Mayor Lutfur Rahman wins against the odds

There isn’t a politician in the country that could have achieved what Tower Hamlets’ Mayor Lutfur Rahman achieved in his latest Mayoral victory. Driven out by the Labour Party he had always supported, Rahman was forced to stand as an independent in 2010. He beat Labour’s Bangladeshi candidate during the 2010 Mayoral elections convincingly.

This time Labour and others threw the kitchen sink at Rahman. Their candidate John Biggs, the current Assembly Member fro City and East London was a big hitter. What’s more, Panorama undertook an unprecedented second investigation into allegations of corruption, which the police concluded that there was no evidence of. Alongside the high profile investigations and activities from the party machine, the blogosphere was rampant with anti-Rahman vitriol that sunk to new depths.

The Guardian’s Dave Hill, who himself predicted a clear win for the Labour Candidate John Biggs, stated it was a remarkable victory for Rahman who faced some ‘quite repellently vindictive’, forces. Repellently vindictive, is frankly putting it politely. Rahman's detractors, used every dirty trick in the book, labelling him as an ‘extremist’ ,'corrupt’, and 'only out to serve Bangledeshi and Somaili people'.

Of all the Mayoral contests in England last week, Tower Hamlets was the highest by a long way. This it was argued would work against Rahman. But it didn’t, he still won by more than 3000 votes.

What now for the Mayor, the Labour Party and the people of Tower Hamlets?

I hope the Mayor will be humble and gracious in his unprecedented victory. It’s right that he continues to tackle the disproportionate inequalities faced by some Somali and Bangladeshi families. What reasonable person would deny that? But if I were Rahman I would create a number of Deputy Mayoral posts including an  ambassador within the white working class community. Someone who would ensure that at the heart of Rahman’s administration there is a powerful spokesperson who can speak for a community which at times perceives they are not being listened to.

Secondly, I would hope that for the sake of the people of Tower Hamlets, the Labour Party puts an end to the Rahman hostilities and begins the process of him rejoining the Party.

In regards to Rahman’s other detractors, we can only hope that whilst they continue to scrutinise him, which is right and fair, they stop the hatred, some of it islamophobic, and or just plain racist.

Lastly, in spite of all the borough’s problems and challenges, there is a good story to be told in Tower Hamlets which tells of a resilient people who seek to achieve and get on with one another against many odds.

Those who care should focus on assisting that cause that project, not sewing hate and division that tears communities apart.

Well done Lutfur and good luck to you and the residents of Tower Hamlets

Simon Woolley