The website Socialist Unity, which has a hotline to Respect policy bods Rob Hoveman and Kevin Ovenden, has posted this article this morning:
George Galloway dramatically returned to London last night from Lyon, France, where he had been with the Viva Palestina convoy en route to Gaza. This followed the extraordinary decision by the Labour’s National Executive Committee to deselect Lutfur Rahman, the popular choice of the Labour Party membership in Tower Hamlets for mayor, and impose instead Helal Abbas, a candidate who got less than one third of Rahman’s votes. George Galloway went into a lengthy meeting with his closest adviors late last night. Following that meeting the following statement was issued by Tower Hamlets Respect.
“The Respect Party has been reviewing its decision not to stand in the Tower Hamlets mayoral election following Lutfur Rahman’s extraordinary deselection. There is a consensus in Respect that Respect will stand a candidate if Lutfur Rahman is unsuccessful in his legal action to overturn the decision to deselect him and if he does not then stand as an independent candidate. Two candidates will be considered for selection in these circumstances – George Galloway and Abjol Miah. Final decisions on a candidate will be reached in the next 36 hours and we have booked an appointment with the Returning Officer to submit papers for Respect’s candidate on Friday morning, just a few hours before nominations close.”
As Respect will leave things to the last minute before nominating (deadline is noon on Friday), it seems likely they will be in contact with Lutfur’s people about any legal action.
Does anyone know where George actually lives? Is it in the borough? Last time I looked at his Companies House files, he had signed off his address at his former marital home in Streatham. He moved out of a place in Cheshire Street three years or so ago and moved – I thought temporarily – to a flat in Hackney.
Would he rely on Respect’s office in Club Row, Bethnal Green as a business address to meet the qualifying criteria? Indeed, is that office still functioning and does GG actually work there?
UPDATE – 10.55am, Weds
Confirmed by two people who stood against Galloway in Poplar in Limehouse in May that he stated his home was in Steatham.
The criteria for standing as a candidate for elected mayor are the same as for councillors, ie:
- You are over 18 years of age
- You are a Commonwealth Citizen, a citizen of the Republic of Ireland or a citizen of another Member State of the European Community
- You are registered as a local government elector in Tower Hamlets OR you have lived or worked in Tower Hamlets for the whole of the 12 months preceding the date of nomination OR you have owned property in Tower Hamlets for the whole of the 12 months preceding the date of nomination.
I’ve asked Respect which one GG fits, but, as yet, no answer.
Trial by Jeory 
Galloway is not very popular – could he really run? More likely Abjol Miah, or Lutfur Rahman himself on the Respect ticket.
How much support locally do you think Helal Abbas has by the way?
Apart from the fact that he has no bodyguard of hot and eager-to-please babes, unlike the Mad Colonel of Libya, I greatly envy G.G. and I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that his life is FUN FUN FUN.
HASTA LA VICTORIA SEMPRE!
The Labour party made a huge mistake when momentum was created under Lutfur, some NEC members are probably enjoying thinking they screwed up Lutfur and created tension within the community by putting 2 Bengalis in fight but what they failed to understand is that they divided the party for the next 20 years; this is not good for Jim or Rushnara. In last election every Labour candidate took advantage of his leadership, that’s destroyed other parties including Respect?Lib Dem to be honest, both MP’s should be grateful to Lutfur for that; he is very honest person and doesn’t hide anything, this is why people like him. There were hundreds of campaigners in every session in last 2 weeks, labour party was re-united but lets wait and see how many people turned up for Abbas! I don’t think Lutfur Rahman need the party to win; he will be like Ken Livingstone in 2001 as all sections of the community moving towards him. Tower Hamlets Labour Party members are furious but I don’t understand why Lutfur is so fond of Labour Party the party tried to screwed him from the beginning. He should stand as an independent candidate and this is going to be better for the Community and Lutfur if he is not under any party restriction.
I salute George’s courage, strength, and indefatigability.
As ive said before, im willing to register a protest vote and vote for Lutfur if he stands as an independent. Despite the time pressures of work, im also willing to put up the hours knocking on doors to get his message across.
[…] him, he’s “considered”: running for Tower Hamlets council, as a councillor and as mayor; standing against Jack Straw in Blackburn; running alongside his friend Tommy Sheridan in 2007; […]