Aspire Party Loses Majority on Tower Hamlets Council Following Resignations

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The political landscape in Tower Hamlets has shifted as the Aspire Party finds itself in a minority on the council after several councillors resigned from the party. This reduction from 24 to 21 councillors means Aspire no longer holds a majority, with 23 needed for control. However, due to Tower Hamlets’ Executive Mayor model of governance, this change may have limited practical impact on day-to-day operations.

In this system, the Executive Mayor wields most of the power, meaning councillors have relatively little influence. While they can vote on key issues like the Mayor’s budget — needing a two-thirds majority to block it — their other responsibilities, such as chairing committees and making decisions on planning and licensing, are more procedural. Nevertheless, these roles can offer significant financial perks due to additional allowances.

The Aspire Party’s majority once allowed them to chair every committee on the council, which was a lucrative arrangement for many councillors. But with the party losing three members, who remain as councillors but have resigned from the party, Aspire’s control over committee leadership is now in question. Labour, which also saw a drop in numbers from 19 to 17 after two resignations, could, in theory, now seek to chair key committees if they gain the support of the growing number of ungrouped councillors. The ungrouped faction has swelled to seven, with one Conservative, one Green, and five independent councillors – four of whom left their parties recently. However, without forming official groups, their influence remains limited.

The three Aspire councillors who resigned appear to have done so over policy disagreements, particularly the council’s 90-minute travel policy for social housing allocations, according to Cllr Ohid Ahmed’s statement. Cllr Sabina Akhtar, who left Labour, cited dissatisfaction with the national Labour government, though the reasons for other departures remain unclear.

The resignations bring fresh uncertainty to Tower Hamlets Council, but the overall structure of governance is unlikely to change. Aspire’s loss of majority may open the door for Labour and ungrouped councillors to negotiate over committee leadership roles, particularly those that oversee Audit and the Overview and Scrutiny Committee. Many argue that these key committees should be chaired by opposition members to ensure tougher scrutiny of council decisions, much like how Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee operates.

In the coming weeks, discussions and strategic alignments are expected as councillors seek to assert their influence within the limited powers they hold. Despite the shifts in party numbers, the Executive Mayor’s authority remains firmly in place, leaving Tower Hamlets’ councillors with fewer direct avenues to effect major change but plenty of room for political negotiations.