There has been huge domestic and international interest in our decision to sell a much loved Henry Moore sculpture, 'Old Flo', that our borough bought many years ago - it wasn't donated to us as press reports have erroneously claimed.

We are not the first authority to explore raising much...

This week, Giles Fraser, my Deputy Ohid Ahmed and I launched the new Tower Hamlets Fairness Commission in the famous surrounds of Toynbee Hall in London's East End. As someone committed to social justice and the role of the state in helping to fashion it, this feels like a crucial...

This Saturday, the TUC is expecting hundreds of thousands to answer it's call and march through central London, demanding an end to cuts and austerity and for a future 'that works'. I will be joining that mass demonstration, as I expect will many from right across the east end of...

When David Cameron and George Osborne first coined the phrase "We are all in it together", I started counting the spoons. The idea that these multi-millionaire ex-Etonians, both of who have no experience of life at the sharp end should speak in such a glib manner was shocking enough. That...

We welcomed the Olympics in Tower Hamlets, despite our concerns about its over commercialisation. After the opening ceremony - and its close where we paid especial tribute to the role of the armed services - I hope that the Games' legacy reflects Danny Boyle's exhilarating opening. His evocation of the...

It is not often that I agree with the Daily Telegraph, but I definitely share its indignation at the treatment meted out to Commonwealth citizens who have been refused UK citizenship after serving in our armed forces.

The newspaper recently cited the case of Lance-Corporal Bale Baleiwai, a Fijian,with...

When I first decided to go into local politics, rather than continue in law, I guessed that life would never be easy, especially in a borough such as mine whose turbulent yet rich history forms part of the tapestry of London's East End .

As the country's first directly...

One of the most short sighted policies that the Conservative led government has pushed through has been the abolition of the Education Maintenance Grant. £30 a week may not sound much to millionaire cabinet ministers, but believe you me, it does to our young people, especially in Tower Hamlets in...