Apologies for the lack of blogging but I’m on holiday at the moment. However, I think George Galloway’s by-election victory in Bradford West needs a discussion on this site.
What does it mean for Tower Hamlets, for Lutfur and Respect? Anything?
George’s victory reminded me of one conversation I had with him. In 2008 (I think), he was mulling over his options for the 2010 General Election. He hadn’t decided about standing in Poplar and Limehouse and he was thinking of taking on Jack Straw in Blackburn.
He was finding the village politics of Tower Hamlets frustrating, he told me….and that the “Pakistanis [in Blackburn] are more sophisticated about their politics than Bengalis [in Tower Hamlets]”.
I wonder what the likes of Abjol Miah think about that…..
Trial by Jeory 
Given that Galloway was instrumental in Petitioning for Tower Hamlets’ Elected Mayoral Referendum in 2009 – remember the one where 40% of the signatures were invalid, reported here – http://bit.ly/H3wWfI – his links with the borough remain strong. Independents will now, on mass, switch alliance to Respect and secure an influential voice in Parliament. (10:30am 1 April 2012).
I suppose if the Labour Party is serious about winning in Weavers it means that selecting somebody without strong links to Tower Hamlets politics would be a very bad idea. If not an established name then somebody local to that particular ward. With little over a month to go before the election I don’t think there is time to introduce a fresh face to residents. Somebody that a) will be able to take on the sort of campaign Respect and Abjol will run is a must and b) has an established network in the borough already. There is really only one person capable of doing that and we didn’t need to open up the list but if you’re going to open up the list for heavens sake select the guy that lives in the ward.
Residents can look forward to the Respect bus clogging up our narrow streets. Trotskyist screeching on a megaphone and the odd rant about Israel. Fun fun.
Hi Ted, Interesting comment he made to you in 2008. Before this election, his letter to Bradford mosques (saying he was a better muslim than the labour candidate because he didn’t drink) looked like it was specifically aimed at the movers and shakers in village politics. Before the election he didn’t know how much power they would have. It turned out that they were ignored by most of the voters in their communities.
Like the other parties may be village politics just had a bad night. If village politics is still strong then Galloway will have to make deals or face disruption before the next election.
It would be great if he was a genuine match for village politics – may be he was in Tower Hamlets? My short experience of him was that he was as keen to mobilse this support hence his trip to Bangladesh before the 2005 election.
I think the various race riot related reports on politics in muslim asian communities suggest village politics deep-rooted and powerful, used and abused by all political players, and unlikely to die easily.
The Ritchie Report (http://www.oldhamir.org.uk/OIR%20Report.pdf) said: “There appears to be a clan or client based approach to politics and public life within the Pakistani and Bangladeshi communities which does not fit easily with traditional British processes and which has been exploited by white party leaders, to get votes, and Asian Community leaders, to secure influence.”
The Cantle Report said something similar: “In some areas, the Asian community has drawn our attention to a situation where some local political activities, including the selection of candidates, owe more to familial and other inappropriate connections, than to the legitimate and pressing concerns of the local electorate.”
And the Ouseley Report (http://www.bradford2020.com/pride/report.pdf) about Bradford said the same too, it just didn’t specify which communities it was talking about: “Political leadership has been weak in kowtowing to community leadership and operating within a “doing deals” culture to avoid “disturbances” and to “keep the peace”. So-called “community leaders” are self-styled, in league with the establishment key people and maintain the status quo of control and segregation through fear, ignorance and threats. Community leaders tend to retain their power base by maintaining the segregated status quo even when unrepresentative.”
Richard Mawrey’s judgement on electoral fraud in Birmingham also made the points even more strongly (adding that the police will not, cannot address political corruption!)
Once these things are in place I don’t know how easy it is dismantle them. May be they have weakened since 2001.
Do you think that village politics has become stronger or weaker in Tower Hamlets since the arrival of Respect on the scene?
It seems grotesque george doesn’t even know where he is…
http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/george-galloway-faces-backlash-after-777844
“Britain’s first Bangladeshi MP. Muslims of all parties wept as Rushanara Ali, who spent her first seven years in Bangladesh, spoke of her community’s pride that one of their own had been elected to “the mother of Parliaments”.
…..
“We say goodbye to George Galloway,” Ms Ali said. At the mention of Mr Galloway, almost 200 Muslim activists shouted “scum” and “out, out, out”. Ms Ali continued: “We decided it was time to pay our final respects to Respect. Together we voted to end the division and unite the East End.”
Jeory, this will happen again in Bradford West in 2015. Once people get to know what he is really like they will dump him.
George’s next move may well be to join Hizb ut Tahrir. After all, it can’t be too long before they start fielding candidates in Bradford and Tower Hamlets.
p.s apologies Ted, don’t know why I referred to you by your surname in previous comment.
Ted, too much credence is being placed on Gallaways win in Bradford. Like some the other commentators the people will wake up and realise its all rhetoric and no substance.
What is if consequence is the role that Respect plays or more specifically Abjol plays in supporting Lutfur Rahman. From what I understand is that an enormous amount of pressure was put on Abjol from the extremist IFE and in relation funding being withdrawn from the organisation Abjol works for – in order that he would not stand in the forthcoming by-election in the Spitafields ward.
Of course no one foresaw Anna Lynch resigning which has now opened up an opportunity for Abjol. Like many people Abjol too was misled and used by Lutfur Rahman – with veneer of piety. Abjol needs to return to his partys and his own integrity if he is to be taken seriously as a issue based politician locally rather than Lutfurs lacky.
Lutfur Rahman may have become adept at the dark art of buying off the weak and or vulnerable – but it’s only a matter of time when he will cause his own downfall.
For some time now there have been rumours that there is a split between Lutfur Rahman, the extremist linked Mayor of Tower Hamlets and his Deputy Ohid Ahmed. I now have it on good authority from someone very close to Lutfur Rahman that neither can stand the other – infact they hardly ever speak to each other let alone discuss running the Council.
And it seems that Lutfurs boasting that he and Alibor are the only two competent enough to run the Council and apparently command the respect of the officers. In actual fact – speak to any non IFE Council officer and they won’t hold back in expressing their utter contempt and disregard for Lutfur and his cronies.
As for Ohid will the Labour party please put guy out his misery by taking him back – and you’ll find that Lutfurs weak and insecure band of Cllrs will soon be clamouring to get back into the Labour Party. As for Lutfur he deserves the same fate as Usama bin Ladin – metaphorically speaking. Becuase Lutfur Rahman has killed the hopes and desires of the thousands of people who voted for him because they thought he might – just might make a difference but instead he is no better – indeed worse than his predecessors.