I’m told Mayor Lutfur Rahman only became aware of the quote issued in his name on the Anjem Choudary demonstration when he read it on this blog.
I’m also told he was “furious and horrified”; I’m told he never authorised it.
Here it is again:
We strongly believe in the right to free speech and association, and I am pleased that, with the police’s support, this group were able to exercise that right whilst upholding respect for our communities, which is the hallmark of our ‘No Place for Hate’ pledge.
I must say, I was also extremely surprised he’d say anything so stupid.
Today, Tower Hamlets council issued this clarification:
Last Friday, 13th December, 2013, Tower Hamlets Council issued a statement regarding the demonstration on Brick Lane. For the record the statement released at 17:16 was not authorised for release and had not been approved by Mayor Lutfur Rahman. That statement is formally withdrawn and internal processes have been reviewed.
He has instead approved the following statement in the aftermath of the demonstration:-
Commenting on the demonstration in Brick Lane, Mayor Lutfur Rahman said: “As part of our pledge to ‘No Place for Hate’, we oppose all groups that seek to impose their views on and bring division to our communities. Council staff worked with the police to ensure that the businesses, residents and visitors on Brick Lane were protected during the demonstration.”
Lutfur’s supporters are incandescent. They believe the original quote has damaged the mayor.
So what happened?
I understand the original quote was drafted by a press officer in the council’s communications department, ie the one run by £100,000 a year Takki Sulaiman. I know the name of the press officer who sent it but I won’t embarrass them right now.
It’s not clear whether Takki or Lutfur’s own mayoral media adviser Numan Hussain read it before it was sent to the East London Advertiser.
I’d be very surprised if it wasn’t read by someone more senior than the person who drafted it.
Either way, it’s Takki’s department and he’s responsible. It seems the processes he drew up have failed. But I’m sure no one will lose their gold-plated pension over it.
The question is: which officer actually thought the original statement was appropriate?
Time for an FoI.
Trial by Jeory 
Hoist by one’s own petard would seem to be an appropriate phrase here. (And if I knew how to put it in italics then I’d have done so.) Bravo to the ELA for reporting it and bravo to you Ted for popping it up on here.
The Despicable Rahman’s true colours are slipping out. His original statement speaks volumes and the failure of his (hideously expensive) processes to present ‘an acceptable face’ speak volumes more. His [italics]volte face[/italics] tells us all we need to know.
Tim.
Withdraw the original ? Not likely. Let it stay firmly on the record.
Curious Cat
Great to see the Mayor listening to public opinions, well done for correcting the mistake. Well done also to Ted for highlighting the original and now the correction.
Although I often disagree with many of your interpretations on this blog, I do respect your honesty and integrity. This post is a prime example why.
I’m not sure if this counts as the “Mayor listening to public opinions [sic]”. Either he had nothing to do with the first statement (in which case, there are problems in the press office), or he had something to do with the first statement (in which case, his judgment on Anjem C is terrible and was not remedied by the new statement).
=> The Layer
Why should the council’s propaganda department, entirely funded by the long suffering public, be spending public funds on creating artificially comments from the Mayor ?
The Mayor must be responsible for everything he has authorised, even before the event, otherwise where is the public accountability ?
Its a pity the Mayor is not genuine enough to write his own comments even those of which normal people may disapprove.
Curious Cat
I’m hoping the Mayor had nothing to do with the original statement therefore his reaction is justified and to be applauded. Regarding who authorised the release, no doubt we’ll find out soon. Will be interesting to see what action is taken.
Will some minion’s head go under the guillotine because of this error? Exactly where does the buck stop?
Well, I think the buck should stop at the chief spin doctor and then at the mayor. Let then both resign 🙂
Curious Cat
=> Imran
What type of person lets others utter, or even invent, words purporting to come from him ? Surely that denotes insincerity if not also indolence and indifference.
If he is not man enough to speak on his own behalf, then the public should not be employing others to, metaphorically, open his mouth for him and extract alleged sentiment. Scrap the LBTH spin doctors. The public can’t afford them and the public never benefits from them.
I prefer the Mayor’s original version. It gives more impetus to the notion its time for the Mayor to go.
Bye Bye Lutfer. Please don’t come back. Tower Hamsters is better without you.
Curious Cat.
We shall see after the election if the cat is still meowing
Purring with pleasure and contentment ?
Please don’t suggest improvements you can’t deliver.
Curious Cat
This has all the makings of a great PRIVATE EYE piece.
First the Mayor refuses to speak in Council to answer questions
Next he issues a statement without moving his lips or writing a word. Such is the power that Takki Sulaiman and his staff have when it comes to hearing “His Master’s Voice”.
Then we get the conviction of the murderers of Lee Rigby and suddenly the association of the Mayor’s name with the man who supports the man who supports the murderers of Lee Rigby must look like one big PR disaster. No wonder Lutfur is incandescent.
I thought PR disasters were why you paid Head of Media and Communications a great deal of money.
Seriously – let’s just imagine that this isn’t an isolated instance. Maybe an FOI asking how many times the Mayor has read and signed off his own words would be in order.
Plus an an FOI on how Takki’s salary was arrived at given his competence to run his office and how it compares to other London Boroughs?
While you’re at it how about another FOI questioning her ladyship’s advice that Lutfur was under no obligation to speak on any occasion at Full Council.
Remember to ask about how he publicly demonstrates full and proper accountability to the representatives of the electorate. Let’s not forget he’s not just disrespecting the other Councillors – he’s actually disrespecting all the people who live in this borough who voted for him and who are entitled to get answers irrespective of whether or not they voted for him. That’s the true nature of democracy – something which Lutfur appears unwilling to grasp.
If John Biggs has anything about him, his media advisers will be hard at work finding an image which makes the most of this sad state of affairs.
Lutfur gagged by his own advisers maybe?
“he’s actually disrespecting all the people who live in this borough who voted for him and who are entitled to get answers irrespective of whether or not they voted for him.”
This should read
“he’s actually disrespecting all the people who live in this borough who are entitled to get answers irrespective of whether or not they voted for him.”
Did you not get your press officer to read the first version of that statement?
(That was a joke!)
My Press Officer was “out to lunch”! 😉
Despite the efforts to change what his people said after they said them – and who knows – words he may have initially verbally approved, the facts remain:
A) Lutfur now seems to think Anjem’s visit and his despicable threats to non-Muslims were not important enough for him to comment upon.
B) There is a clear bias towards Muslim extremists when compared to the Mayor’s response to the EDL.
Why can’t the courts give Anjem an ASBO or something and ban him from entering Tower Hamlets – or better that the whole of Great Britain. Let him make a home on Aldernay or Brecqhou!
Anjem was interviewed on R4 this morning, during which he resolutely refused to condemn the killing of Lee Rigby and said he didn’t believe in democracy, and finished by saying that he wanted muslims to live in peace with everyone else. It was observed that he had a freedom of speech here that he would be denied almost anywhere else in the world.
That such a man should be openly supported by Rahman (later denials notwithstanding) is not something that makes me comfortable.
Tim.
” he wanted muslims to live in peace with everyone else. ”
“Peace” is code for “non-muslims to be living under sharia law”. Under sharia law, non-muslims are 3rd class citizens. Such a legal system is deliberately biased against non-muslims, in order to force them to convert to islam or suffer discrimination.
Remember, “islam is the religion of peace”.
Is imran Mark Seddon? I think we should be told.
Who’s Mark Seddon?
That confirms that then. Thanks Mark.
Tim.
Talking of prominent Labour Party members and supporters taking the Lutfur shilling, besides Mark Seddon that is, I retrieved these two gems from the archive of the ludicrously name Left Futures site, Forward Thinking for The Democratic Left!
http://www.leftfutures.org/2013/04/in-tower-hamlets-the-accuser-is-the accused/ and
http://www.leftfutures.org/2012/04/the-politics-of-hate-in-tower-hamlets/.
If either don’t work, go to the site and put Tower Hamlets in search. The site is owned by Michael Meacher and run by Jon Landesman who I am told was one of those who drafted the longest suicide not in history AKA the 1983 Labour Manifesto. Until Milliband gets to grips with the likes if Seddon and Landesman he is heading for a fall as they are real grist to the Tory mill.
Let’s hope he doesn’t get to grips with them then!
You’re ill informed Terry, and it’s ‘Lansman’ by the way
What was wrong with the 1983 Labour manifesto ? I was out of the country at the time.
What is national Labour going to do about the disgusting state of the LBTH and the creeps that haunt its streets and local authority ?
Thanks,
Curious Cat
More shame put onto LBTH, when does it stop?
Why didn’t the demonstrators in Brick Lane go to Iceland, Tesco’s or Sainsburys? After all they sell both pork and achohol. Isn’t that double Haram? Or was it the easy option to target small, independent businesses?
And Lutfur , now that leading Muslim clerics throughout the UK have condemned the action maybe you should VERY publicly state your opinion and publicly name and shame the person who issued the first statement on your behalf, as they did you no favours.
One you missed Ted from your own paper. http://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/449840/Top-Saudi-cleric-Adel-Al-Kalbani-refused-entry-into-uk-as-he-embarked-for-mosques-tour.
Scroll down and you will see him with the Dear Leader Lutfur.
Really? Have a look at who wrote it!
It really doesn’t matter what Rahman claims he said or didn’t say. We can judge him by his actions.
He was literally at the forefront of the counter-demonstration against the EDL (a group whom Lutfur had ALREADY got banned from entering Tower Hamlets).
http://mayorlutfurrahman.wordpress.com/2013/08/24/edl-banned-from-gathering-in-altab-ali-park/
Yet when Anjem Choudary does one of his threatening marches through Tower Hamlets, Lutfur Rahman is nowhere to be seen. In fact, his press office issues a statement supporting Choudary’s right to free speech. After people start to criticise Rahman for double standards, Rahman denies he said what his press office claim he said!
Talk is cheap. His actions speak louder than any words. Did the muslim mayor of Tower Hamlets make any attempt to get this muslim preacher of hatred stopped from entering the borough? Why wasn’t he out in Brick Lane leading a counter protest against Choudary?
Perhaps Lutfur was busy at a BBQ, while Anjem and the intolerant muslim fascists were marching up Brick Lane. The far-left supporters of islamo-fascism were very keen to criticise Labour supporters for being at a BBQ on the day of the EDL demo, whilst Lutfur was making his way to the front of the march and the photographers. http://www.islamophobiawatch.co.uk/labour-slammed-for-bbq-plan-on-day-of-edls-tower-hamlets-march/
As the communist supporters of islamo-fascism said about the EDL demo “local Labour leaders were notable for their absence”. There were EDL protesters at Brick Lane to protest against Choudary last week, but the muslim mayor of Tower Hamlets was notable for his absence at any protest against Choudary.
Threatening group banned? Lutfur will appear at a counter protest. Threatening group not banned? Lutfur nowhere in sight.
So, I ask, was Lutfur too busy to ask the Home Office to ban Choudary? Was he at a BBQ? Was he too busy to organise a counter-protest? Or does he support Choudary’s demands to ban alcohol? The contrast between his behaviour with the EDL and his behaviour with Choudary tell us more about Lutfur Rahman than any press release.
It appears that in Tower Hamlets only white people can be considered hate-mongers. I didn’t see the UAF or “United East End” organise any counter-protest to the muslim hate-mongers in Brick Lane.
REPLACEMENT
The Mayor has definitely got to be replaced. Everything seems to continually worsen in Tower Hamlets. To some Lutfur is the bad side of local Labour. Educated and nurtured by Labour, Labour’s baby grew-up and did what Labour always does, abuses the system.
Met Police politically scared of Anjem Choudary yet if any of us does what Anjem Choudary regularly seems to get away with, we would probably be in jail. One law for the normal public and a better more beneficial law for Anjem Choudary and his gang ? How else can one truly explain the recent Tower Hamlets events ?
Everything will probably get worse in the New Year as the election count-down starts. No wonder Ted emigrated.
Curious Cat.
Lutfur would be very hypocritical about alcohol if he was in favour of it being banned…. because I’m told by several former colleagues of his how he used to often drink alcohol at Labour Party events – but outside Tower Hamlets of course to keep up appearances. Anjem Choudary, on the other hand, used to drink a LOT of alcohol and also pay for sex in Soho…and I know that from someone who used to work with him in the 1990s at the Callan School on Oxford Street (where he and Anjem taught ESOL).
I hope for Anjem’s sake that Allah is merciful or perhaps Anjem is feeling so guilty that he is trying to make up for deeply un-Islamic past. Surely, if Allah will let Anjem can get away with screwing whores and drinking pint after pint whilst ogling porn (see the pictures) then a shop keeper serving a six pack should have no problem reaching paradise.
Then put it where people see it!
James Lovelace.You make good points but repeat yourself. You are of course quite correct to ask where point out the absence of Unite Against Fascism and United East End when Anjem and his merry band of biggots marched down Brick Lane.
As I have, or think I have, pointed out here before Unite Against Fascism is a more or less redundant Socialist Worker Party front organisation which is now shunned by the great and the good on the left when it was revealed that one of its national organisers had been accused of rape by women members of the party. All it is is a rarely updated web site.
United East End is basically former Respect front man Glynn and some press statements. You could also have asked where the normally vocal Rev Alan Green and his Faith Forum where as well. All these people and non groups are pretty much finished and not before time as all they have been is a smoke screen for Rahman and the extremists.
=> Mr Mullah,
Are you contesting any of next year’s elections ? With your conspicuous passion and abundant local knowledge you will make a formidable candidate better than many of the usual bunch of mild political lemmings (sometimes described as ‘vanity candidates’) prevalent in today’s local government.
😉
Curious Cat.
This might be slightly off subject but it did make my chuckle, and perhaps gives an insight into the workings of the Rahman propaganda machine.
I walked past the Poplar Baths at the beginning of this week (which is a great project) to see the swanky new hoardings. It was a relief to see that the Tower Hamlets Logo was set above a more professional “Mayor of Tower Hamlets” Logo.
I did wonder if the Mayors mutil million pound “communications team” had convinced our dear leader that his pictures and brash branding was upsetting the people of Tower Hamlets struggling to make ends meet. Perhaps as we were entering an election period, good sense had taken hold and that the Mayor should not be self-promoting which has been making me rather sick and angry since his personal banners were rolled out for the Olympics.
However, I was wrong. Upon walking past on Friday, the great leaders names have been (rather crudely) added above the “Mayor of Tower Hamlets” logo.
Can you imagine the poor souls at Guildmore Limited feeling rather proud of the new hoardings, without knowing that in the kingdom of Tower Hamlets, the name, but preferably the picture of our great leader must be displayed (often at public expenses) at every opportunity. Perhaps the multi million pound communications team should help Rahman push through his human rights and answer public questions and check press statements, rather than waste time and resources turning tower hamlets into one big publicity advertisement for one Man and his Ego/Logo
Self-promoting, or promoting elected officials, in local government is technically unlawful but, since this is England – a country devoid of true democracy and proper standards – it is tolerated right up to the day the election is publicly notified (Notice of Election formerly published).
Pickles keeps promising and hinting of reforms but his department (CLG) is woefully inept.
Curious Cat.
Pickles should share more and more of the blame for the disaster that is LBTH; he is the one who could do something about this slow-motion train crash and yet he continuously fails to do do anything at all. I just hope he is waiting for his moment and then he will strike hard and decisively, but fear he is simply inept – just as you said CCat.
=> Tim
I receive the almost daily media announcements from Dept of CLG and from the Cabinet Office on CLG matters. I look at all of them, some longer than others.
The MP for Brentwood (in Essex, M25, J28) is definitely a huge disappointment. Lots of meaningless waffle, also known as Hot Air, but most regretfully deprived of all substance.
I honestly don’t know why is is wasting government resources on press releases of things he is not apparently keen to implement. Does Eric really think the public are so stupid they won’t notice all his crap about local government reforms is always deprived of a legislative timetable ? He make it up at least half the time.
Probe into the law and one soon discovers the law contradicts Eric’s blatant assertions. One would have expected his private office at CLG to stop him making a fool of himself and misleading the public currently suffering from the unaccountable Mafia known as English local government.
Here is Thursday’s latest from the CLG – see anything that might create a real improvement at LBTH ?
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/response-to-inaccurate-reports-of-censoring-councils
Every time we ask the CLG about local authority incompetence, abuses, neglect and undemocratic behaviour, all we ever get is the CLG standard response of its a local matter because its democratically decided by local people.
If I were PM, one of my first 30 priorities would be to create an effective regulator of local government to whom the public can complain. The LGO is a sick yet expensive joke and a scandalous waste of scarce public funds.
Another would be establish an agency to licence all staff including contractors working in local government on salaries of £50K and more. The public desperately need quality and and end to sub-standard but expensive crap.
Its just that I think local government should love the public, should want to improve the public’s live and should genuinely serve the public. LBTH is an excellent example of gross local government failure. Other examples exist all over England.
Curious Cat.
P.S. I want to be mayor so I can kick the arses of those failing to serve the public properly with dignity and respect. I’m sure LBTH would dramatically improve ‘over-night’.
P.P.S. I’d get a cheap second hand car rather than a Limo plus a moped for the dry days: -)
=> Tim
I receive the almost daily media announcements from Dept of CLG and from the Cabinet Office on CLG matters. I look at all of them, some longer than others.
The MP for Brentwood (in Essex, M25, J28) is definitely a huge disappointment. Lots of meaningless waffle, also known as Hot Air, but most regretfully deprived of all substance.
I honestly don’t know why is is wasting government resources on press releases of things he is not apparently keen to implement. Does Eric really think the public are so stupid they won’t notice all his crap about local government reforms is always deprived of a legislative timetable ? He make it up at least half the time.
Probe into the law and one soon discovers the law contradicts Eric’s blatant assertions. One would have expected his private office at CLG to stop him making a fool of himself and misleading the public currently suffering from the unaccountable Mafia known as English local government.
Here is Thursday’s latest from the CLG – see anything that might create a real improvement at LBTH ?
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/response-to-inaccurate-reports-of-censoring-councils
Every time we ask the CLG about local authority incompetence, abuses, neglect and undemocratic behaviour, all we ever get is the CLG standard response of its a local matter because its democratically decided by local people.
If I were PM, one of my first 30 priorities would be to create an effective regulator of local government to whom the public can complain. The LGO is a sick yet expensive joke and a scandalous waste of scarce public funds.
Another would be establish an agency to licence all staff including contractors working in local government on salaries of £50K and more. The public desperately need quality and and end to sub-standard but expensive crap.
Its just that I think local government should love the public, should want to improve the public’s live and should genuinely serve the public. LBTH is an excellent example of gross local government failure. Other examples exist all over England.
Curious Cat.
P.S. I want to be mayor so I can kick the arses of those failing to serve the public properly with dignity and respect.
P.P.S. I’d get a cheap second hand car rather than a Limo plus a moped for the dry days: -)
I must living in a different Tower Hamlets then most here because I honestly do not see failures everone keeps banging on about.
What I see is the most extensive house building programme in London, every school in the borough being renovated, the best urban schools in UK, massive regeneration of public spaces and parks. The poor being protected from cuts in benefits, young children being offered grants to stay in education. Front line services including adults and social care being protected under huge squeeze in local government funding. Some of the best libraries in UK and where other boroughs are closing them TH are opening new ones. Regeneration of public and faith buildings. Etc etc..
These are all facts most of it reported in local and national media.
The achievements of TH under difficult financial and paralysing political situation is nothing short of miracle. And all you bunch moaners can talk about is press statements, pointless council meetings and bloody advertising boards.
I would rather have a decent house to live, good schools for my kids, well equipped libraries, nice park for me to sit in, clean streets etc etc…
Pickles is not doing anything because he knows there is nothing he needs to do, there is nothing he can do. He knows his fat Tory arse is not needed in TH.
Lutfur is a great Mayor surrounded by morons. Imagine what he could have acheived if he had half decent cabinet and a supportive council.
I hope after the next election he remains our dear leader and finds some good people to work with.
Imran (aka Mark Seddon)
=> Good morning Imran or may I call you Mark Seddon ?
To be an effective leader in any profession or activity, one must be prepared to take unpopular and difficult decisions for the good of, in this instance, the public and businesses of the LBTH.
If Mr Rahman is truly aware that he is, as you describe, surrounded by he would – if he had any intelligence and leadership qualities – have ditch his moronic baggage a long, long time ago.
Mr Rahman hasn’t rid himself of morons, so he must inevitable be one. Remember the English saying
Birds of a feature flock together
I’m sick to death of spin doctors deliberately telling lies and distorting the truth. LBTH is definitely not the wonderful place you claim. How much are you being paid for the propaganda or what to you expect to gain from all the crap you are actively promoting ?
ITS TIME TO START CLEANING-UP LOCAL GOVERNMENT so lets start with the dreadful LBTH.
Bollocks. Pickles knows the massive extent of sub-standard LABOUR local authorities dragging down this country. To claim nothing needs improving in the LBTH is sheer nonsense. Sub-standard Labour, as usual, has plunged this country into the depths of
* over-immigration – Labour’s 1947 achievement on the Indian sub-continent
* Corruption, incompetence and rampant abuses within local government especially with £1/4 if not £1/2 million pay-offs for top officials when scandals hit the headlines.
People don’t want much. They just want a council that loves them a little bit and which wants to make their lives better. Instead we get the Tower Hamlets rulers throwing breadcrumbs at the public while the abusers misuse our money They are taking the piss yet the public have no legal redress.
Mr Rahman was Labour. His rise and eventual fall shows how little Labour genuinely cares about the public – except at election time when they really aggressively want everyone’s vote.
The best local government is free of all national political parties. Its truly a residents affair without the unsavoury whiffs of purifying politics.
Curious Cat
Got to go. Bach is playing on Radio 3.
I agree with most of what you said curious cat, though not sure about people wanting a council ‘to love them’. I think you’re a little too lonely at Christmas. Have a merry Christmas Cat and everyone here. Hope you all have a wonderful day tomorrow.
=> Imran,
It is delightfully surprising how beneficial a warm smile and a bit of admiration, friendship and even liking or ‘love’ can transform people and their lives.
People need to belong to a community which genuinely cares about them. English councils despise the public whilst top officials and most councillors care more about themselves than they do about the public’s well-being.
Local government is often a repository for sub-standard workers lacking essential skills and a genuine commitment to serving the public. That is why a qualification of competence and ability is needed for all on £50K or more and a licence to practice. Those who grossly fail in one council should never get the usual inflated ‘early retirement’ payment or redundancy pay-off of £1/4 or even £1/2 million. Instead they should forfeit their licence to practise in local government.
HAPPY CHRISTMAS TO EVERYONE INCLUDING THE MAYOR AND HIS BUDDIES AND ESPECIALLY EVERYONE READING THIS FORUM.
I’m going to snuggle-up with a warm, soft, gorgeous and cuddly kitten 🙂
Curious Cat.
Mark, I really can’t add much to what CCat has said but I am wondering whether you have ever set foot in Tower Hamlets. I know your political views differ to mine but it would help if you opened your eyes to the bribery, the corruption, the huge pay-offs, the obvious sinecures and the political favouritism in the borough. And, for the people, the deceit and self-promotion amongst the politicians, the overt racism, the pot-holed streets, the high rate of crime and violence, the litter and dog mess that is strewn everywhere … the list goes on.
I remain grateful that I have no need to contact social services or the local education authority but, given your inaccuracies on everything else, I have no cause to think that the picture there is any more rosy than elsewhere, and some way from being the paradise of which you speak.
Do you live in the real world, or some make-believe land?
Tim.
Your original theory that the original press release was approved by someone senior has been confirmed with the FOI response available at :
https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/statement_regarding_anjem_choudh#incoming-474261
I had the same FOI response on this issue yesterday. That they’re covering up who was responsible stinks. The language used in both authorisation emails is remarkably similar (“good to go”). One was signed by Takki and the other has been redacted. But such similar language!
I wonder if they try redacting this info to councillors. Let’s see.