This from The Jewish Chronicle:

A veteran anti-Israel campaigner has been convicted of slapping a Jewish man during a protest last summer.

Carole Swords, chairman of the Tower Hamlets Respect Party and Viva Palestina supporter, attacked Harvey Garfield as he attempted to defend Israeli products from potential vandalism by protesters.

Swords, of Bow, east London, entered a Tesco store in Covent Garden on the afternoon of August 13 last year after attending an anti-Israel demonstration outside the nearby Ahava cosmetics store.

Volunteer Mr Garfield was at the supermarket helping staff protect Israeli products from potential acts of vandalism by the protesters.

On trial at City of London Magistrates Court on Thursday, 59-year-old Swords claimed Mr Garfield had harassed and attacked her as she entered the store to buy a drink.

But magistrates viewed CCTV footage of the incident and agreed with the prosecution’s case that Swords used “threatening and abusive words or behaviour to cause harassment”.

The court heard how she told Mr Garfield “don’t you ****ing follow me” before turning around and landing the blow, knocking his spectacles to the floor.

Swords, whose mother was from a Russian Jewish family, was found guilty on one charge of a public order offence and given a conditional discharge. She must also pay court costs of £250.

I like Carole. But she does have a temper.

The amounts are quite mind-boggling and as another commenter, “You couldn’t make it up!”, also noted on the last post, they raise serious questions about who signed them off and why.

Clearly, these could not have been ordinary black cabs the Speaker was taking to events such as the “Sultanate of Oman’s National Day reception in west London” on November 18 (cost £128.10), or to a “Citizenship ceremony in Hampton Court” on October 25 (cost £258.80); or to a “Reception for the Ethiopian Ambassador in Redbridge” on October 31 (cost £146.69); or even to the “Speaker of Hackney’s Charity Event in Mare Street” five miles away from the Tower Hamlets Town Hall on September 28 (cost £145.80).

And not even to the “Mayor of Brent’s Charity Tour of Wembley Stadium” on September 22 at a cost of £205…

Surely not? So what kind of cars cost that? Why was the meter left running?

Some of these events suggest there is some kind of cross-borough ceremonial mayoral racket going on with taxpayers picking up the tab.

Perhaps we should all fork out for a new vehicle for Mizan that would safely allow him to carry his chains. Here’s an idea:

They’re outside Thames Magistrates’ Court every day…

In the meantime, download the full details of the claims here:

As Ross Lydall reports:

The ceremonial head of Tower Hamlets has gone to war with the borough’s top politician after running up a £9,000 taxi bill.

Mizan Chaudhury, who is the council’s independent “speaker”, says he has been forced to take minicabs after directly-elected mayor Lutfur Rahman scrapped his official car.

He claims this puts him at risk of being robbed while wearing his diamond-encrusted ceremonial chain and has made him a laughing stock among other mayors who ask whether he has come by bus.

Figures seen by the Standard show that Mr Chaudhury, 35, spent £3,913 on taxis in four months attending engagements across London.

He also took Addison Lee minicabs to two events in Birmingham, costing £845 and £875 respectively.

The total bill since the Labour councillor became ceremonial mayor in May – the job was renamed speaker in November – was £8,972, including the cost of a chauffeur-driven Chrysler between May and September.

But Mr Chaudhury told the Standard he was the victim of a plot by Mr Rahman, elected an independent after being ousted by the Labour party, to discredit him.

Mr Chaudhury said: “Lutfur had his own taxi bill and he wanted me to exceed that. The way he did it was to remove the car I had, which we were paying £600 a month for.

“It was all a set-up. It was never to save money. It was to undermine the civic office.”Every other borough has a civic car. I go to events and don’t get the same respect because I’m not using the borough crest because I don’t have an official car. It’s become the talk of every event I go to. People joke: ‘Did you not take the bus today?’”

Mr Chaudhury claimed that Mr Rahman had also evicted him from the mayor’s parlour so he could claim it as his own office.

Mr Rahman attracted controversy last year when it emerged he had leased a £1,500-a-month chauffeur-driven Mercedes to take him to meetings rather than taking the Tube.

The borough of Tower Hamlets is one of the most deprived in the country.

A council spokesman said: “As part of the efficiency drive at Tower Hamlets we have sought to support councillors in discharging their duties in a cost effective manner.

“As such the speaker of the council was offered the use of a Toyota Prius to conduct his civic and ceremonial duties.

“This offer was declined and instead the Speaker chose to use more expensive taxi transport.”

I don’t know when the next cage-fighting event is on at The Troxy, but these two clowns should just battle it out there. As I’ve said before, Lutfur’s decision to strip the Speaker of his dignity and his car was lamentable, particularly when he is busy self-aggrandising leasing his own Mercedes Lutfurmobile. His was a silly childish act that belongs in the primary school playground.

At the same time, Labour leader Josh Peck needs to have a word with Mizan about how to play politics, how to keep the moral high ground; it seems his temper and his ego has got the better of him.

There can be no event that is worth a £900 taxi bill to Birmingham. What was that event? He needs to understand that it is not his money that he is playing hard and fast with, but ours. I’m sure it must be an ambition of his to run a cabinet portfolio one day, but this kind of spendthrift mentality reflects poorly on him and his party.

If I were him, I’d repay those large taxi fares from the Speaker’s special responsibility allowance, ie the extra £8,400 he gets for wearing the chain.

Together, Mizan and Lutfur have reinforced the reputation of Tower Hamlets as a laughing stock, not a clever thing to do when the borough is trying to persuade the Queen to confer it city status.

Shelina Akhtar: Will The Truth Emerge?

Here’s the full story from the East London Advertiser, which ran an excellent front page editorial last Thursday calling for her to go (let’s see if they dress this up as their victory tomorrow…).

The mayor of Tower Hamlets has demanded a councillor convicted of benefit fraud earlier this month resign from her position immediately.

Despite counting independent Cllr Shelina Akhtar among his circle of supporters since she defected from the Labour party to work with him, Lutfur Rahman finally heeded calls from the opposition to take a tough stance in his condemnation of her.

He announced yesterday he had “asked her to resign as well as to return the benefit overpayment.”

He added: “The council takes a tough stance against the misuse of public funds.”

Cllr Akhtar admitted three counts of dishonestly failing to notify a change of circumstances when claiming housing and Council Tax benefit for a property in Blackwall Way, Poplar at Snaresbrook Crown Court on January 9.

She was convicted of similar offences in July 2010.

Immediately after her recent admission, Cllr Josh Peck and Cllr Peter Golds, leaders of Tower Hamlets Labour and Conservative parties respectively, called on the mayor to demand she quits.

Meanwhile as the mayor’s announcement came in, politicians accused the town hall’s standards committee of ineffectiveness after it insisted it is powerless to suspend Akhtar.

A council spokesman confirmed the councillor has been reported to its internal standards team but said because she is not due to be sentenced until February 6 the case is officially still waiting conclusion and it cannot take action.

This means Akhtar, who represents Spitalfields and Banglatown ward, is still free to claim her councillor’s expenses and vote on decisions.

Cllr Golds said: “Why has she not been put before standards? It puts the whole system into disrepute. People are incensed.”

Just a few weeks ago Labour Cllr Helal Abbas was suspended for complaining about the conduct of a council officer.

Mr Peck said there appeared to be an “unevenness” in the way his case was dealt with in comparison to Cllr Akhtar’s.

The council spokesman said that because Akhtar is an independent she “is not subject to the rules of any political party or group.”

He added: “Constitutionally the mayor has no power to force Cllr Akhtar’s resignation.”

Despite continued attempts to contact Akhtar, the Advertiser has not been able to get a response from her.

Students attending a debate about sharia law were told they would be “hunted down and killed” by a man who burst into their lecture theatre and filmed them on his phone.

John Williams, the council’s head of democratic services, seems to have said that all is OK apart from the call to suspend her, an action he appears to have said is not currently possible. The full text of Peter’s subsequent letter to legal head Isabella Freeman is copied below. It will be interesting to see if this motion is brought forward in the agenda on the 25th so that debate is guaranteed; equally, it will be fascinating to see how Mayor Lutfur Rahman’s band of independents vote. Who knows, Shelina herself may even turn up (if she’s not sick of course….).

Here’s the letter:

Dear Ms Freeman

Re: Shelina Akhtar (Aktar)

I am writing with regard to the motion to council submitted by myself and Cllr Archer on behalf of our group. Mr Williams has spoken to me and I have agreed an amendment, merely calling for this corrupt and disgraced individual to resign her membership of this council as I was told that as a council “we cannot suspend her”.

Shelina Akhtar was elected Labour councillor for the Spitalfields and Banglatown ward in May 2010 giving her address as Toynbee Street, E1. During April 2010, after her selection, the number of electors at Toynbee Street increased and subsequently all voted in the election.

Following her election she demanded that her name be changed on council records to Shelina Aktar and quickly left the Labour Party, joining the Independent group supporting the candidature of Cllr Lutfur Rahman as Executive Mayor.

In July 2010 Shelina Akhtar of Blackwall Way, E14 was convicted on three counts of benefit fraud. Of course, had anybody merely researched the name Shelina Akhtar she would might have escaped public scrutiny as she had insisted all entries on her regarding council information be changed to Aktar. Luckily for the public this ruse failed. 

In April 2011 she was charged on three counts of failing to notify a change of circumstances, which would have affected her entitlement to benefit.

Shelina Akhtar of Blackwall Way is the same Shelina Aktar of Toynbee Street. She currently appears to occupy two properties. In one case receiving a councillor’s allowance and in the other being convicted for fraud, whilst varying the name to, hopefully, prevent discovery.

In January 2012 she pleaded guilty to further charges of benefit fraud and is awaiting sentence.

She has without a shadow of doubt, brought this authority into disrepute.

I am therefore surprised that our existing Standards process has made no recommendation about her position. They currently have the power to suspend her membership of this council, indeed a councillor has recently been suspended for reasons which seem, somewhat arcane. I know for fact that there are at least five current investigations being undertaken by Standards which are vexatious and driven by malice on the part of councillors from the Independent members of whom Shelina Akhtar (Aktar) has been an active member as late as December 2011, attending Mayoral engagements and “group” meetings on a monthly basis.

The fact that she has been found guilty on two occasions (the first within two months of being elected) should have ensured that the Standards Committee met and considered her situation.

There are concerns amongst councillors and residents that her position will be supported to provide a prop for the Mayor in the budget process. How will this show Tower Hamlets if the Mayoral budget is approved on the vote of a convicted benefit fraudster?

She is convicted. This information is public; surely the Standards Committee could meet and take action before January 25th. After all they cannot change the verdict as she admitted a plea of guilty. They have also had eighteen months from the first conviction to consider her bringing the council into disrepute.

One reason the Standards regime has been fallen into disrepute nationally are the number of simply vexatious complaints which have seen councillors suspended for misplaced remarks or foolish “tweets”. Here we have a law breaker, who now appears to be permitted to take part in the budget process of an elective body spending over £1billion of public money.

In any other body, she would have been suspended. Why not here?

Yours sincerely

(Cllr) Peter Golds

Motion on Cllr Shelina Aktar (AKA Shelina Akhtar)

Proposer: Cllr Peter Golds

Seconder: Cllr Tim Archer

This Council Notes:

• That incidents of fraud and dishonesty in public life in the United Kingdom are relatively rare and that when proven both political parties and the relevant body, whether it be national or local take appropriate action, as was seen in the recent expenses scandal where all parties suspended recalcitrant members.
• That Councillor Shelina Aktar, who as a matter of record altered the spelling of her name following her election to the council in 2010, was in July 2010 convicted of benefit fraud, under the name of Shelina Akhtar.
• In January 2012 she pleaded guilty to further fraud and is to be sentenced in February 2012.

This Council Believes:

• That it is wrong for such a person to vote on matters that would affect the lives and well being of the overwhelmingly law abiding citizens of this borough.
• That according to time sheets and other information, that Cllr Aktar is a regular attendee of group meetings involving the Independent mayoral supporting members and regularly attends “mayoral engagements” including six hours of such engagements in December 2011.

This Council Resolves:

• To suspend the membership of Cllr Aktar for this meeting and all other meetings until she is sentenced and further consideration of appropriate action can be made in light of the judicial sentence.
• To call upon the Mayor to disassociate himself from Cllr Aktar and confirm publicly that she will not be invited to join him on further “mayoral engagements”.

For the record, the Tories have also submitted the following questions for the Members’ question time section:

Cllr Peter Golds

Does the Mayor support the government’s announcement that it will seek to criminalise sub-letting of socially rented property?

Cllr Zara Davis

Why has the Mayor ignored the motion agreed by Full Council in September 2011, which resolved that “Sir John McDougal Gardens, Millwall Park and Island Gardens will remain solely for the use of residents and community groups for the purposes of recreation, leisure and sports?”

Cllr David Snowdon

Will the Mayor please outline what measures he is taking to promote the teaching of history in Tower Hamlets schools?

Cllr Gloria Thienel

Considering the rising incidents of metal theft from public memorials; how many incidents of metal theft from a public memorial in Tower Hamlets has taken place in the last year, will the Mayor please inform the Council what measures he has taken to ensure that war memorials are protected in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets?

Cllr Craig Aston

Will the Mayor provide an update on energy efficiency in the Town Hall building?

Cllr Tim Archer

Will the Mayor provide an update on the progress of the motion agreed by full council on 15 September 2010, to bring the Henry Moore statue back to the borough and explain to the council  why this is taking so long, what meetings/discussions have taken place and will the statue be back in time for the Olympics?

Cllr Dr Emma Jones

How many people sacked from Tower Hamlets employment have accidentally continued to be paid in the past year?

The Tories have also submitted the following other motions:

Education in Tower Hamlets

Proposer: Cllr Zara Davis

Seconder: Cllr Dr Emma Jones

This Council notes:

• That the Secretary of State for Education has recently approved the creation of three new free schools in Tower Hamlets which will be run by The Constable Education Trust, the Wapping and Shadwell Secondary Education Trust and City Gateway, all of which will open free schools in September 2012
• That the severe shortage of school places in Tower Hamlets is such that:
  • According to the borough’s own projections, at primary school level an additional 16 form entries are required in Tower Hamlets primary schools between the academic year 2011/12 and 2012/13 to cope with the projected increase in population in the borough[1]
  • At secondary school level, the number of students will increase from 12,987 (2009/10 roll number) to 16,314 by 2020, thereby requiring an additional 110 form entries.[2]
  • It is already the case that for 301 children in Tower Hamlets, the nearest school available to them is so far away that the Council has to provide them with Home-School transport. [3]
  • The number of children requiring Home-School transport on distance grounds has trebled in the last two years, and it is forecasted to increase to 500 pupils in the next three years.[4]

This Council believes:

• That giving schools independence helps to raise standards, as recognised by a recent OECD report which states: “where schools have greater autonomy over what is taught and how students are assessed, students tend to perform better”[5]
• That free schools will therefore help to raise standards in Tower Hamlets, both in the free schools themselves as well as in neighbouring schools which will be spurred on to achieve higher standards
• That free schools will increase the choice available to parents and pupils, with the three new free schools in Tower Hamlets going far beyond the National Curriculum, e.g. the Constable Education Trust Primary School with modern foreign languages; Wapping High will offer an extended school day with 34 hours of teaching a week and the opportunity for a variety of enrichment activities etc.
• That free schools will also help to alleviate some of the pressure on school places in Tower Hamlets

Therefore, this Council resolves:

• To welcome and support the creation of free schools in Tower Hamlets, which will be attended by hundreds of pupils from our borough
• To actively co-operate with and support free schools on matters such as finding premises.

 

Troubled Families

Proposer: Cllr Tim Archer

Seconder: Cllr David Snowdon

This Council Notes:

• The Coalition Government plans to deal with Troubled Families is a much welcomed step in the right direction.
• Currently the government spends £9 billion a year on Troubled Families, with only £1 billion a year going to turning Troubled Families around.
• Each Troubled Family costs £75,000 a year.
• The London Borough of Tower Hamlets has 1,120 Troubled Families, the highest of any London Borough.
• This means £84 million is spent each year on Troubled Families in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets.

This Council Believes:

•  The creation of a new Troubled Families team at the Department for Communities and Local Government.

This Council Resolves:

• To support the setting up of a national network of Troubled Families ‘Trouble Shooters’.
• To work with the Coalition government on this plan and to start to turn around the lives of London Borough of Tower Hamlets residents who live in Troubled Families.

Here it is:

Everyone who represents the interests of this community must abide by the highest standards of personal conduct in public life. The council has procedures to follow and I understand that it will await the outcome of the sentencing before deciding what if any further steps it will take against the councillor concerned.

Interestingly, sentencing for Akhtar’s latest crime is on February 6. If that is delayed, or if she receives a sentence that is less than that required to see her automatically disqualified from Tower Hamlets Council, she will be free to vote at the crucial council meeting on February 22 when Lutfur will need all the support he can muster to see his spending plans approved.

Again, if she receives a jail term, which is very possible, I fully expect Lutfur to ask her to stand down. Of course, it’s still up to her…

In the meantime, the council has put out a separate statement:

The course of action open to the council depends in part on the outcome of the sentencing hearing and any appeal. The Local Government Act 1972 (section 80) states that councillors sentenced to a three month custodial sentence or more automatically lose their seat.

And in the background, Tory group leader Peter Golds has been asking Swan Housing what action they will take against their criminal social housing tenant.

Here is what Swan told me:

We are aware of the judgment relating to Councillor Aktar and are considering its implications. However, issues relating to the tenancy agreements that exist between Swan and its tenants are confidential and we are not able to discuss these publicly.

For immediate use

Labour Party Leader, Rt Hon Ed Miliband MP, joins Bethnal Green and Bow MP, Rushanara Ali, on visit to Bethnal Green Academy

Leader of the Labour Party, Rt Hon Ed Miliband MP and Rushanara Ali MP visited Bethnal Green Academy this morning to talk to teachers, staff and students.  They discussed the Shoreditch Citizens’ campaign for a Living Wage, opportunities for young people in Tower Hamlets, and the challenges facing schools and colleges in Tower Hamlets and across the country.

This morning, Rushanara Ali MP, spoke to BBC London about the latest child poverty figures released by the End Child Poverty Campaign, which showed that Bethnal Green and Bow has the highest child poverty figures in the country at 51%.

Rushanara Ali said: “On the day it was announced that Tower Hamlets is suffering the most severe levels of child poverty in the country, both Ed Miliband and I were highly encouraged by the ideas and enthusiasm of local people working and studying at the Bethnal Green Academy.

“Ed has consistently pressed the Conservative-led Coalition on the important issues of opportunities for young people and the squeezed living standards of hard working families.  Our visit to the Bethnal Green Academy has covered extremely positive ground, and I was pleased that we were able to talk about solutions such as the Living Wage campaign and investing in the futures of our young people to ensure we don’t create a lost generation of talented young people.”

Speaking to BBC London about the latest child poverty figures, Rushanara Ali said:

“These figures are very disappointing.  Under the last Labour Government, we reduced child poverty by almost 1 million.  Labour put in measures to tackle child poverty, but now it is creeping back.  It is not acceptable that a generation of children are going to be condemned to poverty because of this government’s policies.  David Cameron’s constituency has 7% child poverty, Nick Clegg’s has 5%, but Bethnal Green and Bow has 51%.  My constituency epitomises this Government’s failure, they are not taking the actions needed to tackle child poverty.  The Government needs to take responsibility and business needs to take responsibility.  This is a call to arms to the business community to work with me to alleviate child poverty in Bethnal Green and Bow.”

Well, at least Ed doesn’t look “too ugly” there, at least.