New Tower Hamlet's Mayor elected in close contest

Labour's John Biggs yesterday won the election for Tower Hamlets called after the previous mayor Lutfur Rahman was removed from office following the findings of an inquiry into electoral fraud.

Rabina Khan came an impressive second in the campaign to be the directly elected mayor of the London Borough of Tower Hamlets.

Biggs won 32,754 votes, including second preference votes, to beat Khan who polled 26,384 votes. He was elected with fewer votes than he received in the election he lost to Rahman last year. Banned from standing in this election, Rahman endorsed Rabina Khan.

Speaking after the result was announced early this morning, the new mayor said:

"What is important in Tower Hamlets is that we recognise the events of the past year or more have caused enormous tension and friction in our great borough and we need... to pull things back together again."

The Labour Party will be hugely relieved with this win as Tower Hamlets is safe Labour territory, yet it lost control of the borough in 2010 to Lutfur Rahman.

Candidates standing in the Tower Hamlets mayoral election and their share of the vote were:

• Elaine Bagshaw Liberal Democrats (2,152 votes)
• John Biggs Labour Party (32,754 votes)
• Andy Erlam Red Flag - Anti Corruption (1,768 votes)
• John Foster Green Party (2,678 votes)
• Peter Golds Conservative Party (5,940 votes)
• Vanessa Helen Hudson Animal Welfare Party (305 votes)
• Hafiz Abdul Kadir Independent (316 votes)
• Rabina Khan Independent (26,384 votes)
• Nicholas McQueen UKIP (1,669 votes)
• Md. Motiur Rahman Nanu Independent (292 votes)

Paul Hensby