The Standards Advisory Committee of Tower Hamlets Council met on Monday 29 September 2025 to discuss preparations for the 2026 Member Induction Programme and to receive updates on the Register of Interests and Gifts and Hospitality. The committee also reviewed the ongoing work on a Members' Pledge, aimed at setting standards for councillor behaviour.

Members Induction Programme 2026 Preparations

The committee reviewed initial ideas for the 2026 Member Induction Programme, which aims to prepare newly elected councillors for their roles following the local elections in May 2026. The programme will focus on providing practical skills training and personal development, moving away from the more information-heavy approach of previous inductions. Key new initiatives include 'Be A Councillor' events for prospective candidates, political group mentoring, and the introduction of individual member training budgets and a Councillor Development Certificate. The plan also proposes a shift in how directorate and service information is delivered, with a single introductory evening per directorate followed by more detailed information available through the Members Hub. Co-opted members will also be involved in specific training areas, such as ethics and probity. The committee was asked to provide feedback on these proposals.

Councillor Harun Miah highlighted the importance of ensuring new councillors have a foundational understanding of council services, suggesting that even with a skills-based approach, there needs to be a core level of information available, perhaps through takeaway materials. He also proposed that a skills audit early in a councillor's tenure could help identify gaps and inform the use of personal development budgets.

Members' Pledge

The committee received an update on the development of a Members' Pledge, which aims to establish a common vision and standard of behaviour for elected members. This initiative has evolved from earlier discussions and workshops, with the term compact being replaced by Pledge following feedback from councillors. The pledge is structured around six themes: listening and working together, civility and political debate, aspirational and future-focused, transparency and accountability, resident-first leadership, and respect and inclusion. Draft ambition statements, behaviours, and early warning signals have been collectively agreed upon for each theme. The Centre for Governance and Scrutiny is expected to provide a draft pledge for launch in early October, with a view to members testing and refining it in subsequent workshops. The committee also discussed the development of informal resolution processes for alleged breaches of the pledge.

Councillor Ezra raised the question of whether mandatory training for new elected members after the local elections could be implemented to ensure adherence to the pledge. Joel West, from the Centre for Governance and Scrutiny, noted that while the term mandatory might be avoided to encourage member ownership, the pledge would be integrated into the mandatory training for councillors elected after May 2026.

Register of Interests and Gifts and Hospitality Quarterly Update

The committee received a quarterly update on the Register of Interests and declarations of gifts and hospitality. It was reported that all elected councillors had responded to the July reminder to update their registers of interest, with only two co-opted members still outstanding. Two declarations of gifts and hospitality were received during the reporting period, both within the required timescale. These involved accepted hospitality for a community day trip, each with an estimated value of £40, provided by Mount Anvil. The report also outlined the timetable for future reminders regarding these declarations.

Work Plan

The committee reviewed its work plan and action list for the 2025/26 municipal year. This included noting upcoming reports on the Best Value Improvement Plan, government reviews of the local authority standards regime, and proposals for virtual attendance at meetings. The work plan also detailed scheduled updates on Code of Conduct complaints and the Register of Interests.