Possible candidates for re-run of mayoral election

Bangla Mirror Desk:

 The London Labour Party has announced that John Biggs has been selected as Labour’s candidate for the re-run mayoral election in Tower Hamlets on 11 June.

 John Biggs said:

 “I am delighted to have been confirmed as Labour’s candidate.

 “Tower Hamlets must now move on from the divisive politics of Lutfur Rahman and his disgraced regime of corruption and mismanagement.

 “We need leadership that is once again open and accountable and restores the trust of the people we’re here to serve. I want to put the council back on everyone’s side.

 “Only Labour can beat Lutfur Rahman’s candidate in Tower Hamlets. My focus will be to restore confidence and to serve local families, addressing the big issues and great opportunities we face in our borough – on affordable housing, on education, on safety and most of all helping build a better future for everyone in Tower Hamlets.”

Andy Erlam, a member of the Red Flag anti-corruption party, is also running. Erlam is a writer and filmmaker who led the group that successfully sought legal action against Rahman. “Many people have asked me to stand,” he said. “It’s the chance in our lifetimes to change everything for the better.”

Bangla Mirror news team knew from a reliable source that councillor for Shadwell ward Cllr Rabina Khan will be standing from Tower Hamlets First for the Mayor post in the upcoming election. In 2003,

 Rabina is founder of Silsila Productions, a creative art format company, which has produced a number of small, independent projects for various organisations including The Heritage, Metropolitan Police and the BBC. She was also a writer in residence at Tower Hamlets’ Central Foundation Girls’ School for just over two years (2006-8), where she developed ‘Exploring the Unthinkable’ – a project that explored equalities and diversity issues using creative writing and the arts.

Rabina is the author of ‘Ayesha’s Rainbow’, ‘Behind the Hijab’ and ‘Silent Voices’ and has also written for BBC London. She wrote and produced two short films – ‘The Good Wife’, sponsored by Sixteen Films, and ‘Shrouded’, which was commissioned by the Metropolitan Police. Rabina also wrote the play ‘Shilpa and Jade’ for the Wellcome Trust’s Pulse Project in 2007. In 2010 she was short listed for the European Muslim Women of Influence Award.

 A candidate for the Conservative party is yet to be announced. Christopher Wilford, who stood in the 2014 election and received 8.5% of the vote, is currently standing for election to become the MP for Poplar and Limehouse so will not be re-entering the mayoral election.