Following Monday’s Panorama investigation Eric Pickles has appointed professional services firm PricewaterhouseCoopers to look into the allegations made about how Tower Hamlets is run. A file is being passed onto the Metropolitan Police for consideration. Pickles says:

“It is a matter of public record that I have long been concerned about a worrying pattern of divisive community politics and alleged mismanagement of public money by the mayoral administration in Tower Hamlets.

Following the receipt of a number of documents, I am now taking legal steps, in the public interest, to appoint inspectors to look into the allegations in respect of Tower Hamlets.

I hope this sends a strong signal that robust processes are in place to investigate allegations of failures in financial management and governance in local government, under the new regime introduced by the Local Audit and Accountability Act which replaces the Audit Commission.

This central action is not undertaken lightly, but localism requires local transparency, scrutiny and accountability, and these vital checks and balances must be upheld.”

Presumably Lutfur reckons Pickles and PwC are a bunch of racists too…