My Pledges

On taking office as the first directly-elected Mayor of the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, I made the following pledges that inform the policy direction throughout my term:

Housing

I pledge to:

• Build 4000 affordable new houses especially family sized social houses
• Rehouse 1,000 overcrowded families each year
• Buy back more ex-council homes for overcrowded families
• Halve the number of council homes that fall below a decent standard
• Fight for at least half the homes in the Olympic site to be affordable to local people
• Secure transparent service charges for leaseholders
• Make sure Registered Social Landlords deliver on their service agreements
• Ensure that there is no increase in Council Tax above the rate of inflation
• Repeat the £100 rebate on Council Tax for pensioners

Jobs/ Industry

I pledge to:

• Enable residents to have access to the great opportunities offered by being an Olympics Borough
• Secure procurement opportunities and jobs for local people from the Olympics
• Fight for decent wages following my commitment to London Living Wage when I was Leader of the council
• Create job opportunities to tackle youth unemployment

Education/ Youth

I pledge to:

• Increase the number of children achieving 5 A* to C grades at GCSE
• Bring A Level results above the national average
• Give more power to parents and governors to ensure schools maximise our children’s life chances
•  Accelerate investment in English as Second Language provision.
• Oppose any move by schools in the borough to become Academies
• Maintain investment in youth services
• Sustain our children’s centres and continue the SureStart programme

Community Safety/Cohesion

I pledge to:

• Continue no means-tested charges for Telecare Alarms
• Put a more visible uniformed police presence on our streets and estates
• Bring our diverse communities together to build ‘One Tower Hamlets’

Environment

I pledge to:

• Protect our green environment and improve our parks/ open spaces
• Ensure that streets are clean and safe and planted with trees
• Achieve 40 per cent of household waste recycle by 2014
• Improve our built environment and public realm

Health and Wellbeing

I pledge to:

• Protect the interests of residents, providers and partners in the face of NHS reforms
• Resist any attempts to put profits before public welfare
• Maximise any opportunity to enhance local health provision to best serve the needs of vulnerable residents
• Promote support for independent living
• Continue to provide support services to help residents quit smoking
• Ensure that Tower Hamlets is one of the top performing councils in the country with responsibility for adult social services responsibility
• Provide free homecare

Arts, Heritage and Leisure

I pledge to:

• Complete the £10 million restoration of Victoria Park
• Refurbish Bancroft Local History Library and Poplar Baths
• Save the Cable Street Mural
• Help build the Bethnal Green Memorial commemorating the World War 2 Tube disaster
• Maintain the borough’s rich heritage for future generations

 

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