Below is a letter that Labour’s John Biggs has sent to a few local papers in which he criticises Ken Livingstone’s support for Lutfur Rahman.
John lost of course by some 3,000 second round votes in May to Lutfur. He remains a London Assembly member for the City & East constituency.
He is also likely to be called and cross-examined as a witness for the Tower Hamlets election petitioners in the forthcoming court hearing.
That hearing, by the way, is likely to start at the end of January. It could well last between two and three months, which would mean any mayoral election re-run taking place after May’s general election.
It’s not at all certain, of course, who would contest such a re-run. Were Lutfur to lose the hearing he might be barred from office. It could be, however, that the judge rules the actual count unlawful, but that it was not Lutfur’s fault. In that case, Lutfur might be free to stand again.
Would John Biggs want to contest a re-run anyway? Would the party locally or regionally want him to?
Would Lutfur want to stand again?
He seems to be trying to raise/improve his national profile at the moment as a darling of the Left. He’s changed his Twitter photograph to show a more workmanlike down-to-earth image: tie loosened, shirt sleeves rolled up.
And the people who write his Tweets for him are concentrating far more on national, as opposed to local, political and social issues.
I’ve written on here a few times about the internal battle within his Tower Hamlets First party over who might stand against Rushanara Ali in Bethnal Green and Bow next May.
Speculation has previously centred on Abjol Miah (who still encourages people to “vote Respect” on Twitter), Rabina Khan and possibly Ohid Ahmed.
But I wonder whether Lutfur himself might be interested?
[He has wanted to become an MP for many years. It was during his campaign to become Labour’s PPC for the seat in 2007, when Rushanara eventually triumphed, that he fell out with his “friend” Helal Abbas. Here’s a letter he wrote to my former paper, the East London Advertiser in March 2007.]
Were Lutfur to stand next May, it would mean campaigning during the period of the Election Court…when his expensively assembled legal team could be making headlines for him.
Curious and curioser…
Anyway, here’s Jogn Biggs’s letter:
I have great respect for the achievements of Ken Livingstone, and was proud to have worked alongside him for eight years at City Hall. His vision for London is, in my view, unmatched.
The Olympics, massive transport investment, and a focus on policing which helped to restore public confidence, would not have happened without him.
His focus on the plight of those on low incomes, and on helping people to get the skills they need for employment and to help themselves, was a vital part of his work too.
While not everything he did was right, a lot was and his successor, Boris Johnson, has coasted on his achievements, unwisely reversing some while, as with the Olympics, Crossrail and police numbers, brazenly trying to claim credit for others (even while, in some cases, undermining them).
Ken’s genuine passion for our City made him, in my view, a great and visionary London Mayor.
And I pay great respect also to his work while at the GLC. In particular he will be remembered for his work on equalities, challenging discrimination and disadvantage faced by many simply because of their race, gender, sexuality, physical ability or the disadvantage or poverty of their background.
At the time he was attacked as dangerously left wing and ‘politically correct’. Nowadays those views are generally seen as part of proper mainstream thinking – not about a free lunch, but about a greater fairness.
Again, not everything he did was right but his legacy is solid.
However, he is absolutely wrong in his recent comments about Tower Hamlets politics.
Politics is about passions, strong opinions and different priorities. However, his representation of Tower Hamlets Mayor Lutfur Rahman as a victim of a stitch up is just plain wrong.
I and others am proud to have played a part in helping East Enders from different backgrounds and cultures to have access to power.
But we are in a different age now – people who are in power have a duty to act properly, and high standards apply to everyone.
The local Mayor, who has, I am sure, many positive qualities, has seriously failed the East End and Ken does nobody a service, in any community, by pretending it is someone else’s fault.
While Ken Livingstone and a small minority of those who claim to be on the Left, believe Lutfur Rahman is a victim, in my view, and that of many, many others, it is the people of Tower Hamlets, including in the Bengali community, who are the victims of his misuse of power in the Town Hall.
I am proud to have worked with Ken but disappointed that he is unwilling to see this. He is at risk of the classic error of the Left, of fighting internal battles and living in the past.
We need to move on from this.
John Biggs AM (and 2014 Tower Hamlets Labour Mayor Candidate)
Trial by Jeory 
Much to comment on in this post Ted, but I like Biggs’s closing line; “We need to move on from this”. Tower Hamlets needs to move on from corruption, deceit and theft. Those who are responsible for the current mess need to be purged and we need something rather better to replace them with.
How that happens, and what happens to the dross that needs to be disposed of, is a matter of debate. I, for one, will be happy to see them go – as go they must.
Tim.
Has anyone ever before seen a defeated election candidate behaving in such an obsessive, sour-faced manner so long after the election?
Biggs is no friend of mine but, given there is good reason to suspect he had the election stolen from him by an inferior and fraudulent candidate, I’m impressed by his demeanour.
What would you do if you were in his shoes OF1?
Tim.
Gordon Brown? Ted Heath?
According to the LBTH website: “Tower Hamlets Council has been shortlisted for a prestigious Clean Britain Award for its innovative work towards keeping the borough clean.” I wish the Mayor and his cabinet would start by taking a long, hard look in the mirror.
To quote from Gloria “Go. Walk out the door. Turn around now. You’re not welcome anymore”
So Rahman for MP and Rabina Khan for Mayor perhaps? He would do less harm as MP than as Mayor that is for sure.
(Ok Now for my coco and East End Lies)
Where can I tell the judges about all the litter on the streets of Tower Hamlets that I see on a regular basis when walking to the tube?
I think it unlikely Lutfur would want to swap the mayoral suite for a seat on the Commons backbenches. As the sole TH First MP he would cut a pretty lonely and powerless figure. He’d be unlikely to be appointed to any select committees and I can’t imagine the Mr Speaker Bercow calling him early to contribute to big debates. His ability to influence anything of substance would be severely constrained.
Plus the local MP doesn’t get their name and picture plastered all over everything that moves (and much that doesn’t) in Tower Hamlets.
I suppose he could point to Boris and say he’d combine both jobs…
He’d love the expenses (although he’d have to lose the chauffeured car – there is nowhere to park it unless he wants to pay through the nose for street parking or the car park on College Green.)
I couldn’t disagree more Oldford1.
John Biggs was dealt several blows below the belt during the election and yet didn’t cry foul. For instance, I had THF candidates stand at my door saying he had been kicked out of the Labour Party for racism, which was an utter, 100% lie. He fought a clean campaign, whilst his opponents dished out lie after lie.
Ken and George’s comments at the Lotus rally were appalling.
Ted, I too noticed how Lutfur has started to sound off (on twitter and the Huffington Post) about national politics in much the same way as Boris has of late and we all know where Boris is aiming for!
The quote is from 2007 when Rahman was still in the labour party. Now he has nowhere to go politically although I wouldn’t put it past him to stand in BG&B which will be interesting if Galloway, after his support for Rahman, also stands.
O yes Ken K-newt gave us ‘bendy buses’ which saw 20 police every two weeks for years pulling off an average of 10 fare dodgers/criminals per bus.
plus the massive theft of phones / wallets, the misery that drivers went through even driving the wretched behemoths – And we were delivered bed bugs & airborne TB courtesy of KL.
Are you high?
The rate of fare dodging on bendy buses was slightly higher (but not terribly higher) than double deckers.
Bendy buses moved people through London at a much quicker rate than current buses and were fit for purpose.
I have seen no figures about thefts being higher on them.
As for TB, keep your tin foil had on.
This letter from Biggs about Livingstone is disgusting. What a creep? The pair of them. Livingstone was a two time loser and so will Biggs be if he stands again. I have never seen such sycophantic crap.
Livingstone presided over a several million pound theft of money from Londoners through the Lee Jasper scams, public transport was the most expensive in Europe, the bendy buses were a national scandal over the evasion of fares and safety, he apologised on behalf of the white working class of this country for slavery which we had nothing to do with, abused Jews and appeared in public drunk. What a track record. Oh, and as I say, lost twice to a Tory when the capital was moving towards Labour. A loser, like Biggs.
Have you by any chance ever been on trial for something to do with Lee Jasper?
I was very sorry that the bendy buses were got rid, try getting round with a baby in a buggy now there’s only spaces for 2 .
Lots of people liked them but the people that liked them weren’t the ones in the narrative the press peddle
I agree with you entirely: the 25 bus route was transformed with the introduction of fully useable vehicles (instead of double deckers where the many people going short distances especially with shopping and pushchairs would crowd on the ground floor and nobody would – or could- go upstairs.)
Could it be that Mayor Rahman doesn’t fancy his chances of surviving very long once the Commissioners arrive and start asking questions about what’s been going on and stop him handing out grants like dolly mixtures?
Oh, and I forgot welcoming clerics Like Al Karadawi who think it’s OK to beat women and isn’t too keen on Jews and Gays. As I remember more I’ll let you know.
Isn’t his picture the epitome of pure slime? Someone shold tighten his tie till his eyes bulge and he is forced to come clean an spill the beans.
Obviously, I mean in a peaceful way, Ken. Though just enough to make his life intolerable.
When do the Commissioners arrive and who are they? Seems to be taking a long time….. Suppose that’s why Pickles made the Mayor sign an undertaking not to give out more grants, contracts, make appointments etc in the interim period. Staff are desperate. Ted do you know anything ?The man first with the news…..
It’s all very quiet. DCLG will be shortlisting names via consultation with the LGA and political leaders from the main parties. I would imagine availability could be an issue.
Some think having no knowledge at all of LBTH might be an advantage. I’m not convinced on that.
Yet, Ted, why not? There is a culture in the Tower Hamlets politics in-crowd of thinking that Lutfur is the king of the world (even the opposing parties buy into this to some extent). There’s a culture of thinking that if you go east of the Lea or south of the Thames you drop off the edge of the world – or at least that ‘here be dragons’, and that in Tower Hamlets we just do things different. There’s a culture of thinking that if a council officer whose job title may have the initials ‘M.O.’ (or ‘I.M.O.’ as it may be) puts ‘Private and Confidential’ on the top of a letter that ends all debate on any big issue. There’s a lot of buy-in in Tower Hamlets politics – and your blog (this isn’t a criticism by the way) does this too – to a certain mindset, of not wanting to criticise Lutfur & Co too much lest you be accused of racism and Islamophobia, and so on.
Commissioners from outside who can see all this for the bull that it is and operating accordingly, rather than operating on Tower Hamlets terms, can only be good.
One is going to be an election expert.
Personally I’d like to see Barry Quirk, CEO L.B. Lewisham as one of the Commissioners.
He was the Regional Returning Officer for London for the European Elections http://londoneuroelections.org.uk/who-runs-the-election/ At the very least I’d expect him to be sounded out as to who runs an efficient democracy/returning officer regime in London.
Plus he adds in the experienced CEO dimension which will also be required.
He’s extremely experienced, has experience of multi-cultural communities and has been recognised as a leader in relation to the governance and management of local government for some years.
I’d expect him to be regarded as a safe pair of hands. Plus he has the advantage of not being far away for any ‘no notice’ visits! 🙂
Here’s his bio re the Regional Returning Officer post
“Barry Quirk has been Lewisham Council Chief Executive since November 1993. He has worked in local government for over 35 years, with experience in five London councils. Barry is a Visiting Fellow in Social Policy and Politics at Goldsmiths, University of London and is an Associate at the independent Institute for Government. He was awarded a CBE in 2001 for services to London local government.”
Why would one be an election expert? Surely the Commissioners are coming in to exercise the powers given to them by the SoS, around grants, disposals etc. Elections don’t come into that – unless I’m missing something?
It’s already been stated – and I’m sorry I forgot where but it was a government statement – that one would be an election expert.
The Commissioners are coming in because of failures of governance.
The conduct of the last set of elections is one of the areas of governance where LBTH failed big time and was exposed to national ridicule AND was severely criticised by the Election Commissioners in their report
Can you think of another authority in the UK that took five days to report the results of a local election?
The government no doubt thinks that it needs to ensure that the Council provides an adequate response to the criticism already levied at the Council (and we’re still waiting on more reports from the Electoral Commission and the outcome of the Election Court) e.g. proper action plans that are effectively managed and scrutinised.
My take on the matter is that I’m wondering whether the Secretary of State is already aware of factual matters relating to the election which have yet to be reported formally………over and above what we already know about.
It wouldn’t surprise me.
Sounds like the Council meeting tonight will be interesting
Tower Hamlets Mayor Rahman under fire by calls to claw back public funds he dished out
http://www.eastlondonadvertiser.co.uk/news/politics/tower_hamlets_mayor_rahman_under_fire_by_calls_to_claw_back_public_funds_he_dished_out_1_3863429
Do they run the webcam live – or it recorded and then made available?
and the report is here http://www.eastlondonadvertiser.co.uk/news/politics/tower_hamlets_mayor_rayman_told_to_pay_up_after_audit_into_town_hall_spending_1_3864815
I take it the mayor’s front-bench spokesman Alibor Choudhury has not actually read the report or refuses to believe the auditors.
Why do people say the exact opposite of what is reported and expect to be believed?
In the meantime – the cost of the spending on the Mayor’s advisers means that four public nurseries in the borough are going to close.
Somebody should tot up the cost of Rahman’s extravagances and then translate that into the actual cost of funding for services which have been downsized or closed as a result.
John Biggs is such a bigtime loser. He is quite consistent at it. He lost out to Helal Abbas for Labour’s nomination even though he came second to Lutfur in 2010. He lost again and came second to Lutfur in 2014 election. Anyone would have thought that he was quite used to coming second to Lutfur.
Biggs, you need to move on Sir.
When all the enquiries, court cases and investigations have finished into the extremist-linked medieval monarch of Tower Hamlets and his circus, I’m sure Biggs, and the rest of us will gladly move on.
Did Lutfur come second to Rushanara in 2007? If at first you dont succeed…
Good point Ted, but Biggs will never succeed. He does not have the calibre or appeal to be Mayor. He is better off as an assembly member. Nothing much is expected of them anyway. So, Biggs is perfect for that role!
I don’t think he’d have dhown such a cowboy disregard for grant decision processes though.