Many eyebrows were raised when Labour’s John Biggs became mayor of Tower Hamlets but then refused to resign as a member of the London Assembly. Each position was a full-time job, and holding two full time jobs at the same time must, many thought, be contrary to the EU Working Time Directive – or at least Very Difficult To Do.
True, John Biggs did not draw his full salary for both jobs – though that just added to the confusion. If he wasn’t drawing his full salary, was the implication he wasn’t doing both full-time jobs?
Anyone, all that worry is over now. The elections for a new Assembly came round at the start of May, and the City & East GLA constituency elected a new Labour member. All that two-jobs business is over now.
Or is it?
As of today, 21st June, the Tower Hamlets Labour Party website has a whole page devoted to John Biggs, as well it might. It lists his previous posts – Mayor of Tower Hamlets, Vice Chair of the London Development Agency and Deputy Chairman of the London Thames Gateway Development Corporation (what? a gender specific post?).
It bigs him up (pun intended) as “a former leader of Tower Hamlets” – which should surely be “a former leader of Tower Hamlets Council”, not leader of everything and everyone in the whole borough. It lists a couple of other titles he has acquired and refers to his Three Degrees.
But before you feel a song coming on… the eulogy goes a little too far. It also states that he is “in his fourth term as Assembly Member for City and East London” and gives his contact details in the Tower Hamlets Town Hall and in the GLA’s City Hall. (Click on the above image and enlarge it in your browser if necessary.)
Yes, it can be hard to give up office, but isn’t this going a bit too far? It’s not so much a case of “When will I see you again?” as “Yesterday once more”.
PS: in case you’re wondering, no – Newham-bred Unmesh Desai, who thought he had won the election to the City & East post nearly two months ago, doesn’t get a mention.
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