[align=center] Respect Party opts not to stand in Tower Hamlets Mayoral election Party opts to give backing to Labour candidate Luftur Rahman
John Hyde,
15 September, 2010
docklands24.co.uk[/align]
THE Respect Party has surprisingly opted not to field a candidate for the first ever election of a Tower Hamlets Mayor. Instead, George Galloway’s party has said it will support Labour’s controversial candidate Luftur Rahman when the polls open on October 21.
Respect was the main instigator in establishing the elected Mayor post, having forced a referendum in May and got the backing of the majority. Galloway today said: “We are proud of the crucial role Respect played in establishing a directly elected mayor in Tower Hamlets. This is a much more democratic system. I also stated that Lutfur Rahman was the kind of mayor we needed at the rally against the English Defence League three months ago. I am very pleased that he has finally been selected as Labour’s mayoral candidate. He will have my support in this election on the basis that he will lead the fight against the cuts from this terrible Condem government.”
[align=center]RESPECT TO STAND FOR MAYOR IN TOWER HAMLETS?
socialistunity.com[/align]
George Galloway dramatically returned to London last night from Lyon, France, where he had been with the Viva Palestina convoy en route to Gaza.
This followed the extraordinary decision by the Labour’s National Executive Committee to deselect Lutfur Rahman, the popular choice of the Labour Party membership in Tower Hamlets for mayor, and impose instead Helal Abbas, a candidate who got less than one third of Rahman’s votes.
George Galloway went into a lengthy meeting with his closest adviors late last night. Following that meeting the following statement was issued by Tower Hamlets Respect.
“The Respect Party has been reviewing its decision not to stand in the Tower Hamlets mayoral election following Lutfur Rahman’s extraordinary deselection. There is a consensus in Respect that Respect will stand a candidate if Lutfur Rahman is unsuccessful in his legal action to overturn the decision to deselect him and if he does not then stand as an independent candidate. Two candidates will be considered for selection in these circumstances - George Galloway and Abjol Miah. Final decisions on a candidate will be reached in the next 36 hours and we have booked an appointment with the Returning Officer to submit papers for Respect’s candidate on Friday morning, just a few hours before nominations close.”
