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| What’s going on in Tower Hamlets? Vote count enters its fifth day amid claims of voter intimidation | What’s going on in Tower Hamlets? Vote count enters its fifth day amid claims of voter intimidation |
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| One of the most controversial councils in the country is facing an investigation by the Electoral Commission, as the local election vote count in Tower Hamlets dragged into its fifth day. | One of the most controversial councils in the country is facing an investigation by the Electoral Commission, as the local election vote count in Tower Hamlets dragged into its fifth day. |
| Local Conservative and Labour politicians claimed to have witnessed heavy-handed tactics and intimidation at the polling stations in deprived borough, which had still not declared all of its local election results this evening; a full five days after votes were cast. | Local Conservative and Labour politicians claimed to have witnessed heavy-handed tactics and intimidation at the polling stations in deprived borough, which had still not declared all of its local election results this evening; a full five days after votes were cast. |
| The attack on the "rotten borough" was led Peter Golds, leader of the Conservative group at the council, who told The Independent that Tower Hamlets been the stage for “third world village politics”. | The attack on the "rotten borough" was led Peter Golds, leader of the Conservative group at the council, who told The Independent that Tower Hamlets been the stage for “third world village politics”. |
| Mr Golds said that he’d witnessed crowds of supporters from local Tower Hamlets First party shouting at voters and leaving leaflets inside polling booths, in the culmination of what he described as a “vicious dirty tricks campaign” again the major political parties. | Mr Golds said that he’d witnessed crowds of supporters from local Tower Hamlets First party shouting at voters and leaving leaflets inside polling booths, in the culmination of what he described as a “vicious dirty tricks campaign” again the major political parties. |
| Tower Hamlets, which sits between the financial centres of the City and Canary Wharf, has been the scene of fractious election disputes since controversial Mayor Lutfur Rahman swept to power in 2010 and formed a cabinet made up entirely of Bangladeshi Muslims. He has since formed the Tower Hamlets First party, which has, so far, won 18 seats in last week's local election. | Tower Hamlets, which sits between the financial centres of the City and Canary Wharf, has been the scene of fractious election disputes since controversial Mayor Lutfur Rahman swept to power in 2010 and formed a cabinet made up entirely of Bangladeshi Muslims. He has since formed the Tower Hamlets First party, which has, so far, won 18 seats in last week's local election. |
| “It’s easier to be attacked as Islamophobic for making this point,” said Mr Golds. “But the intimidation at polling stations across this borough was appalling. There were four Bangladeshi men outside my polling station, all from Tower Hamlets First, and as you walked in there 11 people inside the polling station and they would pounce on you with a fake polling card in your face, calling on your to vote for Mr Rahman.” | |
| According to Mr Golds the Tower Hamlets Party has played on the “tragic failure of integration” and “lack community cohesion” and struggles to represent anybody outside of the Bangladeshi community, in an area with the second highest unemployment rate in the capital. | According to Mr Golds the Tower Hamlets Party has played on the “tragic failure of integration” and “lack community cohesion” and struggles to represent anybody outside of the Bangladeshi community, in an area with the second highest unemployment rate in the capital. |
| He said: “It’s a tragedy. Tower Hamlets is within looking distance of the fourth biggest financial centre on the face of this planet, but instead of it flowing out we have this terrible split in the community.” | He said: “It’s a tragedy. Tower Hamlets is within looking distance of the fourth biggest financial centre on the face of this planet, but instead of it flowing out we have this terrible split in the community.” |
| The Conservative group leader was joined by his Labour colleagues on the council who said they had witnessed similar intimidating behaviour across the deprived borough, in claims that were dismissed as “mudslinging” by one council insider. | The Conservative group leader was joined by his Labour colleagues on the council who said they had witnessed similar intimidating behaviour across the deprived borough, in claims that were dismissed as “mudslinging” by one council insider. |
| Last Thursday’s local election count was suspended at 3am on Saturday after the processing of ballots for the borough's mayoral election, won by incumbent Mr Rahman, ran over. Counting of the final ward’s votes was set to resume last night with Labour and Mr Rahman's party, neck and neck with 18 councillors each. | Last Thursday’s local election count was suspended at 3am on Saturday after the processing of ballots for the borough's mayoral election, won by incumbent Mr Rahman, ran over. Counting of the final ward’s votes was set to resume last night with Labour and Mr Rahman's party, neck and neck with 18 councillors each. |
| Defeated Labour mayoral challenger John Biggs told the Independent the campaign in the area had been “asymmetric warfare” fought in a “culture of intimidation” and that the major parties had faced challengers who were “not particularly democratic”. | Defeated Labour mayoral challenger John Biggs told the Independent the campaign in the area had been “asymmetric warfare” fought in a “culture of intimidation” and that the major parties had faced challengers who were “not particularly democratic”. |
| "I’m sure many member of the public will be making accusations to the Electoral Commission over crowds outside polling stations, the conduct of people within the polluting stations, allegations that people turned up to vote only to be told they’d already voted and continued rumours of irregularities around postal votes. | "I’m sure many member of the public will be making accusations to the Electoral Commission over crowds outside polling stations, the conduct of people within the polluting stations, allegations that people turned up to vote only to be told they’d already voted and continued rumours of irregularities around postal votes. |
| “It saddens me to hear the place I love described as a Rotten Borough… Tower Hamlets First is overwhelming an ethically based party and the passion for political in the Bangladeshi community is impressive, but I guess people are being led in a direction which is making them very inward looking.” | “It saddens me to hear the place I love described as a Rotten Borough… Tower Hamlets First is overwhelming an ethically based party and the passion for political in the Bangladeshi community is impressive, but I guess people are being led in a direction which is making them very inward looking.” |
| Sources close to Tower Hamlets Labour Party said it was considering its options with regards to making a formal complaint, while another local source blamed the count “shambles” on the “council’s inability to attract the serious officers it needs to run an election during a time that senior mangers are leaving the council in flight.” | Sources close to Tower Hamlets Labour Party said it was considering its options with regards to making a formal complaint, while another local source blamed the count “shambles” on the “council’s inability to attract the serious officers it needs to run an election during a time that senior mangers are leaving the council in flight.” |
| For his part Mr Golds said that it was telling that Mr Rahman “could not get any of his four white candidates elected” in the area, saying that Tower Hamlets First's 17 male and one female "Bangladeshi councillors" were not "representative of the 66 per cent of this borough which isn’t Bangladeshi or the 52 per cent of this borough which is female". He added: "I’m a gay Jew from the East End, so I don’t think they can describe me as Xenophobic for saying that.” | For his part Mr Golds said that it was telling that Mr Rahman “could not get any of his four white candidates elected” in the area, saying that Tower Hamlets First's 17 male and one female "Bangladeshi councillors" were not "representative of the 66 per cent of this borough which isn’t Bangladeshi or the 52 per cent of this borough which is female". He added: "I’m a gay Jew from the East End, so I don’t think they can describe me as Xenophobic for saying that.” |
| Tower Hamlets First did not respond to the Independent yesterday, but Azad Ali, from the nearby East London Mosque and a long-time supporter of Mayor Rahman, said claims of a Bangladeshi dominance were untrue, “as black, white, Asian, Arabs, Christians, Muslims and those of no faith voted for Lutfur Rahman". | Tower Hamlets First did not respond to the Independent yesterday, but Azad Ali, from the nearby East London Mosque and a long-time supporter of Mayor Rahman, said claims of a Bangladeshi dominance were untrue, “as black, white, Asian, Arabs, Christians, Muslims and those of no faith voted for Lutfur Rahman". |
| Security was tight at Tower Hamlets council offices yesterday, where returning officer John Williams told The Independent that the borough had the most stringent set of measures across London to combat electoral fraud, including police at every polling station: “We’ve received fewer complaints of aggressive campaigning than during previous elections, however if people do have evidence of intimidation we want to hear that and the police will investigate.” | Security was tight at Tower Hamlets council offices yesterday, where returning officer John Williams told The Independent that the borough had the most stringent set of measures across London to combat electoral fraud, including police at every polling station: “We’ve received fewer complaints of aggressive campaigning than during previous elections, however if people do have evidence of intimidation we want to hear that and the police will investigate.” |
| The Metropolitan Police Service confirmed there had been a “small number of reports of aggressive campaigning” but that “no arrests had been made", while the Electoral Commission said that “clearly there have been issued at Tower Hamlets counts” and that an “investigation” would take place, adding that “everyone should be able to vote free from intimidation and be confident that their vote is safe.” | The Metropolitan Police Service confirmed there had been a “small number of reports of aggressive campaigning” but that “no arrests had been made", while the Electoral Commission said that “clearly there have been issued at Tower Hamlets counts” and that an “investigation” would take place, adding that “everyone should be able to vote free from intimidation and be confident that their vote is safe.” |