This extraordinary ‘interview’ with Rabina Khan has been published on YouTube and is being actively promoted on social media by her supporters.
The interviewer, Aaron Bastani, is not a journalist but some kind of political activist who runs a media company called Novara Media.
The video is six minutes long and worth watching if only for the fun factor. When I watched it I got the impression that even Rabina was a little embarrassed by the softball questioning. “What does it say about Labour that the ‘fightback’ begins against a Left-wing anti-austerity woman?” is Aaron’s penetrating opening gambit.
I’ll let you count how many times he asks about the Election Court trial and corruption. Toe-curling. In fact, it took Rabina herself to raise the issue of Lutfur Rahman. “He has his issues, I have my own way of going forward,” she tells Aaron.
Aaron, possibly unaware of the careers of Pola Uddin or Rushanara Ali, for example, or that Rabina was the only female councillor in Lutfur’s team, also suggests that Labour has a problem with “Muslim women” who want to progress from being mere “footsoldiers” for the party to becoming leaders in positions of power. Does he have a point? From my many years of following Tower Hamlets politics, I think it’s more to do with a lack of talent to be honest. Male and female. Of all faiths and none. And on that point, I think Rabina would have been cleverer to decline such a fawning interview. Her supporters in the Bengali media are promoting it but I think it just insults the intelligence of the viewer.
A second video of Rabina was also published today on eastlondonlines.co.uk, the site run by student journalists at Goldsmiths College. I’m going to be nice to them because they do much good work. And in any case, they don’t pretend it’s an interview. Here it is.
In other developments, as predicted, John Biggs has announced he would appoint three deputy mayors: Rachael Saunders, Sirajul Islam and Shiria Khatun.
Various people who have been out campaigning tell me that they detect less of a buzz on the doorstep about Rabina compared with Lutfur, but that John will still find it difficult to attract Lutfur voters anyway. I’m also told that many in the Bengali media believe that had Labour selected a Bangladeshi candidate this time, they’d far surer of a win. Tower Hamlets, eh.
Trial by Jeory 
There is no trace of Novara Media on any company search data base and Aaron Bastani isn’t a director of any UK company. Looks like a vanity project that has beens and wannna bees appear on.
It’s all about the Labour party. Lutfur would never have made it about us. He always made it about himself.
Look at Aaron’s mimics…….. He definitely is not a seasoned interviewer……
Slightly comical….the whole thing….but at the same time forgettable …..
Anyway…… Observing the crowd in local Asda tonight….
The percentage will overtake white indigenous people in no time……..
Look at the map of young population……Tower hamlets leads…..
It can not be us against them otherwise it’s gonna be short term.
We have to involve them!
Someone needs to get this mixed society together….. To think together, work together, be responsible together!
Speaking the same language helps!
Actually Kay, the Bangladeshi percentage of the population of Tower Hamlets is dropping as the better off move out having bought and sold or bought and rent the council property. This evidenced by how many of Lutfur’s councillors live in other boroughs.
Also the younger element don’t necessarily follow their parents and this is evidenced in the votes for the non THF parties last time around. I am just worried that the vanity politics parade of candidates we have for the 11th of next month will split the vote and allow Rabina Khan in.
Video 1 makes the mistake about making it all about Labour and not about Rabina Khan. After watching it, I have no idea about what she stands for. Except that Labour got it all wrong when they expelled Lutfur Rahman – I’m sure that he will be proud when watching it…
Technically: The interviewer have the better camera on him, but no microphone attached. He also have a pole running through his head, which is not great.
Ms Khan have the lessor camera not giving her enough crispness/sharpness. Neither does her smile come across as affectionate or caring – although she does not like Labour, she sounds and looks like someone who have taken lessons of former PM Gordon Brown at his worst. The microphone is placed too far away from her mouth and is not directional enough. Not sure about the location, as I don’t think the battle of Cable Street can in anyway be compared with the fact that Ms Khan is no longer a part of a non-existing party.
Video 2 is made by students, so we must be kind and encourage them to do more. The editing could be improved up on, rather than all the out of sync sequences. Biggest critique is the description: “Eastlondonlines exclusively spoke to Rabina Khan about her bid to stand as an Independent for the Tower Hamlets Mayoral Election on June 11.”
Evidently as set out above, Ms Khan have already spoken on other video outlet(s). Unless Eastlondonlines is only intent on interviewing the one candidate?
What is clear is that Ms Khan is not a political operator in the same bracket as her predecessor. However, if the other parties don’t get people out of bed on the day of the election, then she will win whether talking against Labour, for women rights in the borough of flying pink elephants – it makes no difference what comes out of her mouth, if the electorate is tired of taking that journey to the voting box.
When that is said: If Ms Khan wins, is she clean enough of her old party colleagues, not to find herself in a similar high court case to that of Lutfur Rahman?
I think this ranks as one of my favourite comments on this blog! Welcome!
Thank you kindly – happy to be here 🙂
If only Ted could interview (paxman style) both Biggs and Rabina. Now that would be worth watching. Mads of course as camera operator/director/sound recordist.
I am totally game for filming and editing interviews by “Trial by Jeory” with all of the candidates. Although I am not sure that we can get them to show…
2 videos made and circulated during the election campaign. Each video is designed to either promote a candidate or to disparage another candidate.
At what stage do these video’s become election expenses ?
Curious Cat.
That is a real good point. Added to that (although petty minded on my part); one question could be that if Goldsmiths College is financially supported by Tower Hamlets council, should they not be rushing to interview all of the candidates? Or would that breach funding rules and political activities?
There are already a number of allegations about Ms Khan using council resources for her campaign. Still waiting for the Police to make a statement…
Doesn’t that rather depend on whether they were reports by wholly independent outfits (I think we can assume the students come into that category) or self-serving vanity projects?
The thing is to qualify as proper reporting during an election I assume the students will also be interviewing all the rest of the candidates? (Just as Ted allows all the candidates a platform on this blog).
In both videos, both interviewer and interviewee need to learn the value of the short pithy sentence which involves a full stop.
Endless lists and non-stop talking is not good communication – they ‘lose’ people very fast.
Elections are won and lost on soundbites not lists.
I wonder if the teaching of rhetoric could ever make a comeback in our schools?
East London Lines make it clear on their site they will film other candidates
All very interesting but the point about people voting or she will win is the most important which brings us back to vanity candidates posing to bolster their CVs.
Let’s not forget this video of a BBC interview with Rabina Khan following the publication of the damning PWC report
Demonstrating
1) how to avoid answering questions when called to account….
2) how to repeat the same phrase endlessly
She blames Takki Sulaiman for that car crash: he was gesticulating to her as she was going live.
Councillors should NEVER be allowed to do video interviews before they have done media training.
Rabina’s problem is she doesn’t know when to make a short statement and then shut up.
Takki also overstepped the mark of what a Head of a Communications should do by a very long way.
Any Head of Communications who involves himself in mentoring and briefing to make a politician look good (i.e. serving the wellbeing and political future of a politician) deserves to be sacked. That’s the job of the media people who look after the political parties. Maybe this is another example of how Tower Hamlets First didn’t quite get it together?
The job of Head of Communications is to serve the Council and the people of the borough of Tower Hamlets. It’s NOT about stopping the politicians from making a fool of themselves or to serve their political ends or defend them against their own political incompetence.
That’s why Peter Mandelson in his spin doctor era was employed by the Labour Party and not by the government.
Takki well and truly blurred the line between political and civic responsibilities for communication.
One of the things I’d like to have an answer to is how much of the budget of the Communications Team under Takki Sulaiman was spent making the Mayor and Tower Hamlets First look good in a political sense as opposed to highlighting Council achievements.
Contrast for example the website and East End Life as we see them now (i.e. normal) compared to how they were before (political communications)! It seems to me that it’s a reasonable interpretation that the difference is what was publicly funded political campaigning – and that’s not allowed. It should certainly come back and “bite somebody on the bum”!
As to the matters under discussion – I think I’m correct in saying that these are now the subject of a police investigation which I think is looking at fraud and corruption beyond the ballot box. (Ted knows better than me where things are up to on that front).
If that’s the case and we end up with another Court case on criminal matters relating to fraud and corruption, I guess there’s a good chance we may well see the ex-Mayor and all his “collective responsibility” Cabinet members back in Court.
That BBC video is a complete car crash for Ms Khan. She needs to lighten up and be connected with the camera (viewer) through-out.
I haven’t seen this clip before, but based on that: If Ms Khan wins the election, there are enough evidence to suggest that she as a supporter Lutfur Rahman was involved in decisions around “selective” grants and selling off property – I’m guessing that this will end back in the High Court.
Unless the other candidates pulls their finger out of their backsides and start creating a narrative for a positive future council without corruption and greasing the hands of friends…
Novara Media
Website http://www.NovaraMedia.com
Facebook: NovaraMedia
Twitter: @novaramedia
Aaron Bastani
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bastani
Yes Jay Kay, I found that out in a couple of minutes. I was making reference to their status corporate or rather the lack of it. I am always interested in who pays for what and how. Did Ms Khan pay and if so how?
Good for you.
A Bastini? Sounds like offensive slang.
In effect he’s a blogger with a camera. He has no status at all. It’s a vanity project – not quite sure who it was trying to aggrandise most though.
Rabina Kahn has a history of vanity projects. All her books were published by herself not by a proper publisher.
The problem with vanity publishing is that comes without the benefit of any independent assessment of worth and value by an editor or a proper publishing house. It can give people an over-inflated sense of their own self-importance.
Re Rabina’s Vanity Publishing – it looks as if the Council may have had some involvement in paying for that too! I wonder if it got a grant?
See the following statement about Monsoon Press (which published Rabina’s books)
http://www.towerhamletsarts.org.uk/?cat=29&cid=29387&guide=Organisations
This is what it says on a page of the Tower Hamlets website
Apparently Monsoon Press is now dissolved Rabina is listed as having been both a Director and the Company Secretary – in other words she ran the company which publisher her books.
http://companycheck.co.uk/company/06276926/MONSOON-PRESS-LIMITED/directors-secretaries
Company Status Company is dissolved
SIC Code 90030
Business Activity Artistic creation
Company Number 06276926
Type Private Ltd By Guarantee w/o Share Cap
Country of Registration GB Previous
Name No Previous Names
Read more at: http://companycheck.co.uk/company/06276926/MONSOON-PRESS-LIMITED/company-summary
I wonder if he’s ever had funding from Lbth? Perhaps an foi should follow?
I’m not sure if the first video is a spoof, it’s that badly made, and Rabina comes across as such a dimwit.
I particularly like the constant references to ‘core’ values. As Rabina, like the rest of THF are rotten to it, I can only assume that’s what she means.
Finally, I love the way that the I interviewer references the 3 most important places in the UK – Tower Hamlets, Birmingham and Bradford. Perhaps Khan should put that as her logo:- Rabina Khan – big in Tower Hamlets, Birmingham and Bradford? Let’s face it, we know that she only wants to represent one group of people.
On another subject, it didn’t take long for her cronies at the council to start delivering her leaflets, did it? Has this woman has no shame? Well, as she has used glowing endorsements from the disgraced former Mayor on her ‘independent’ election literature, I think we can deduce the answer to that question…
Then again, let’s face it – the Lbth Labour Party are cut from the same cloth. They’re to blame for this entire rotten fiasco, and this bunch of reprobates who’ve milked the public fur years!
Her election leaflet is a joke. There is a quote from Gary of Limehouse who says she has ‘helped my community to no end.’
Assuming this was a typo that was never spotted, it is offensive and probably untrue. Gary does not speak for an entire community and cannot say she has helped every member of his community, whoever that may be, unless he as asked them all.
He also claims to be disabled but seems very able to get around with Rabina.
Gary speaks the truth. She will help his community to no end! She certainly helped herself to maximum expense remuneration.
I wonder if she’ll be ferrying him around in her lovely taxpayer funded fleet of taxis? After all, she is an independent Muslim woman, Innit!
First of all does Gary exist? Actually the phraseology is unusual today but was a common way of a white working class person expressing themselves forty or so years ago.
Yes. He does exist. His name is Gary Reddin and you can view his facebook profile here: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100005379108367&fref=ts
You can also read Gary’s tweets here @ReddinGary
Grim Reaper. You are correct in your last paragraph about Labour. Some writers of late have started to deal with how Labour in certain inner city areas did deals with traditional or self appointed ” community ” leaders to deliver votes.
The upshot of all of this was that these communities, all from various parts of the Indian sub continent, learned how to organise and to use their collective power to get what they wanted.
For a while this section branched out into a subsidiary business called Respect but have now rejoined the original company by buying shares in Labour Ltd which is only to happy to have them as shareholders once again!
I cannot recommend too highly two books that discuss these and other related subjects. ” The British Dream ” by David Goodhart and ” From Fatwa to Jihad ” by Kennan Malik. The mere fact that Polly Toynbee and Seamus Milne along with the rest of Al Gruaniad don’t like them is endorsement enough. Enjoy.
Talking of professional programmes about East London and Bangladeshis, in a couple of weeks the last of the Secret History of Our Streets is due to be repeated on BBC4, I think, between 8 and 9 pm. The whole series was a delight and won all sorts of awards.
The series looked at six inner city streets and areas and how they had changed over a hundred or so years from poverty stricken slums to the highly des res places they are now.
The last is about Arnold Circus in Shoreditch which was the first purpose built council estate in the UK and possibly Europe. The film shows the entry of the Bangladeshis to Tower Hamlets and how their squatting movement forced the Tory run GLC to accept the idea of areas that were, at the time, unsafe for Asians and in effect to create the Bangladeshi East End as it is now.
It has been shown several times over the last three years from when the series was first screened but the significance now of course is the current interest in how inner city organised Asian communities can dominate certain areas.
Some internet wizard might be able to find it on the net, I have tried, and put it up otherwise we will have to wait a couple of weeks.
Many believe both Biggs and Golds have seriously underestimated the voting intentions of council tenants with their stance on Tower Hamlets Homes.Golds, who i believe would do a good job,cutting out waste across the council has shot himself in the foot by proposing another independent body to replace TTH.This is sheer folly, another recipe for disaster and waste.It would be even more profligate than the current model and considering the colossal waste perpetrated by Cansfield and his multitude of managers this is really saying something.
Biggs on the other hand has promised to dismantle TTH and revert back to the council.But when you consider he was previously part of wasteful Labour councils it could well be” just rearranging the deckchairs ” Candidates have to promise voters, staff here and across the council will be severely cut and all these non jobs we are financing will go.How on earth can it be,when after two thirds of the councils housing stock was transferred to other social landlords there was a 40 % increase in housing staff post transfer!Talk about numerous non jobs created. What on earth is he thinking of to appoint three deputy mayors.More waste,more jobs for the boys.Residents want less council posts,not more.What a idiotic promise.Tell us, Biggs how much more is that going to cost?
Likewise Rabina Khan.There is estate wide distrust of her.As housing chief she allowed TTH to pursue its wasteful agenda Thousands wasted on numerous surveys, so beloved by public bodies,a unhealthy interest and intrusion of residents private lives,the slap dash behavior and methods regarding peoples personal details and data by local offices.
When Rahman constantly portrayed and bleated on and on about being the great defender of the poor and lower paid,Khan as housing chief stood and advised Rahman to impose high rent increases every year of his Mayoral tenure.A fact not forgotten by many.Leading up to the last election Rahman dismayed by all the negativity about TTH even promised a referendum on its future.A vow,no one expected him to keep, had he remained Mayor.
So Biggs and Golds its time to up the ante.To win all those magical votes across the estates no ifs or buts residents want a complete dismantlement of TTH,a cull of non essential posts across the borough and more importantly a rent freeze for a few years.Promise that and your home.
But i repeat please tell us now Mr Biggs,How much is three deputy Mayors going to cost and why you feel they are needed.Seems like local Labour never changes with their complete disregard for our hard earned money.
You make some good points.
What people feel about the performance of all the rented housing bodies in the borough might have a huge impact on votes.
The number of additional homes is marginal compared to rent rises for everybody and the way daily lives have been affected by the performance of organisations right across the borough who fall a long way short of effective.
However any candidate’s promises need to be framed within the context of what they are able to do – otherwise they are just empty promises.
There is no way Tower Hamlets Council is just going to be able to ignore the structures and systems for the way publicly funded housing is financed.
You don’t just get to tear up the rule book!
ANY Councillor who makes promises which assume that
1) current law will be changed or
2) national funding arrangements will make a special exception for Tower Hamlets
has their head well and truly in the clouds where the air is thin and it takes a bit more time to rub two brain cells together.
That’s not correct. Only Biggs has pledged to scrap THH. Golds was more vague and said he would appoint an independent board of THH, not replace THH with another independent body. Rabina will pursue the referendum on THH that Lutfur pledged.
The council pays c.£30m to THH each year as a management fee and residents on THH managed estates pay twice, once through their council tax and again through their service charges, for the same services such as waste collection, just bemuse of where they happen to live. Both Rabina and the Council, that set up THH, have failed to manage it properly and allegations of fraud and corruption at THH have resurfaced again at THH and are gathering traction.
Two articles appeared in the Standard recently alleging corruption at THH and Hackney Homes. There is at least one person now at THH who also worked at Hackney. His name is Jamie Carswell.
Jay Kay,
I’m dubious
residents on THH managed estates pay twice, once through their council tax and again through their service charges, for the same services such as waste collection
Presumably THH is funded by the HRA (Housing Revenue Account) ?
What evidence have you that residents (THH tenants) pay twice for the same ‘service’ ?
CC.
My council tax bill and my service charge bills.
Jay Kay,
Which specific items appear on your services charges that you believe are also included in the Council Tax ?
CC.
This post isn’t about my service chages or council tax.
3 deputy mayors is a total waste, especially when they are the wrong 3 deputy mayors!
Biggs could have chosen one good deputy mayor, he has a few to choose from: Edgar, Mukit, Hassell, etc, even Shiria (as long as she commits to working hard) is not that bad a choice. If she was the one Biggs wanted why didn’t he have the guts or common sense to just choose her? Why 3?
I suppose 3 shoddy deputy mayors might just about equal to one good deputy mayor. I hope the deputy mayor’s salary will be split in 3, a third each, that is all they are worth.
Cynically you could say 3 deputy mayors is all about egos,vanity,power struggles and keeping people on board.
Its a balancing act on a sinking ship.
INTERESTING! Looks like the Electoral Court thing has not yet ended!
Docklands and East London Advertiser article dated 20 May 2015
“Move to sack ex-Mayor Lutfur Rahman’s 17 Tower Hamlets councillors”
Anti-corruption campaigner Azmal Hussain who brought down Mayor Lutfur Rahman in the High Court for election malpractice is now demanding the sacking of 17 Tower Hamlets councillors.
http://www.eastlondonadvertiser.co.uk/news/politics/move_to_sack_ex_mayor_lutfur_rahman_s_17_tower_hamlets_councillors_1_4080927
This is good, very good.
If Azmal Hussain wins his petition should Ms Khan still be allowed to run in the mayoral election?
Fantastic news. As I understand it the petition will seek to have suspended all17 of the remaining ex-THF Councillors to force a by-election in their wards. There’s more info on the Love Wapping site here:
http://lovewapping.org/2015/05/corruptly-elected-thf-councillors-dont-give-up-the-day-job/
As I’ve said all along, if wrongdoing was found, toehold the elections Asian – at the expense of the guilty parties!
The whole election should be re-held again. Not toehold Asians!
I must proof read my iPhone updates! Bad Reaper!
The Election Petition Hearing has ENDED
Too late to start another Election Petition unless a court overrules the established law.
“These councillors should stand down as their party has been banned by the Election Commission,” He told the East London Advertiser last night.
Their Party was not elected. 17 individuals were !
“I am prepared to go before a judge if the Electoral Commission turns down my Letter of Protocol,” he added.
I’m interested but doubtful what a Court might do, and it has to be in the High Court.
Curious Cat.
No need to SHOUT!
Nobody said anything about the Election Petition Hearing – if you care to read the words a bit more carefully.
It’s an interesting move. I don’t know if it will be successful – but it presumably had some chance of success since he makes it very clear he has taken legal advice.
I don’t suppose he’s wasting his money with the latest move if he has absolutely no chance of success.
I’m guessing he’s seeking to establish that if the Electoral Commission fails to act where there is a clear case of injustice then there is an omission in the regulation of elections which either the Electoral Court or the High Court needs to fill – or something along those lines.
New case law is created all the time because people ask the right question in the right way.
Love Wapping is already on the case….
http://lovewapping.org/2015/05/corruptly-elected-thf-councillors-dont-give-up-the-day-job/
Uou couldn’t wrote
I’m guessing he’s seeking to establish that if the Electoral Commission fails to act where there is a clear case of injustice then there is an omission in the regulation of elections which either the Electoral Court or the High Court needs to fill – or something along those lines.
Show me the law which empowers the Electoral Commission to chuck-out elected councillors.
Thanks.
CC.
The reply function is intermittent Ted.
It looks like Gary Reddin is a bit of an obsessive. His facebook page is full of conspiracy theories and when he gave evidence for Rahman at The High Court he was ripped apart. http://www.redflagac.org/news/465 and scroll down. Hilarious!
It appears Reddin is the self-appointed spokesperson for the gay community. On his twitter page he says he’s against homophobia but in his unfailing support for Rabina, he fails to recall the homophobic abuse regularly used at Council meetings by Rahman’s corruptly elected colleagues and supporters in the gallery that Rahman failed to condemn. Perhaps his ‘community’ hadn’t been helped ‘to no end’ at that time.
Reddin also fails to appreciate the racism perpetrated by Rahman by favouring one section of the community. Something else he says he’s against but conveniently forgotten.
He’s clearly being used as a token whitey to support such a bunch of thinly veiled racists.
But let’s face it, Ranina would accept recommendations from Satan himself if it helps her stab at LBTH’s ‘Top Job’!
Fingers crossed, when the dust settles, her and her cronies are struck off, and get a nice holiday at Her Madgesty’s pleasure!
Does anyone know if Stewart Unmadewell gave evidence for Rahman as well?
I saw that too. ICU at St Paul’s.
The following witnesses were much more interesting. Especially the ME4 witness who wrote his statement himself without any requests from anyone but then didn’t know what ME4 in his own statement meant.
CC.
Once again this is the lack of any credible non Bangladeshi support. They have ended up with dick heads who just can’t get the story straight.
I have just tried to get into an election meeting held at Calders Wharf community centre at Island Gardens. I walked in and was immediately told to leave or the police would be called. I was asked to stop recording on my phone (which I wasn’t) and I was then asked to handover my phone to this little heavy who was acting as a not very good bouncer.
As I walked in Lutfur was on his feet addressing the hall which was 100% Asian. Mainly men. Rabina was sat next to Uncle Lutfur leading the clapping like the good little puppet she is.
At no point was I asked who I was or why I was there, it was get out now from the word go.
What lovely people
What was being said? Does anyone have a video or any pics?
Uncle Lutfur and little puppet? I’m assuming you hate them with a passion. Which begs the question, why did you make an effort to go there? If you want to be a spy I suggest you invest in a turban and long robe lol. Better chance of getting in maybe?
Could not understand a word. It was all in Bengali apart from the end when Uncle Lutfur urged everyone in English to vote for Rabina