The selection of Lutfur Rahman as Labour’s candidate for mayor has sent his opponents into a tailspin of despair. And not just among Labour members.
Politicians in all parties are trying to work out how he can be stopped. Those in Labour cling to the belief that Labour’s NEC will be so horrified by his selection that they will refuse to confirm his candidacy and instead impose their own choice before nominations for the election close on September 24.
There are others within Labour, especially those concerned about the people with whom Lutfur is surrounding himself, who are quietly encouraging another possibility – one which would underline the seriousness with which they view the situation. They are suggesting an anti-Lutfur candidate from the other main national parties, ie a single Coalition candidate for both the Tories and Lib Dems. And this idea is winning cross-party support.
This afternoon, the Lib Dem candidate, John Griffiths, held his launch party for the press at a restaurant in Brick Lane. Some fifteen party activists turned up, as did a cameraman from Channel S and a couple of photographers, but apart from that I was the only reporter there. Oddly for a press conference, no time was allotted for questions. It summed up the state of the once mighty Lib Dems in the borough.
Which is a shame, because in Griffiths they have a good candidate whose track record as a councillor until he lost his seat in 2006 was excellent. If you’ve been to York Hall in Bethnal Green recently, thank John: he was the man who initiated and led the campaign to save it from closure six years ago.
The party retains good ideas, including a thought-provoking pledge to devolve power from Tower Hamlets HQ in Mulberry Place to the various districts that comprise the borough. How many people say they live in Tower Hamlets, the Lib Dems ask. Rather, residents prefer to say they live in Bow, for example, or on the Isle of Dogs, or in Spitalfields, Wapping, Whitechapel, Stepney, or Shadwell. The Lib Dems therefore argue that these areas should have the chance to run some of their own affairs, along the lines of town councils. Moves are already afoot in Wapping to make this happen.
However, even Lib Dems quietly agree that they have little chance of seeing these ideas put into practice on their own. So their brightest minds are actively considering talks with Tory counterparts to run just one candidate. Such a deal would of course require either John to stand down, or Neil King from the Tories to do so – or both. Or they could run as a mayor and deputy mayor joint ticket. Or, more likely, given that this is Tower Hamlets, where race counts, a ticket that includes candidates from both the Bangladeshi and non-Bangladeshi “communities”.
Would Tory and Lib Dem HQs accept such a proposition? In normal circumstances, undoubtedly no. But Tower Hamlets politicians are arguing that these are exceptional circumstances. They say they would tell their superiors that, given the controversy of Labour’s selection process, they are acting in the interests of democracy and that it is a good opportunity to take control of a £1.2billion Olympic borough.
Crucially, they also argue that the ramifications of such a move would ensure national press attention, which would help boost what is otherwise expected to be a terrible turnout of about 25% next month.
In other words, strategists hope the move would create its own momentum. They have about 10 days in which to decide…
Trial by Jeory 
Is there any indication why the NEC has not confirmed Lutfurs candidacy thus far?
Because it doesn’t meet until (I think) next Monday.
Interesting. From my understanding, they were meant to meet the Monday after the selection…
Oh yes Ted, because the Liberal’s neighbourhood policy (seven town halls, seven chief executives, seven times the beuracracy and corruption) was such a great success last time that it bankrupted the borough.
That’s why the’ve been out of power for 16 years – hardly a platform for success!
Been away for a few days to comeback and find people questioning my sex and my identity? I can assure your readers that I do have two humpy bits upon my chest, and I am very much the person I happen to be. I work for LBTH council so therefore do not obviously want to upset any politicians although they do not mind asking for nor getting my vote when it comes to elections!
Yes, I was one of the many hundreds that went along to the Troxy for what was billed by some as the ‘Labour party official Mayoral campaign launch’. I say this because businessman Shiraj from Clifton group also send out text messages inviting people to come along as though it was his personal invitation, so I was not sure what to make of this yet however, I did later also receive a letter from Cllr. Lutfur Rahman himself with party logo inclusive.
I am not going to report upon the occassion itself which was extremely successful however, I was rather dissapointed to see that the leader of the council was absent, as were all mayoral candidates with the exception of Cllr. Shirajul Islam, the man who transfered some 30 votes to Lutfur Rahman on polling day? Sounds more like a deal here? But seriously, what really did worry me and what puts legitimate weight upon the various arguments contemplating Lutfur Rahman’s link with the IFE is the fact that a very senior key Respect party activist and council candidate in the Stepney & St. Dunstans ward election 2010, namely Mahbub Alam, was also at the event? Now why would a serious contender who led a very fierceful campaign against Cllr. Abdal Ullah regulary on Facebook, and through their election campaign website, regularly highlighting Double Yellow Lines and the Exmouth Estate, be doing at the Labour Party’s Mayoral campaign launch, especially when it was them who apparently called for a directly elected mayor? This can only mean that there is some truth to both your blogs, and Gilligan’s blogs of the soon tobe mayor being a very close allie of the IFE and Respect. Is it time that Respect will not be infiltrating the Labour party to stand as Labour candidates in forthcoming elections, replacing the dis-loyal Lutfur Rahman candidates? If farmed members have anythign to do with it, that is exactly what will happen in 2014.
I was also at the event and spotted several Respect “leaders” but I guess this makes sense as they are now officially supporting Lutfur (Poor Abjol Miah).
But I would disagree with Shireen, I dont think that the event was a success. The whole thing had the feel of a poorly concieved Bengali wedding. Lutfur was the groom, Cllr. Marc Frances and Cllr. Ohid were the best men and Shiraz Haque was the boistrous (soon to be)father in law. No-one seemed to notice that the bride had not turned up.
In all seriousness, the event was not a slick political operation and was not the “Obama-esque” rally that I was (for some strange reason) expecting. The atmosphere was neither relaxed nor electric. People seemed to mull around, speaking continuously over the guest speakers only hushing a little bit when Lutfur spoke (but not much). Considering that this was a room full of 800 die-hard Lutfur supporters, I was amazed to see 6 people stand up at the end of Lutfurs speach.. People just wanted food.
And thats the point, the Lutfur “machine” (which i now seem to be thinking is a lot less skilled than I had thought) just wanted bodies to show force. My guess is, at least half the people there wont be eligable to vote in October. The table i was sitting at had 10 people (exluding me), of which only one person was a Tower Hamlets resident.
The mistake was simple, the room was full of Bangladeshi middle aged men (and their wives). If Lutfur thought he was cruising, he’s not anymore. He needs to rethink and shoot his Head of Comms.
If the message is unity and coalition, he needs to fill a room that represents that and not just a top table…