A day to go and even Radio 4’s Today programme has got in on the act, having just given the Tower Hamlets election its second prime time slot just before the 8pm news.
The tenor of her report was plus ca change: John Biggs facing false allegations on the doorstep that he will close down mosques; accusations by Andy Erlam of possible vote fraud; returning officer John Williams again telling the world we can be confident in the process; Rabina Khan, who has promised to be more transparent than Lutfur, refusing to be interviewed; and every single Bangladeshi voter in the vox pop asserting that Lutfur had been stitched up and that he hadn’t been corruptly elected.
I’m sure Richard Mawrey QC would have been listening with exasperated but unsurprised sighs. Might he be put to work again?
It’s not just Rabina’s campaign which has courted controversy. Peter Golds has been thoroughly enjoying himself but has been let down by a supporter who appeared on one of his leaflets. Rabina’s supporters have unearthed a Facebook posting by a Glen McCarty last year when he felt the need to vent some racist poison after apparently fearing for his wallet walking through Whitechapel. Here’s the posting and and leaflet.
Perhaps he should have a word with Tory activists Ahmed Hussain and Dr Anwara Ali, who pays their taxes. Peter Golds says he’s appalled by it and has asked for an apology. If a Rabina supporter had written something equivalent there would be justifiable fury and that’s the case here as well.
Meanwhile, Rabina yet again failed to attend a hustings last night, this time on the Isle of Dogs. Here’s the seat that was reserved for her:
She has proved to be a crushing disappointment in this regard. She promised to be more accountable than her boss, Lutfur Rahman, to be more transparent, but she’s simply copied his tactics. This is, I suppose, not surprising when her campaign is being run and managed by Lutfur and his former advisers, including Mohamed Jubair of Channel S (remember his name, I think we’re going to hear a bit more about him soon, I reckon).
She claims she’s going to be her own woman if she’s elected. She hasn’t demonstrated anything like that thus far.
John Biggs has been successful getting out Labour’s big guns to campaign: Tessa Jowell has been a regular; Dan Jarvis came last night, Andy Burnham tonight. Less successful has been the party’s attempt getting out hordes of local activists and perhaps this is a reflection of rising rents in Tower Hamlets where there has traditionally been a flow of students to help at times like this.
One final thought for now: Rabina has just been on BBC London radio boasting about her housing record. But during her time as cabinet member for housing, service charges for Tower Hamlets Homes leaseholders in my old patch of Bow have risen by 30%. A significant reason for this has been the costs dumped on Tower Hamlets Homes by the council for various management services and contracts.
I’ve previously asked her about this, but guess what: no response.
Ted are you aware of the Rabina Khan supporter that said that he admired Hitler? Still a school governor I believe.
It beggars belief
What can anyone do if Rabina wins 😦 😦 😦
Move out of this borough….?
Yes, I did, in 2013. Newham has some ‘different’ problems, a narcissistic mayor and no opposition councillors but I feel it’s less polarised and there hasn’t been [so far] a ‘victim narrative’ fed to any section of the residents.
Rabina Khan does do an amazing impression of a total waste of space!
Tower Hamlet’s most famous working Mum has obviously being working so hard to avoid independent media attention and general public scrutiny. She must be exhausted.
If she wins, everyone can expect the same “invisibleness”.
Curious Cat.
“If a Rabina supporter had written something equivalent there would be justifiable fury and that’s the case here as well.”
No there wouldn’t Ted. Because here’s someone who said something far worse:
https://trialbyjeory.com/2015/04/22/another-hitler-salute-from-ahad-miahand-prayers-said-for-mayor-lutfur/
and yet the man remains a school governor and there has been little scrutiny or anger at it at all. As ever, one rule for THF and one rule for everyone else.
That he remains a school governor is a disgrace
Has anyone written to the Commissioners? Shouldn’t he be removed?
Has anybody written to the Chair of the Governors and/or OFSTED?
This is a link to John Kennedy, the OFSTED Regional Director for London https://www.gov.uk/government/people/john-kennedy
The only transparency Rabina Khan has is at hustings – she is positively invisible!
If she wins she won’t have the ear of anyone in City Hall or Westminster. George and Ken are ex-politicians now. We [Tower Hamlets] will be out in the cold, marginalised and will suffer as a result.
The vast majority of the borough are against Tower Hamlets First, but I doubt if enough will get out there and vote.
I ‘experienced’ Rabina whilst we were involved in the THH leaseholder audit [something that never resulted in positive change, incidentally, there’s another clue there]. She is very pleasant and gives that modern politician’s impression of ‘caring about your issues’ [they all do] but nothing much seems to happen afterwards.
So that may be a blueprint of Rabina as mayor?
Sorry where is the statement from Peter golds distancing himself from his racist supporter?
Not that I condone the posting of Golds’ supporter, but let’s get some perspective here. THF supporters are a vile, racist, misogynistic, anti Semitic and offensive buck, yet they were allowed to take over council meetings for years under Lutfur and Alibor. The abuse and intimidation was horrendous.
I think the main thing this election had highlighted is that a vote for Rabina, is a return to the bad old days of the former disgraced mayor.
I have a feeling that she will be shown the door. No doubt the cries of racism will be rife.
I only hope that further investigations are completed properly, and if criminal activity of this, and relevant flouts of democracy law lead to appropriate convictions.
Who knows, there may be another 17 by-elections in the near future….
“i’m not a racist but….”
I don’t remember any racists being quoted on official election literature with THF. I suspect the lack of condemnation from Peter Golds is because he broadly agrees with said racist.
=> Toole,
Your is definitely not solid proof.
Your lack of memory (because you are ) also weakens your protest.
Why not contact Peter Golds campaign office and ask for a copy of whatever he has issued about the matter ?
Curious Cat
No, THF just put Nazi supporters up for council elections. That’s much better.
What are your views on this Toole?
@curiouscat
oh really do you offer rabina khan the same courtesy when you slur her and then condemn her for a lack of response?
Peter Golds’ lack of public condemnation can only mean he agrees with his racist supporter.
Oh, and Rabina refuses to attend the vast majority of hustings. Focusing her precious time on one area of the borough. Isn’t this perhaps a little racist?
@grimreaper
I have been told THF are ‘appalled by said candidate and have asked for an apology’. that’s as good as Peter Golds has done right? so all is well in the world.
Rushanara Ali did not attend the vast majority of hustings during the general election campaign. did that make her racist?
Not forgetting her lies to the Rainbow Hamlets group. A homophobe and a liar…..she really is the spawn of Lutfur.
I wonder what lovely inclusive, accepting and moderate views her chums at the IFE have?
I’m guessing that Toole is cut from the same rotten, deluded cloth…..
Toole – and what did the THF candidate do when caught? He lied that both his Twitter and Facebook accounts had been hacked.
Liars, crooks, racists, homophobes, misogynists and fraudsters. Have I left any of THF out? The recent recent texting scandal is another nail in their political coffin, we hope…..
Toole,
Where O Where has Tower Hamlets outstanding and publicly engaged working Mum gone ?
Surely she is not hiding from the non-Bangladeshi members of the local public ?
I would like to discus the many serious issues adversely affecting the London Borough of Tower Hamlets with Rabina but every public meeting has been unexplainable deprived of her wonderful presence.
Who wants to look at the other candidates, and indeed talk with them, when the real star of Tower Hamlets has fled the scene ?
I begin to wonder if Rabina is a real living person and not a figment of everyone’s imagination.
Tomorrow is the dreadfully awaited Voting Day.
If Rabina wins, God help everyone because I honestly think Rabina won’t.
Curious Cat.
It’s all so fucking depressing.
Yes. It really is 😦 😦 😦
I see Dave Hill has weighed in again with his own very particular and selective version of facts and events
http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/davehillblog/2015/jun/10/tower-hamlets-the-rise-and-fall-lutfur-rahman
I think he needs to widen his eyes to the fact that Tower Hamlets actually has a very diverse population and a lot of them are coming out to vote on Thursday!
like they did in 2010 and 2014
Indeed!
In 2010 there were 44,985 votes cast (25.6% of the electorate)
In 2014 there were 84,234 votes cast (47.58% of the electorate)
Still some way short of the turnout at the General Elections.
that’s because local elections never have the same turnout as generals. does not make them any less legitimate.
Proven fraud. Wakey wakey!
And they’re at it again.
I dread to think how many of the 2014 votes were due to fraud and/or intimidation.
Whatever your political persuasion, it’ll be interesting to watch things unfold.
It strikes me that there are a number of interesting variables at play
* the agents for both the Conservatives and Labour Candidates have delivered a much more active campaign and more extensive canvassing
* with UKIP imploding in London the 7k votes that their candidate got in 2014 might possibly be up for redistribution.
* I simply refuse to believe that every single person who voted for the ex-Mayor last time would vote the same way this time.
* who knows what the size of the corrupt vote was…….? I too wondered how far much that increased vote in 2014 was due to the dodgy electoral malpractices.
* I think a lot of people will vote tactically tomorrow irrespective of what their true views are
BTW Dave Hill might want to ask the ex Mayor whether he would be allowed to fight the result of the last court case before he has paid for the petitioners’ legal expenses
He may have sold a house to pay his own expenses – but the judgement made clear that he’s he also liable for the expenses of the plaintiffs and he’s got to pay their costs too.
My vague recollection is that you don’t get to go back to court if you’ve got unpaid legal costs in your name.
Hmmm – it appears some people don’t like the financial facts of life.
I’ve found reassurance for my understanding of what happened at the end of the case.
Naturally the ex-Mayor has to pay his own legal costs – however much they were
However he was also ordered by Mawrey to pay into Court a £250,000 downpayment on the plaintiffs legal costs by a specific date.
I’m guessing the Court Assessors http://www.justice.gov.uk/courts/rcj-rolls-building/senior-courts-costs-office are currently doing a detailed Assessment of the size of the Plaintiff’s legal costs to arrive at the final bill.
back in 1986 Labour canvassers were telling Bangla votes that Jeremy Shaw was Salman Rushdie in disguise… nothing changes… and it won’t if you think Labour is the answer.
Fortunately we don’t all live in the past.Rabina’s corrupt version of politics is not the answer either.
One explanation for Rabina Khan’s failure to attend the hustings could be that she doesn’t want to win, or is ambivalent about winning. She might not fancy 4 years of being manipulated by the Lutfurites who are backing her. she might think that she has more chance of returning to The Labour Party, which if you read the trial account is clearly what Lutfuri thought he was going to be able to do, by remaining just a Councillor. If she has any serious political ambition she has to belong to one of the major parties, she is relatively young and far more media appealing than Lutfur. If she won the election she would have great difficulty getting into mainstream politics in the medium term future, plus the Lutfurites will probably dump her if a more appealing male turns up by the next election, or who knows the mayoral post could be voted out by referendum She’s not tied to Tower Hamlets, she’s from Rochester, if she lost she could easily move and slip back into the Labour Party. If I were Rabina I’d be hoping Biggsy wins.
I agree. Rabina should move on, the further the better and never come back.
A good insight.