The Tower Hamlets Labour party yesterday issued the following statement about the series of posters that have appeared in Bow smearing ex-Lib Dem councillor and pro-Lutfur community activist Nigel McCollum.
Labour condemn smears against former councillor Nigel McCollum
Responding to reports of a poster smear campaign against former Tower Hamlets councillor Nigel McCollum Leader of the Labour Group, Cllr Sirajul Islam, said:
“I totally condemn these utterly atrocious attempts to smear a hard-working and respected former councillor. Whilst we may have our political differences with Nigel nobody should ever be subjected to this kind of abuse and we hope that those responsible will be swiftly bought to justice.
“To baselessly imply without any reason or cause that this is related to any exchange of opinions in the Council chamber does neither them, nor Nigel, justice. Now is not a time for politics, it is about finding those responsible and ensuring they face the consequences of their actions.”
Labour’s Candidate for Mayor of Tower Hamlets, John Biggs, said:
“These attacks on Nigel McCollum are disgusting and unacceptable. I and the Labour Party stand firmly in support of him and against such cowardly homophobic behaviour. Anybody found to be behind these attacks should face the full force of the law.
“I and the Labour Party defend absolutely his right to challenge any public spending decisions under whatever administration. However, anybody attending the Council meeting will be aware that Labour members clarified that his claims were in our view ill-informed and misleading and were a rather clumsy political attack by one of the Mayor’s supporters.
“To link our disagreement with this attack against him is a slur. One of the reasons I am standing for Mayor is to challenge the nasty tendencies that often lurk in East End politics. This sort of conduct has no place in civilised society.”
Here’s a reminder of what Mayor Lutfur Rahman said yesterday:
“He [Nigel] had raised what he believes to have been the scandalous role of some local Labour councillors in wasting £1.6 million on developments in the Roman Road the previous evening at a meeting of the full council.
Both Lib Dem leader, Councillor Stephanie Eaton and I are urging the police to mount a full and thorough investigation. Both Stephanie and I wish to condemn what Nigel and ourselves believe to be a serious homophobic attack, and one that may well be politically charged. I have spoken to Nigel and offered him both our sympathy and our full support.”
And a reminder of what Lib Dem councillor Stephanie Eaton said:
“Nigel and I believe this to be a serious homophobic attack, and one that is aimed at stopping him from continuing his political activities. To post anonymous homophobic attacks about a resident and former councillor simply because he has raised legitimate questions about public spending is cowardly and unacceptable.“
I’ve no idea what evidence they have to link the attack to Labour but as responsible leaders, I’m sure they will provide it to detectives.
Trial by Jeory 
Siraj,
In future, don’t create a story making a denial, please.
Not sure I understand, Dan. Explain.
I’m saying that its a nasty slur to infer that Labour would be responsible for this kind of tactic. Besides we don’t need to blacken Nigel, When Biggs came through Nigel’s block a couple of weeks ago, the residents were almost queuing up to shake his hand. They’ve seen through Nigel and they don’t like the way he is opportunistically attaching himself to Lutfur Rahman.This slur probably was politically motivated, but it came from the people not from the politicians.
By gracing this with a quote. Siraj has created a story that wouldn’t have been posted without the quote. That was bad media management.
Which people?
What a pity we are not analysing in great detail the substance of the alleged frivolous wasting of vast sums of scare public money taken from the wallets and pursers of London’s not very wealthy citizens. If the spending was a waste of the public’s money it would neither be the first nor the last such example in local government or in the LBTH.
Some think it was Labour people responsible; others say the Mayor’s lot. Both have in common their Labour Party heritage either as members or as active supporters.
Ring Crime Stoppers on 0800-555 111 if you have any knowledge that may help to put those responsible for the unacceptable HATE CRIME behind bars, and I don’t mean the ones found in pubs.
Curious Cat
The people who vote in elections presumably.
Don’t presume I know anything more than you’ve told me, Ted.
…the local “socialists” be they Labour, ex-Labour or whatever McCurry or Oldford1 decide this week to present themselves as are such an unattractive lot aren’t they? It’s just vile the way they ALL carry on. Lies and damned lies. How anyone can continue to support any of them is quite beyond me.
Can we have details of the £1.6 million wasted taxpayer money allegation. You have to admit it does look a teeny tiny bit suspicious if the smears came hard on the heels of difficult questions? It didn’t have to be endorsed by Labour politicians, indeed I’m sure it wasn’t, but orgaisations have all sorts of loonies as members. I’ve known EDL supporting Labour Members. Affiliation with an organisation doesn’t mean they actually follow 100% the values of that organisation. But I think Labour politicians are doing the right thing by publicly condemning this behaviour whih goes without saying is absolutely despicable. I hope the perpetrators get caught and punished accordingly.
Marc Francis has all the details, but it’s not quite as Alibor/Lutfur/Nigel make out. I’ve sat in meetings with Alibor, Marc and senior council officers where the spending of this money has been explained to Alibor but for some reason he can’t comprehend it.
Maybe he’s just not that good with numbers.
A pot of money was set aside for some regeneration of the Roman a few years ago. Marc and Josh concede some of it could’ve been better spent. Too much was wasted on consultants without any real purpose or outcome.
But by far the biggest spend (I think this is right) was on the relaying of the road itself with weird cobbles, and on street furniture such as benches.
At Wednesday’s council meeting, Nigel (parroting the line that Alibor was knocked down for at aforesaid meetings with council officers), highlighted instances of failed spending on shopfronts.
There may well have been, but my hunch is that Nigel knows he was being disingenuous by using the £1.6m figure.
In fact, to people like Josh and Marc, it came across as a bit of a smear.
Ted, good to see you at the Chanukah event at Nelson St earlier.
Please remind me when senior officers ‘explained’ what the money delivered? Yes it was certainly spent but whether it really improved trade or helped locals in any material way is what we need to bottom out. In fact, it was you and Ray Gipson who welcomed the Mayor intervention on the Roman. See https://trialbyjeory.wordpress.com/2012/07/10/
Now it wouldn’t make sense if we we’re investing another £150k of tax payers’ money if there was no need?
Anyway why are people so worried about an audit/investigation, it can only help, can’t it?
I thought our job was to listen to local residents and struggling traders and work collectively on solutions? Let me know how you think we should progress this; after all you are my fellow working group colleague!
Good to see you there as well, Alibor.
I think we both know when this was all explained. I was asked not to report on the detail of those discussions and I gave a commitment to that. BUt as you ‘re now asking in public…I’ve sat in two meetings with you when there was discussion about it. At the first one, it was me who asked how it had been spent and whether I could see some post-audit report of the project.
We were told this had never been done and I found that disturbing and slightly worrying because we (under you and Lutfur) were about to embark on the spending of more money without knowing formally where it went wrong last time.
Marc and a couple of the other officers then explained how the cash had been spent. Reference was made to the consultants and the re-laying of the road. Marc was at pains to point out your version of events was a distortion of what happened.
But let’s be clear about the Roman Road working group on which I sit with you. People like me and Ray Gipson aren’t interested in being used as political pawns, so stop exploiting it so. Let your work on that group speak for itself.
We got involved because we care about the Roman and because you and Lutfur said you were setting aside £350k for the area. Only later did you move the goalposts to say this money was for two other areas as well.
I think it’s good attention is being paid to the Roman but I’ve also been surprised during our discussions by your lack of knowledge of the area.
Our worry has been that this is not much more than a leaflet-creating exercise: something that allows you and Lutfur to say you are fighting for Bow.
Oh, dear, Alibor. That sounded like a dressing down.
Not at all a dressing down. Just a reaction to an attempt to exploit the work of a well intentioned group.
Maybe I’m just being naive.
One could just as easily argue on the basis of no evidence that it was a carefully timed distraction from the Mayor’s own issues in relation to alleged misuse of council resources that were exposed at that meeting and designed to cast suspicion on Labour after he had gone out of his way to make sure he was aligned with those wonderful young people who brought a petition against homophobia! For goodness sake let the Police do their job and catch the low lifes who did this and then we may have something to speculate on. Meantime all sympathy and support to Nigel who had a perfect right to ask questions and to get answers as he did.
Judith, you really will be missed after you step down. Genuine sanity!
I bet she can’t wait to go!
I think you should spend £150k on an audit, Alibor. A good politicial gesture is what the traders would want.
Thanks Ted. Always good to be in the picture before passing judgement.
Thank you Ted !
Does anyone have details of the previous spate of “smears” back in 2005/6? They have been referred to so there must be evidence around somewhere. Presumably McCollum has them somewhere. Could he post them here or send them to me. themadmullahofbricklane@gmail.com. I assume they were made public at the time so they must be in the public domain.
TBH I did notice good street furniture being replaced when there was no need. Not sure why consultants who are paid thousands would come up with such nil impact ‘investments’, is there any point to them being paid thousands. Why waste the time? just burn the money instead, probably be of more benefit to the locals by keeping them warm in winter. Is there any way of holding those consultants to account?
Also why do politicians have a habit of hiring multiple consultants for the same job? Are the consultants good friends of the politicians then? TBH I would think council officers would be able to do a better job with a local survey. Why do we need consultants when we have well paid council officers?
Shumi.We have no idea. Can you answer the questions you have asked?
It was a rhetorical question. -_-
One definition of which is ” A question asked merely for effect with no answer expected” Just about sums you up. I am still waiting for the evidence of the original smears.
LMAO, you had to look it up?
People never give evidence, it’s always allegations in politics. Rule of life. it’s all about smears. If there was anything substantial behind any allegations against any politicians there would be legal consequences. If there are no consequences it’s pretty much sour grapes and dirty tactics. When people feel their position and power is threatened they get up to all sorts. Human nature.
http://www.towerhamletslabour.org.uk/your-labour-council-candidates-3
Trying once again to understand your English Shumi bit are you agreeing with me that the whole bit about the two postering events is suspicious? It really is difficult to follow you because of your poor command of English and lack of logic. Let’s take your last post for instance. Would you like to go over that again, in English, and tell us what you mean?
What does LMAO mean?