LONG-STANDING cabinet member Cllr Afzal Akram has lost his job in a cabinet reshuffle.

Marie Pye will also make a dramatic return to the housing portfolio following controversy over her role in the bid to turn Walthamstow Stadium into a housing estate.

Cllr Akram will be replaced as cabinet member for economic development by Cllr Mark Rusling, according to Labour councillors.

Minutes of meetings recently released under the Freedom of Information Act showed Cllr Akram accused failed charity O-Regen of providing false figures while contracted by the council to help the long-term unemployed.

However, he then offered to help the charity with future contracts.

Cllr Pye was accused of being biased in favour London & Quadrant's (L&Q) plans for Walthamstow Stadium while cabinet member for housing - a claim she denied.

But she was removed form the role in the wake of criticisms of the council's relationship with L&Q.

She swaped places with Cllr Saima Mahmud, who left children services after Ofsted found the authority was putting vulnerable children at risk.

Cllr Mahmud leaves the cabinet altogther, while Cllr Claire Coghill takes over children's services.

Cabinet posts which remain unchanged are the environment portfolio (Cllr Clyde Loakes), Families and Adult Services (Cllr Angie Bean), and Community Safety and Cohesion (Cllr Liaquat Ali).

Cllr Ahsan Khan, another junior councillor, will reportedly take up a new post of Health and Wellbeing, which sources say includes the portfolio of leisure and culture.

That role is currently held by Cllr Geraldine Reardon and it is thought she will be demoted to the back benches.

The reshuffle was revealed by Labour members in Chapel End ward on Twitter.

They also said Labour councillors would vote to appoint Cllr Loakes as deputy leader of the council. Cllr Peter Barnett reportedly will retain his position as head of the council's planning committee, with Cllr Jenny Gray as his deputy.

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