Election fraud in Tower Hamlets.
An east London mayor has been removed from office and a poll declared void after he was found guilty of electoral fraud.
An Election Commissioner concluded Tower Hamlets mayor Lutfur Rahman breached election rules and must vacate his post immediately.
Four voters alleged he used “corrupt and illegal practices” in last year’s election, which must now be re-run.
Mr Rahman, who denied any wrong-doing, has been banned from standing again.
Election Commissioner Richard Mawrey said it was a big mess, caused by one guy’s ruthless ambition.
Mawrey also described Bangladesh-born Mr Rahman as an “evasive and discursive witness whose evidence was untruthful on occasion” and suggested he had played “race” and “religious” cards.
Mr Rahman ran a “ruthless and dishonest campaign to convince electorate his rival John Biggs was a racist”, Mr Mawrey said.
That sounds familiar. It sounds like George Galloway, among others.
BBC News correspondent Sarah Campbell said the Election Commissioner had upheld a number of the allegations, including:
- Voting fraud: ballots were double-cast or cast from false addresses
- False statements made against Mr Rahman’s rival Mr Biggs
- Bribery: grants approved to organisations which Mr Rahman favoured, most of which were run by Bangladeshi groups
- Treating: providing free food and drink to encourage people to vote for Mr Rahman
- Spiritual influence: voters were told that it was their duty as Muslims to vote for Mr Rahman.
That’s interesting. I wonder if that allegation has ever been made about an Anglican candidate, and if so if it has ever succeeded. In the US candidates do that as a matter of routine, of course.
[T]he Election Commissioner said that Tower Hamlets First was “never really a party but the alter ego of Lutfur Rahman”.
Again, reminiscent of Galloway and “Respect.” And some other examples I can think of.
That would seem to invalidate just about every election in the USA.
I’m guessing that would, too.
And the conservative Christian equivalent should invalidate all GOP election successes.
Islamophobia.
According to his spokesperson (his deputy I believe) on the news earlier.
The islamophobic judge fell for the islamophobic prosecutors presentation of islamophobic evidence.
I’m paraphrasing but not by a whole lot, she did call the judge and the prosecutors islamophobic. I’m wondering if that might be criminal contempt.
The last time a charge of spiritual influence was used was in the 18th C when they prosecuted an Irish priest for saying that god wanted the congregation to vote for a particular candidate.
I’ve mentioned (probably banged on) about the Biraderi voting system, but this is exactly why. Tower Hamlets is the borough to the south of me and its run by exactly the same Labour organisation that was in charge of selecting candidates in TH.
We had a mayor who had a son who was also a mayor and another son who I will bet anything will soon be our mayor. They hand out catering contracts , building contract , employment initiative money with fuck all over sight from the national Labour party who don’t care because we will 100% return a Labour MP as they have 30% of the electorate locked in.
£30,000 was spent by our last Mayor on a “diversity banquet”, and all the auditors could find was a single receipt that said “supply food for banquet £30,000”!
Ophelia, I don’t know if its irony (ie: you are aware) or just your spooky spider sense but Gorgeous Georges last parliamentary seat before he saw greener pastured up north was Bethnal Green and Bow, which is basically the northern half of the London borough of Tower Hamlets.