Racists and Demagogues
The Telegraph provides more details on the four courageous local citizens who called to account the corrupt former Mayor of Tower Hamlets, Lutfur Rahman.
Now I'm not one for bestowing political 'honours' on people, but Andy Erlam, Azmal Hussein, Angela Moffat and Debbie Simone all deserve to be recognised publicly for standing up and being counted when the chips were down.
If the political demagogues had their way, the fact is that Mr Rahman would still be in power.
Telegraph View: Lutfur Rahman was brought down by the determination of four determined citizens. Their victory was a victory for democracy
Mr Rahman was accused of “corrupt and illegal practices” during his controversial re-election last May Photo: Nigel Howard
The ousting of Lutfur Rahman, the disgraced former mayor of Tower Hamlets, was an inspiring example of people power in action. The Metropolitan Police Service had declined to bring a prosecution against Rahman and his supporters for their behaviour in the 2014 mayoral election – so four private citizens decided to do it instead. They took on a powerful political machine and risked £1 million in costs, bankruptcy and homelessness if they lost.
Lutfur Rahman, the former mayor of Tower Hamlets Photo: Getty Images
Happily, it was a gamble worth taking. Last week, Andy Erlam, a retired film-maker, Azmal Hussein, a Brick Lane restaurateur, Debbie Simone, a defeated Labour candidate, and Angela Moffatt, another local resident, were vindicated. A High Court judge ruled that the election had not been fairly fought and that the result was void. Rahman was guilty of a string of “corrupt and illegal practices”, including rigging ballots, lying about his opponents and buying votes. What is more, his operation covered its tracks in part by crying racism and invoking political correctness. To oppose him was not only to take him on as an individual but to confront the assumptions of much of Britain’s Left-wing establishment. Ken Livingstone, for instance, had previously lauded Rahman’s record and urged the independent politician to join Labour.
Rahman’s rise and downfall also confirms the necessity of a free press. The Telegraph reporter Andrew Gilligan wrote fearlessly about Rahman, refusing to stop investigating his behaviour despite the attacks that were directed against him. Mr Gilligan, too, has been vindicated – an encouragement to anyone in the media who works hard to scrutinise the powerful. The Rahman story is thus one of troubling corruption but also of the triumph of British democratic principle. It’s a triumph that, ultimately, belongs to the people of Tower Hamlets.
Happily, it was a gamble worth taking. Last week, Andy Erlam, a retired film-maker, Azmal Hussein, a Brick Lane restaurateur, Debbie Simone, a defeated Labour candidate, and Angela Moffatt, another local resident, were vindicated. A High Court judge ruled that the election had not been fairly fought and that the result was void. Rahman was guilty of a string of “corrupt and illegal practices”, including rigging ballots, lying about his opponents and buying votes. What is more, his operation covered its tracks in part by crying racism and invoking political correctness. To oppose him was not only to take him on as an individual but to confront the assumptions of much of Britain’s Left-wing establishment. Ken Livingstone, for instance, had previously lauded Rahman’s record and urged the independent politician to join Labour.
Rahman’s rise and downfall also confirms the necessity of a free press. The Telegraph reporter Andrew Gilligan wrote fearlessly about Rahman, refusing to stop investigating his behaviour despite the attacks that were directed against him. Mr Gilligan, too, has been vindicated – an encouragement to anyone in the media who works hard to scrutinise the powerful. The Rahman story is thus one of troubling corruption but also of the triumph of British democratic principle. It’s a triumph that, ultimately, belongs to the people of Tower Hamlets.
