Tower Hamlets Council has officially appointed political advisors to support its three main political groups. The decision was made during the Council's annual meeting on Wednesday, May 20, 2026.
An amendment proposed by Councillor Abdullah to appoint a full-time political advisor to the Green and Labour parties was put to a vote and subsequently fell. Following this, the recommendation in the report to approve the appointment of political advisors to the three groups was carried.
The Council's constitution outlines the framework for such appointments, with specific regulations governing the process. The Local Government and Housing Act 1989 details the criteria for political groups to qualify for assistance from political advisors. Tower Hamlets has previously appointed political advisors during successive administrations, with allocations made to larger groups and part-time roles for smaller groups.
The political composition of the authority following the May 2026 elections is: the Aspire Group with the Mayor and 33 councillors, the Green Group with 5 councillors, the Labour Group with 5 councillors, and 2 ungrouped councillors (Conservative and Liberal Democrats).
The Council agreed to appoint one full-time equivalent (FTE) political advisor to the Aspire Group, and two 0.5 FTE political advisors to the Green and Labour Groups. The relevant staffing budget will be adjusted accordingly to cover the costs associated with these appointments.
