The General Purposes Committee met to discuss preparations for the 2026 elections, local authority governor applications, and updates to the council's constitution. The committee approved changes to part A of the constitution and agreed to send the updated committee procedure rules to the full council for approval, unless further feedback is received.

2026 Election Preparations

Robert Curtis, head of Electoral Services, provided a verbal update on the preparations for the borough ward elections and the executive mayor poll, scheduled for 7 May 2026. He informed the committee that preparations were ahead of schedule compared to 2018 and 2022.

Key points from the update:

• The election will use the first past the post system for the mayoral election.
• There will be 76 polling places with 110 polling stations.
• 75 of the 76 polling places have been booked, with a replacement needed for Exmouth Hall, which is being demolished.
• A statutory timetable will be available on the council website in the new year.
• A project planning board, including representatives from electoral services, IT, communications, facilities, logistics, legal, finance, the Electoral Commission, and the police, is meeting monthly, and will meet every two weeks in the new year.
• All known political parties were given the opportunity to discuss any concerns about the election preparations.
• A digital polling register will be used for the first time in Tower Hamlets, requiring voters to scan their poll cards to record their voter ID.
• The revised electoral register for 1 December 2025 has been published.
• Of the 26,000 postal voters in Tower Hamlets, 22,000 need to reapply for their postal votes by 31 January.

Councillor Shafi Ahmed, Cabinet Member for Environment and the Climate Emergency, raised the possibility of alternative venues for the count within Tower Hamlets. Robert Curtis responded that a report had been produced considering six different locations, including the town hall, but none were deemed suitable due to floor plans, movement, and police advice.

Councillor Mayim Talogta asked about the threshold for recounts, and Robert Curtis clarified that there is no threshold in legislation. The decision is made by the returning officer at the time, based on the circumstances of each count.

Councillor Gulam Kibria Choudhury, Chair of the Health & Adults Scrutiny Sub-Committee, asked about communication with residents, particularly regarding postal votes. Robert Curtis explained that the council has a high uptake of emails, with 154,000 people providing their email addresses, allowing for quick communication via the Government Notify system.

Councillor Peter Golds, Chair of Licensing Committee / Licensing Regulatory Committee, reiterated that the Elections Act 2022 introduced serious increases in the undue influence offences, handling of postal votes, and it is now a criminal offence for campaigners and political parties to handle postal votes.

In response to a question from Councillor Shafi Ahmed, Robert Curtis explained the role of deputy returning officers, who are appointed to delegate tasks such as managing the count venue, visiting polling stations, and attending postal vote opening sessions.

Councillor Gulam Kibria Choudhury asked about the opportunity to drop off postal votes directly at the town hall. Robert Curtis confirmed that this facility is available, with a staff member available in the Grand Foyer to receive postal votes and ensure the necessary forms are completed.

Constitution Updates

Matthew, whose last name is not known, presented a report on constitution updates. He apologised for the late submission of the report due to illness.

The proposed changes included:

• Committee Procedure Rules: A new set of committee-specific procedural rules were proposed, designed to make it easier for the public to contribute to committee meetings. Key changes include:
  • Allowing ungrouped members of a committee to have a named substitute.
  • Requiring a third of the membership of a committee to call an extraordinary meeting.
  • Increasing the discretion period at the start of the meeting to 20 minutes from 15.
  • Changing the standard meeting length to two hours with a one-hour extension, rather than the current three hours with a half-hour extension.
  • Explicitly encouraging public participation and allowing the chair to adjust procedures to facilitate it.
• Part A of the Constitution: This section, designed for the public, was reviewed with a teenager to identify and simplify confusing wording.
• Code of Conduct Procedures: The Standards Advisory Committee is working to simplify the code of conduct procedures, with minor changes such as adding council branding to the list of council resources that members must be careful about using, and adding a link to the member pledge.
• Filming Protocol: Clarification that the filming protocol only applies to committee meetings.
• Constitution Working Group Updates: Reporting on trials of bringing forward deadlines for amendments and publishing all items the day before full council meetings, as well as efforts to re-theme the constitution and create a more accessible website.

Councillor Shafi Ahmed echoed the good work that had been done, and sought clarification on the proposed meeting length, and Matthew clarified that the new proposal was for a two-hour standard meeting with a one-hour extension.

Councillor Peter Golds requested warning information signs to show that no photos are to be taken during meetings.

The committee agreed to the changes to part A and agreed to send the committee procedure rules to full council for approval, unless further feedback was received.

Local Authority Governor Applications

Salma Siddiqia, governor's service clerking manager, and Trinity, whose role is not known, presented four nominations for local authority governors and two reappointments. They noted that two candidates had no borough connection, but their reappointment was based on their skills and experience, as well as their long-standing support for a federation of schools. The governing boards are looking for a wide range of skills, balanced by the need for local governors.

Councillor Mayim Talogta requested a closed session to discuss the applications, due to some queries she had.