Tower Hamlets residents vote to keep directly elected Mayor

Tower Hamlets residents have voted to keep the role of a directly elected Mayor, in a governance referendum held on Thursday 6 May 2021. Voters backed the current system of governance at Tower Hamlets Council by 63,029 votes to 17,951 votes, with 3,444 spoiled ballots. The turnout was 41.79%.
The result means that local elections in 2022 will take the same format as the elections held in 2018, with voters choosing a directly elected Mayor and choosing who their local councillors will be.
In the Isle of Dogs Neighbourhood Planning Referendum, voters chose to back the use of the Isle of Dogs Neighbourhood Plan in determining future planning applications in the area by 7,874 votes to 1,264 votes, with 401 spoiled ballots. The turnout was 36.99%.
Across Tower Hamlets, voters also took to the polls to elect the Mayor of London and London Assembly members. These results will be published by London Elects.
John Biggs, Mayor of Tower Hamlets, said: “We’ve had the mayoral system in Tower Hamlets for over ten years now. After ten years it can be reviewed, and the voters have decided that this is the system we should continue with.
“Now this matter is resolved we can move forward with certainty about the governance system we have in place for the next decade.
“It is an honour to be the Mayor of Tower Hamlets, and I am proud of the work we have done. Over the next year we will continue to build on the great progress we’ve already made, supporting our community through our Covid recovery, safeguarding frontline services and continuing to deliver the promises we made to local people.”
Will Tuckley, Chief Executive of Tower Hamlets Council, said:
“Organising several elections on the same day is an enormous task but adding in the complexities of adhering to Covid-19 safety measures has made it an even bigger challenge for my staff to undertake.
“Our priority has always been to deliver fair, transparent, and professional elections plus maintaining the safety of our voters and staff.
“I’m pleased to say that our elections team and other council officers, working with trained polling and other volunteer staff, have risen to that challenge.
“I would like to thank all those who have contributed their time and efforts and worked tirelessly to ensure that this important democratic role has been delivered successfully on behalf of our residents.”