| Tower Hamlets: Labour hits the road News came through on Friday evening that Labour has expelled eleven of its members in Tower Hamlets members for consorting with Lutfur Rahman, the candidate selected by the local party but then replaced by the National Executive Committee - those expelled include eight Councillors. On Saturday, the party held a rally in support of their new candidate Helal Abbas. The well-connected John Gray reports that 28 still-Labour Councillors were among the throng, along with a couple from Newham. One of the Tower Hamlets contingent, Rachael Saunders, tweeted that: Every Labour candidate for the mayoral selection was there to support Abbas - Biggs, Shiria, Rosna, Michael [Keith] and Siraj all there.That's not a bad show of unity after the turbulence of the selection process. I'm told that Bethnal Green and Bow MP Rushanara Ali, who was among those who asked the NEC to intervene, made a rousing speech in which she characterised the mayoral campaign as an opportunity to see off Respect once and for all. Labour, unsurprisingly, is characterising Rahman as an independent in name only. The Rahman camp, equally unsurprisingly, denies that their man is the Respect candidate in disguise. I've been urged to publish the full text of Ali's speech, and will do if and when someone kindly sends it to me.It will be interesting to see if Ken Livingstone hits the streets in support of Abbas before election day of 21 October. I'm far from the first to notice that his statement on the Tower Hamlets contest has a rather flexible quality. Here's the heart of it: The reality is that the Labour vote is going to be divided between the candidate imposed by the NEC Helal Abbas and Lutfur Rahman, the candidate chosen by Tower Hamlets party members, who is now standing as an independent. I do not want to see the Tories able to exploit this situation. That is the last thing we need. As the London Labour party's email to members this week points out, the Conservatives have already won seats on the council.We need to ensure that once this election is over the local community in Tower Hamlets can unite around whoever is Mayor in order to get the best for the borough. Given the electoral system in this contest the position is clear: all those voting for Helal Abbas or Lutfur Rahman must use their second preference votes for the other to ensure there is no Tory or LibDem win in Tower Hamlets.I hope both Helal Abbas and Lutfur Rahman will ask their supporters to use their second preferences for each other to demonstrate that it is possible for politics in this borough to move forward following the election.Not a snow cat's chance in Hell on that last point I'd say, Ken, and any tiny hope of a warm welcome in Tower Hamlets Labour circles has surely evaporated too. Michael Keith, Jim Fitzpatrick and many others from those parts are not members of the Livingstone fan club. What's his game? Is he trying to keep the anti-war, Respect-leaning part of his mooted non-Tory voter coalition onside? Is he just thumbing his nose? Hmm.I'm told that in his new role as an NEC member Ken intends objecting to the way the Rahman affair was handled. I find it hard to imagine that his fellow newly-elected member Oona King, who won great support from Tower Hamlets Councillors for her valiant but unsuccessful mayoral selection campaign against Ken, will be urging him on. As recently as May, Tower Hamlets Labourites were questioning Ken's loyalty. That arm around George Galloway's shoulder has not been forgotten.LondonLondon politicsKen LivingstoneOona KingDave Hillguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds guardian.co.uk |
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