Tower Hamlets Council Committee Reviews Councillor Conduct and Attendance
Tower Hamlets Council's Standards Advisory Committee convened on Thursday, 10 July 2025, to review councillor attendance records, the code of conduct, and updates on complaints. These discussions form part of the committee's ongoing efforts to maintain high ethical standards within the council.
Councillor Attendance
The Member Attendance Update 2024-25 was a key item on the agenda. The report provided an overview of councillor and co-optee attendance at formal council and committee meetings. Section 85(1) of the Local Government Act 1972 mandates that councillors attend at least one council meeting within a six-month period to avoid disqualification.
Code of Conduct and Complaints
The committee received a Report on Members' Code of Conduct Matters, which detailed complaints and investigations related to alleged breaches of the council's code of conduct. The report included data from 1 May 2024, to 11 June 2025. Since the last update on 3 April 2025, there had been 11 new complaints of alleged breaches. Nine of these complaints were made before 30 April 2025, and two have been made since 1 May 2025.
Register of Interests, Gifts and Hospitality
The committee reviewed the Register of Interests and Gifts and Hospitality Quarterly Update. According to the report, Councillors Nathalie Bienfait and Abdi Mohamed declared the acceptance of two free tickets each to the LIDO festival from AEG Europe, each with an estimated value of £246. These declarations were received between 1 April and 30 June.
Political Mentoring Programme
The committee also discussed the Standards Advisory Committee and the Continuous Improvement Plan (CIP). A key component of the CIP is a political mentoring programme, identified as an early delivery priority. This programme aims to improve political understanding, capacity, and debate, as well as to foster better relationships between politicians and officers. It is designed to address issues such as a lack of trust and respect between political parties, and a 'toxic' culture. Government envoys have emphasised that the outcomes of the political mentoring project must be co-designed with elected members.
Annual Report to Council
The committee considered the Standards Advisory Committee Annual Report to Council, which outlines the committee's work and activities over the past year and highlights issues for the council's consideration. Key areas of business considered during the year included:
- Code of Conduct for Members – Complaint Monitoring
- Dispensations
- Gifts & Hospitality
- Sensitive Interests
- Member Attendance
- Terms of Reference
- LGA Best Practice Guidance for Standards Committees and Government Consultation on Local Government Standards Framework
- Member Learning and Development Programme and the LGA Charter Mark
- Annual review of the Code of Conduct
- Effectiveness of the Standards Advisory Committee
- Response to LGA Peer Review Actions
- Standards in Public Life web page
Dispensations under the Localism Act
Finally, the committee received a Report on Dispensations under Section 33 of the Localism Act 2011, providing an update on dispensations granted by the Monitoring Officer regarding disclosable pecuniary interests (DPIs). The report noted that no specific dispensations were granted at meetings since the last report in June 2024. However, a continuing general dispensation remains in place for all councillors for their current four-year term. This allows them to be present, speak, and vote on matters where they would otherwise have a DPI in the following areas:
- Housing: where the councillor (or spouse or partner) holds a tenancy or lease with the council, as long as the matter does not relate to the particular tenancy or lease of the councillor (their spouse or partner).
- Council Tax: setting the council tax or a precept.
- Determining an allowance, travelling expense, payment or indemnity for councillors.
- Council officer pay where this impacts on member allowances.
