New Luton mayor to be named on Sept 29

LUTON: A new mayor will be appointed at the Full Council meeting on 29 September, who will serve for the remainder of the municipal year, the Luton Council has said.

Tahir Malik stepped down from his role as mayor after breaking Covid-19 guidelines, a press release said on Wednesday.

Following his resignation, Malik said: “Once again I regret my actions which were below the standard of my position and would like to sincerely apologise to the people of Luton for attending this gathering which was in breach of Covid-19 lockdown restrictions. There is no excuse for what I did — I should have known better and I accept full responsibility for my actions. “I felt it was important for the disciplinary process — both at the council and within the Labour Party — to determine the outcome and the punishment for my actions, but after reflecting with my family over the last few days, we agreed that the best thing I could do for the town was resign from my position with immediate effect.”

Luton Council Leader Hazel Simmons, added: “I would like to thank Cllr Malik for his service as mayor of Luton. He made a mistake which he deeply regrets, and I know he and his family are really hurting right now. Prior to this he had been an excellent ambassador for the town both locally and nationally, raising a lot of money for charity during the process. What has happened is unfortunate, and I think it is right for him to step down at this time, but it’s important to recognise the fantastic contribution he has made to Luton.”

Shahzad Ali adds: In a statement received by this correspondent (at the time) the three councillors said: “We apologise unreservedly to the people of Luton for our breach of the lockdown rules. We attended what we believed was going to be a small socially distanced gathering, in line with the government guidelines. During the course of the event, the arrival of additional guests meant the rules were breached. We should have left immediately, and it is a matter of sincere regret for each of us that we did not do so. [...] We are sorry that we did not live up to the standards that are rightly expected of us.”