Tower Hamlets Conservatives have complained about the council’s ‘outrageous’ spending defending itself against the BBC’s Panorama.
Conservative group leader Cllr Peter Golds has complained to the council’s head of paid service Steve Halsey after the authority spent £128,000, including £81,924.70 on lawyers Taylor Wessing, £41,144 on lobbyists Champollion and £5,400 on a QC.
Cllr Golds said: ‘The council claims ensuring political balance of programmes is not its responsibility despite having spent more than £125,000 ostensibly for that very purpose.
‘The reality is the taxpayers’ money was used to try to prevent the mayor being subject to any criticism and the council is now trying to prevent the public finding out details of how their money was spent.
‘It simply isn’t good enough.’
The council has said the expenditure was necessary to ensure that the BBC complied fully with its obligations.
