 2007/08. Tower Hamlets has one of the smallest White British populations of any local authority in
1924-425: The 2018 election. Rahman's ban on standing for office expired in 2021, allowing him to contest the mayoralty again in 2022. He stood under the banner of a new local party called Aspire. Rahman defeated Biggs for the mayoralty, and Aspire also won a majority of the seats on the council. In February 2023, the chief executive of the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA) said he had concerns about
1998-559: The Assembly, and was succeeded by Unmesh Desai . The fact that anybody, let alone unpaid workers, were forced to sleep under London Bridge is truly scandalous. To make it worse it appears that many of these people were essentially blackmailed into taking unpaid work, otherwise they wouldn't be able to work at the Olympics or would risk losing their benefits. How many of us would accept working unpaid, being forced to sleep outside and not given access to changing rooms or toilets? This incident
2072-472: The East End. This brought the attentions of social reformers during the mid-18th century and led to the formation of unions and workers associations at the end of the century. The radicalism of the East End contributed to the formation of the Labour Party and demands for the enfranchisement of women . Official attempts to address the overcrowded housing began at the beginning of the 20th century under
2146-600: The Labour Party. For the 2019 general election , the borough was split into two constituencies : Due to the 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies , the subsequent general election will see Tower Hamlets elect MPs in three constituencies. These are; The data below were taken between 1971 and 2000 at the weather station in Greenwich , around 1 mile (1.6 km) south of the borough's former town hall, at Mulberry Place : By 1891, Tower Hamlets – roughly
2220-650: The London Assembly Budget Committee, and Chair of the GLA Audit Committee. He was elected Mayor of Tower Hamlets in 2015, and reelected in 2018. In 2007 he was made an Honorary Fellow of Queen Mary University , and of Birkbeck College in 2016. He was educated at Queen Elizabeth's School, Barnet and graduated from the University of Bristol in 1979 having studied chemistry. He then studied Computer Science at Birkbeck College, University of London , and later studied law at
2294-624: The Metropolitan Board of Works' area was made the County of London . From 1856 until 1900 the lower tier of local government within the metropolis comprised various parish vestries and district boards . In 1900 the lower tier was reorganised into metropolitan boroughs , including the Metropolitan Borough of Bethnal Green , the Metropolitan Borough of Poplar and the Metropolitan Borough of Stepney . The modern borough
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2368-674: The Painter , a Latvian anarchist gangster reputedly involved in the Siege of Sidney Street in 1911, whose true identity is not known. Having escaped capture, he had become an anti-hero in the East End . A local councillor and the Metropolitan Police Federation protested against the naming, saying that he should not be honoured. In 2010, following a referendum, the directly elected role of Mayor of Tower Hamlets
2442-479: The United Kingdom. No ethnic group forms a majority of the population; a plurality of residents are white (45%), a little over two thirds of whom are White British. 32% of residents are Bangladeshi , which is the largest ethnic minority group in the borough, with Asians as a whole forming 41% of the population. A smaller proportion are of Black African and Caribbean descent (7%), with Somalis representing
2516-585: The ancient civil parish of Stepney – was already one of the most populated areas in London. Throughout the nineteenth century, the local population increased by an average of 20% every ten years. The building of the docks intensified land use and caused the last marshy areas in the south of the parish to be drained for housing and industry. In the north of the borough, employment was principally in weaving, small household industries like boot and furniture making and new industrial enterprises like Bryant and May . The availability of cheap labour drew in many employers. To
2590-558: The area from Tudor times . The area attracted large numbers of rural people looking for employment. Successive waves of foreign immigration began with Huguenot refugees creating a new extramural suburb in Spitalfields in the 17th century. They were followed by Irish weavers, Ashkenazi Jews and, in the 20th century, Bangladeshis . Many of these immigrants worked in the clothing industry. The abundance of semi- and unskilled labour led to low wages and poor conditions throughout
2664-508: The area of the modern borough, which owed military service to the Tower of London . The local authority is Tower Hamlets London Borough Council . In 2017, a joint study by Trust for London and New Policy Institute found Tower Hamlets to be the 2nd most deprived London borough (after Barking and Dagenham ) based on an average calculated across a range of indicators; with high rates of poverty, child poverty , unemployment and pay inequality compared to other London boroughs. However, it has
2738-466: The borough has one of the lowest proportions of population over the age of 65 or older in England and Wales, at 5.6%. Tower Hamlets is a religious diverse borough with various places of worship . According to the 2021 census, 39.9% of the population was Muslim , 22.3% Christian , 2.0% Hindu , 1.0% Buddhist , 0.4% Jewish , 0.3% Sikh , 0.5% followed some other religion, 26.6% were not affiliated to
2812-564: The borough have high levels of racial segregation . The Times reported in 2006 that 47 per cent of secondary schools were exclusively non-white, and that 33 per cent had a white majority. About 60 per cent of pupils entering primary and secondary school are Bangladeshi. 78% of primary-school pupils speak English as a second language . The council runs several Idea Stores in the borough, which combine traditional library and computer services with other resources, and are designed to attract more diverse members. The flagship Whitechapel store
2886-428: The borough. The London Borough of Tower Hamlets is the local education authority for state schools within the borough. In January 2008, there were 19,890 primary-school pupils and 15,262 secondary-school pupils attending state schools there. Private-school pupils account for 2.4 per cent of schoolchildren in the borough. In 2010, 51.8 per cent of pupils achieved 5 A*–C GCSEs including Mathematics and English –
2960-584: The boroughs (including Tower Hamlets) responsible for "personal" services such as social care, libraries, cemeteries and refuse collection . The Greater London Council was abolished in 1986 and its functions passed to the London Boroughs, with some services provided through joint committees. Tower Hamlets became a local education authority in 1990 when the Inner London Education Authority was dissolved. From 1986 to 1994
3034-606: The canal tow-paths are open to both pedestrians and cyclists. The borough includes open spaces such as Victoria Park , King Edward Memorial Park , Mile End Park , Island Gardens and part of the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park . Areas within the borough include: The Canary Wharf complex within Docklands on the Isle of Dogs forms a group of some of the tallest buildings in Europe . One Canada Square
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3108-560: The concerns caused by Rahman's actions, and successfully having the government directions lifted. His administration was also marked by a commitment to transparency and accountability, the previous Mayor having markedly refused to answer questions publicly or in the Council chamber. "I promised to build in transparency and accountability to my engagement with residents; the Assembly was a new and important step towards delivering this promise. I am committed to engaging with residents, key partners and improving services to ensure that Tower Hamlets
3182-672: The council experimented with decentralisation of services to seven neighbourhood areas. Since 2000 the Greater London Authority has taken some responsibility for highways and planning control from the council, but within the English local government system the council remains a "most purpose" authority in terms of the available range of powers and functions. In 2008 the council named two tower blocks in Sidney Street as 'Peter House' and 'Painter House' after Peter
3256-415: The council since 1965 has been as follows: Prior to 2010, political leadership was provided by the leader of the council , with the role of Mayor of Tower Hamlets at that time being largely ceremonial. The leaders from 1965 to 2010 were: In 2010 the council changed to having directly elected mayors with executive powers. To avoid the confusion of having multiple mayors, the old ceremonial role of mayor
3330-499: The council was first created in 1965, it had been based at the old Bethnal Green Town Hall , which had been built in 1910 for Bethnal Green Borough Council. In 1993 the council moved to a new town hall at Mulberry Place in the Blackwall area of the borough, remaining there until 2023. The councillors before and after the 2022 elections were as follows: London Borough of Tower Hamlets The London Borough of Tower Hamlets
3404-577: The council, but remained privately supportive. Rahman won the Supplementary Vote election in the second round with 37,395 (52.27%) votes to Biggs' 34,143 (47.73%) with a total of 84,234 valid ballots cast. Immediately following the election, four voters challenged the result in the case Erlam v Rahman . In a rare intervention the election court overturned the result, ejecting both Rahman and his election agent from office, barring both from future public office for five years, and forcing
3478-406: The country's largest financial districts, in the south of the borough. A part of the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park is in Tower Hamlets. It was formed in 1965 by merger of the former metropolitan boroughs of Stepney , Poplar , and Bethnal Green . 'Tower Hamlets' was originally an alternative name for the historic Tower Division ; the area of south-east Middlesex , focused on (but not limited to)
3552-554: The east. The River Lea also forms the boundary between the historic counties of Middlesex and Essex . The borough's Thames frontage extends from the Tower Dock inlet, immediately west of the Tower of London , through several miles of former docklands, including the Isle of Dogs peninsula, to the confluence of the Thames and Lea at Blackwall . Areas along the Thames and Lea flood plains were historically frequently flooded, but
3626-399: The elected mayor plus 45 councillors , representing 20 wards , with each ward electing one, two or three councillors. Elections are held for the mayor and councillors together every four years. The council is based at Tower Hamlets Town Hall at 160 Whitechapel Road, which was completed in 2023 behind the retained façade of the old Royal London Hospital , which had been built in 1757. When
3700-455: The election court judgement in 2015. The final government direction was lifted in 2017. Following the verdict in Erlam v Rahman a by-election was held on 11 June 2015 . Biggs stood against an independent candidate Rabina Khan , who was endorsed by the disqualified Rahman. Biggs beat Khan with 32,754 (55.39%) votes to her 26,384 (44.61%). His first term in office was dominated by addressing
3774-559: The former Royal Mint building in East Smithfield . The local authority is Tower Hamlets Council, based at Tower Hamlets Town Hall on Whitechapel Road . Since 2010 the council has been led by the directly elected Mayor of Tower Hamlets . Since 2000, the borough lies within the City and East constituency, one of fourteen constituencies which make up the London Assembly , and is represented by Unmesh Desai of
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#17327733339593848-509: The highest paid workers in London, but also has high rates of long-term illness and premature death and the 2nd highest unemployment rate in London. Canary Wharf is home to the many of the world and European headquarters of numerous major banks and professional services firms including Barclays , Citigroup , Clifford Chance , Credit Suisse , Infosys , Fitch Ratings , HSBC , J.P. Morgan , KPMG , MetLife , Morgan Stanley , RBC , Skadden , State Street and Thomson Reuters . Savills ,
3922-452: The highest proportion of Muslims of any English local authority and was the only location where Muslims outnumbered Christians . The borough has more than 40 mosques, Islamic centres and madrasahs , including the East London Mosque , Britain's largest. Whitechapel and Brick Lane 's restaurants, neighbouring street market and shops provide the largest range of Bangladeshi cuisine , woodwork, carpets and clothes in Europe. The Lane
3996-880: The highest proportion of children in poverty of any local authority in the UK at 49% (and as high as 54.5% in the Bethnal Green South ward). Surveys and interviews conducted by the Child Poverty Action group for the council found that the Universal Credit system was deeply unpopular with low-income families in the borough and that most claimants who have used the system found it difficult to understand and experienced frequent payment errors. The East London Advertiser and Social Streets provide local news in print and online. There are also several Bengali print and online newspapers published in
4070-546: The highest results in the borough's history – compared to the national average of 53.4 per cent. Seventy-four per cent achieved 5 A*–C GCSEs for all subjects (the same as the English average); the figure in 1997 was 26 per cent. The percentage of pupils on free school meals in the borough is the highest in England and Wales . In 2007, the council rejected proposals to build a Goldman Sachs -sponsored academy . Schools in
4144-444: The lowest gap for educational outcomes at secondary level. Tower Hamlets is the first London borough in which the earliest skyscrapers were built, and since 2014 it saw the completion of 71 skyscrapers, more than any other place in the country. Demographically, Tower Hamlets has a large population of British Bangladeshis , forming the largest single ethnic group in the borough at 32%. The 2011 census showed Tower Hamlets to have
4218-645: The management of the council under Aspire and believed that government intervention may be necessary. The local authority derives its powers and functions from the London Government Act 1963 and subsequent legislation, and has the powers and functions of a London borough council. It sets council tax and as a billing authority also collects precepts for Greater London Authority functions and business rates. It sets planning policies which complement Greater London Authority and national policies, and decides on almost all planning applications accordingly. It
4292-428: The people of Tower Hamlets of the free and fair mayoral election they deserved and betrayed everyone in our community who trusted and voted for him, by setting out to break the rules and going to extraordinary lengths to win. In 2014 Rahman's actions while in office led to government appointed commissioners being brought in to the council to review its grant making practices. Further investigations were ordered following
4366-556: The population growth. This migration peaked at the end of that century and population growth entered a long decline through to the 1960s, as people moved away eastwards to newer suburbs of London and Essex . The area's population had neared 600,000 around the end of the nineteenth century, but fell to a low of less than 140,000 by the early 1980s. The metropolitan boroughs suffered very badly during World War II , during which considerable numbers of houses were destroyed or damaged beyond use due to heavy aerial bombing . This coincided with
4440-401: The second-largest minority ethnic group. Those of mixed ethnic backgrounds form 4%, while other ethnic groups form 2%. The White British proportion was recorded as 31.2% in the 2011 UK Census, a decrease from 42.9% in 2001. In 2018, Tower Hamlets had the lowest life expectancy and the highest rate of heart disease of all London boroughs, along with Newham . The 2021 census found that
4514-427: The south, employment was in the docks and related industries – such as chandlery and rope making. By the middle of the nineteenth century, the district now recognised as Tower Hamlets was characterised by overcrowding and poverty. The construction of the railways caused many more displaced people to settle in the area, and a massive influx of Eastern European Jews at the latter part of the nineteenth century added to
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#17327733339594588-543: The worst poverty in Britain. The area of the modern borough had historically been part of the hundred of Ossulstone in county of Middlesex . Ossulstone was subsequently divided into four divisions, one of which was the Tower Division , also known as the Tower Hamlets, which covered a larger area than the modern borough, also including parts of Hackney . From at least the 17th century the Tower Division
4662-534: Was a liberty with judicial and administrative independence from the rest of the county. The liberty appears to have arisen from much older obligations on inhabitants of the area to provide military service to the Constable of the Tower of London . From 1856 the area was governed by the Metropolitan Board of Works , which was established to provide services across the metropolis of London. In 1889
4736-613: Was a witty and bitter critic although the men developed a strange if challenging rapport. Aside from challenging the Mayor in debate he was for 7 years Chair of the London Assembly Budget Committee . He was also Chair of the GLA Audit Committee , which among other matters considered issues of conduct including of the Mayor. Upon his election as Mayor of Tower Hamlets in 2016 he stood down from
4810-401: Was also barred from standing for elected office until 2021. The police subsequently carried out an investigation into whether criminal charges should be brought against anyone involved regarding the electoral fraud, but concluded that there was insufficient evidence to do so. Labour's John Biggs won the subsequent mayoral by-election following Rahman's removal in 2015, and retained the post at
4884-565: Was appointed Deputy Chairman of the London Development Agency (2004–2008) and served on the Metropolitan Police Authority (2000–2003), London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority and the London Health Commission. He was appointed by Government as Deputy Chair of the London Thames Gateway Development Corporation (2004–2008). Within the Assembly, he was variously Chair of Transport, Chair of Planning and Spatial Development, and Chair of Regeneration. Under Boris Johnson he
4958-510: Was built in the 1950s for those that remained. The closure of the last of the East End docks in the Port of London in 1980 created further challenges and led to attempts at regeneration and the formation of the London Docklands Development Corporation . The Canary Wharf development, improved infrastructure, and the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park mean that the East End is undergoing further change, but some of its districts continue to see some of
5032-535: Was created in 1965 under the London Government Act 1963 . It was a merger of the old boroughs of Bethnal Green, Poplar and Stepney, and was named Tower Hamlets after the historic liberty. Tower Hamlets is in East London, north of the River Thames . The City of London lies to the west, the London Borough of Hackney to the north, while the River Lea forms the boundary with the London Borough of Newham to
5106-457: Was created to serve as the council's political leader. Lutfur Rahman was elected as the first such mayor. He was re-elected in 2014, but the result of that election was declared void the following year in the case of Erlam v Rahman at the Election Court , which reported Rahman and one of the councillors to be guilty of electoral fraud under the Representation of the People Act 1983 . He was thus removed from his office with immediate effect and
5180-445: Was designed by David Adjaye , and cost £16 million to build. Mile End Stadium within Mile End Park hosts an athletics stadium and facilities for football and basketball . Two football clubs, Tower Hamlets F.C. (formerly Bethnal Green United) and Sporting Bengal United F.C. , are based there, playing in the Essex Senior Football League . John Biggs (London politician) John Robert Biggs (born 19 November 1957)
5254-579: Was elected to Tower Hamlets London Borough Council in 1988, first as councillor for St Katharine's Ward, and Later St Dunstan's Ward until 2002. He was selected as the Labour Group leader in 1991, during the period the council was Liberal Democrat controlled (1986–1994). He led Labour to a landslide victory in 1994 , leading the campaign to remove the UK's first BNP councillor, and the populist but discredited Liberal Democrat administration. After standing down as leader in 1995, he remained an active councillor but also attended Law School, served as Director of
5328-619: Was once characterised by rural settlements clustered around the City walls or along the main roads, surrounded by farmland, with marshes and small communities by the River, serving the needs of shipping and the Royal Navy . Until the arrival of formal docks, shipping was required to land goods in the Pool of London , but industries related to construction, repair, and victualling of ships flourished in
5402-415: Was renamed as the chair, and was renamed again in 2011 as the speaker . The elected mayors since 2010 have been: Following the 2022 election and subsequent changes of allegiance, the composition of the council (excluding the elected mayor's seat) is: The next election is due 7 May 2026, where all seats of the council will be contested. Since the last boundary changes in 2014, the council has comprised
5476-528: Was the first to be constructed and is the third tallest in London. Nearby are the HSBC Tower , Citigroup Centres and One Churchill Place , headquarters of Barclays Bank . Within the same complex are the Heron Quays offices. Part of the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park , developed for the London 2012 Olympics , lies within the borders of Tower Hamlets. The Embassy of China in London will move into
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