Tower Hamlets councillors storm out over vote to cooperate with police probing corrupt Lutfur Rahman election

Independent Group councillors get ready to walk out of Tower Hamlets Council meeting over Police probing 2014 election frauds. Picture: Mike Brooke Mike Brooke

A storm erupted at last night’s Tower Hamlets Council meeting which called on members to cooperate with police investigating the corrupt 2014 election for mayor.

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Independent Group councillors walk out of the vote on police investigations into 2014 election frauds. Picture: Mike Brooke Independent Group councillors walk out of the vote on police investigations into 2014 election frauds. Picture: Mike Brooke

Some councillors walked out—claiming “defamation” and with a threat of legal action against the authority.

The overturned election led to Lutfur Rahman being banned from office by the High Court over voting fraud and malpractice and also to his Tower Hamlets First party being removed from the register.

But the rump of the banned party remains on the council—rebranded as the Independent Group.

Its nine members stormed out when the authority’s legal monitoring officer advised the Speaker to reject their amendment to the call for cooperation with the police, which mentioned legal proceedings against the council.

The Independent group’s amendment—seen by the East London Advertiser—was hurriedly withdrawn from the council chamber after the official, Asmat Hussain, who told councillors to turn off their mobile phones and not to record her, advised the meeting: “The amendment brings into account professional integrity of me as monitoring officer. Secondly it’s in contemplation of litigation (which) clearly states that you intend to take against the council.”

Council Speaker Sabina Akhtar waits while the outraged Independent Group councillors walk out of the debate. Picture: Mike Brooke Council Speaker Sabina Akhtar waits while the outraged Independent Group councillors walk out of the debate. Picture: Mike Brooke

The Speaker, Sabina Akhtar, had to suspend the debate as the Independents left the chamber en mass and urged them: “If you are leaving, please leave quietly,” then added: “Members, stop shouting across the room.”

She told the remaining councillors after the walk-out: “We must refrain from phrases such as ‘corrupted’, ‘elected’.”

But that didn’t stop Labour’s Khales Udine Ahmed using the ‘C’ word about the 2014 election.

“Those corruptly elected should be ashamed of themselves,” Cllr Ahmed told the meeting. “I saw myself in 2014 how the election for mayor and councillors was stolen and was subjected to a smear campaign against me and my wife by a candidate in my ward.

“Anyone who has broken the law should be prosecuted. I am ready to give evidence based on what I witnessed.”