Be a councillor

The council consists of a directly elected mayor and 45 elected councillors across 20 wards.

It operates a system of governance in which the elected mayor has executive powers and is advised by a cabinet of councillors and by council officers.

Local elections are held every four years, with the next elections scheduled to take place in May 2026.

The council supports the Local Government Association’s ‘Be a Councillor’ campaign, which provides information on the work of a councillor, the commitments involved and the routes available for anyone wishing to stand for election. 

More information on becoming a councillor is also available on GOV.UK.

Be a Councillor Project

The London Borough of Tower Hamlets will be running a campaign to increase awareness of the Local Councillor role and eligible residents who are passionate about their community to get involved in local politics. For this survey, we would like to hear from women about their views and perceptions and are asking them to fill in a quick survey which takes approx. 2 mins to complete.

Complete the women in local politics survey or scan the QR code

The survey will be open until 31 May 2024 at 11.59pm

We also want to arrange opportunities to hear from residents in person / in different ways throughout June, where it would improve accessibility or be more appropriate (e.g. young people, people prefer languages other than English, people who are digitally excluded).