Lutfur Rahman guilty, A London mayor who 'cynically perverted' the religious feeling of his Muslim community and 'silenced his critics with accusations of racism and Islamophobia' has been removed from office after a bitter legal battle with voters.
Disgraced Lutfur Rahman repeatedly played the 'race card' in his bid to seize the mayoralty of Tower Hamlets and later cling to power, Election Commissioner Richard Mawrey found yesterday.
The judge said the case 'starkly demonstrated what happens when those in authority are afraid to confront wrongdoing for fear of allegations of racism and Islamophobia'.
He added: 'Even in the multicultural society which is 21st century Britain, the law must be applied fairly and equally to everyone. Otherwise we are lost.'
The judge ordered that last year's mayoral election - which was riddled with corruption of Third World proportions - be run again and barred Rahman - who was re-elected to the position after forming his own party, Tower Hamlets First - from standing again.
Rahman, who was not in court for the judgement, was ordered to pay £250,000 costs following an Election Court trial estimated to have run up legal bills in the region of £1 million.
Rahman is the first person since the 19th century to be found guilty of the Victorian-era misdeed of unlawfully using religious influence.
Last night, the Metropolitan Police belatedly said it would now consider ‘whether’ to launch a criminal inquiry into his conduct.
In his ruling yesterday, Judge Mawrey branded Rahman a pathological liar who had ‘driven a coach and horses’ through the law.
On the conduct of Mr Rahman and his party during the election campaign, the judge found:
- Rahman 'let loose a mob of excitable, politically committed, young men' who 'approached voters, particularly Bangladeshi voters and harangued them in a manner that appeared to some onlookers to be rather aggressive'. Some voters said getting into polling stations was like 'running the gauntlet'.
- Up to 300 votes were 'dubious' or the result of 'personation', an electoral offence where someone votes as someone else.
- Rahman 'ran his campaign on the basis that it was the religious duty of faithful Muslims to vote for him'.
- He ran his party, Tower Hamlets First, as a 'personal fiefdom', which 'had no other aim, objective or ideology beyond the continuation of Mr Rahman in the office of Mayor of Tower Hamlets'.
The judge said: 'The evidence laid before this court ... has disclosed an alarming state of affairs in Tower Hamlets,' he said.
'This is not the consequence of the racial and religious mix of the population, nor is it linked to any ascertainable pattern of social or other deprivation. It is the result of the ruthless ambition of one man.'
The judge added: 'The real losers in this case are the citizens of Tower Hamlets.'
He added: 'The Bangladeshi community might have thought itself fortunate to have been the recipient of the Mayor's lavish spending but in the end the benefits were small and temporary and the ill effects long-lasting. It was fool's gold.
'On past form, it appears inevitable that Mr Rahman will denounce this judgment as yet another example of the racism and Islamophobia that have hounded him throughout his political life.
'It is nothing of the sort. Mr Rahman has made a successful career by ignoring or flouting the law (as this Petition demonstrates) and has relied on silencing his critics by accusations of racism and Islamophobia.
But his critics have not been silenced and neither has this court.'
Four voters who stood up to Rahman - Andrew Erlam, Debbie Simone, Azmal Hussein and Angela Moffat - and brought the High Court legal action which eventually removed him from office were praised for their 'exemplary courage' today.
Judge Mr Mawrey said: 'The Petitioners knew that Mr Rahman would deploy all his resources to defeat them and could rely on the Bangladeshi media to back him all the way.
'The Petitioners would be portrayed as racists and Islamophobes, attempting to set aside the election (by a large majority) of a Mayor whose government of the Borough had been inspirational, for no better reason than the fact that he was a Bangladeshi.
'And so it proved. The Petitioners have been duly vilified - but they have hung in there.'
The group of voters was headed by Andy Erlam, who stood as a councillor on an anti-corruption ticket.
After the judgement, Mr Erlam said: 'It is a fantastic result for democracy. There will have to be a new election of mayor. Mr Rahman cannot stand.'
The judge said the case 'starkly demonstrated what happens when those in authority are afraid to confront wrongdoing for fear of allegations of racism and Islamophobia'.
He added: 'Even in the multicultural society which is 21st century Britain, the law must be applied fairly and equally to everyone. Otherwise we are lost.'
The judge ordered that last year's mayoral election - which was riddled with corruption of Third World proportions - be run again and barred Rahman - who was re-elected to the position after forming his own party, Tower Hamlets First - from standing again.
Rahman, who was not in court for the judgement, was ordered to pay £250,000 costs following an Election Court trial estimated to have run up legal bills in the region of £1 million.
Rahman is the first person since the 19th century to be found guilty of the Victorian-era misdeed of unlawfully using religious influence.
Last night, the Metropolitan Police belatedly said it would now consider ‘whether’ to launch a criminal inquiry into his conduct.
In his ruling yesterday, Judge Mawrey branded Rahman a pathological liar who had ‘driven a coach and horses’ through the law.
On the conduct of Mr Rahman and his party during the election campaign, the judge found:
- Rahman 'let loose a mob of excitable, politically committed, young men' who 'approached voters, particularly Bangladeshi voters and harangued them in a manner that appeared to some onlookers to be rather aggressive'. Some voters said getting into polling stations was like 'running the gauntlet'.
- Up to 300 votes were 'dubious' or the result of 'personation', an electoral offence where someone votes as someone else.
- Rahman 'ran his campaign on the basis that it was the religious duty of faithful Muslims to vote for him'.
- He ran his party, Tower Hamlets First, as a 'personal fiefdom', which 'had no other aim, objective or ideology beyond the continuation of Mr Rahman in the office of Mayor of Tower Hamlets'.
The judge said: 'The evidence laid before this court ... has disclosed an alarming state of affairs in Tower Hamlets,' he said.
'This is not the consequence of the racial and religious mix of the population, nor is it linked to any ascertainable pattern of social or other deprivation. It is the result of the ruthless ambition of one man.'
The judge added: 'The real losers in this case are the citizens of Tower Hamlets.'
He added: 'The Bangladeshi community might have thought itself fortunate to have been the recipient of the Mayor's lavish spending but in the end the benefits were small and temporary and the ill effects long-lasting. It was fool's gold.
'On past form, it appears inevitable that Mr Rahman will denounce this judgment as yet another example of the racism and Islamophobia that have hounded him throughout his political life.
'It is nothing of the sort. Mr Rahman has made a successful career by ignoring or flouting the law (as this Petition demonstrates) and has relied on silencing his critics by accusations of racism and Islamophobia.
But his critics have not been silenced and neither has this court.'
Four voters who stood up to Rahman - Andrew Erlam, Debbie Simone, Azmal Hussein and Angela Moffat - and brought the High Court legal action which eventually removed him from office were praised for their 'exemplary courage' today.
Judge Mr Mawrey said: 'The Petitioners knew that Mr Rahman would deploy all his resources to defeat them and could rely on the Bangladeshi media to back him all the way.
'The Petitioners would be portrayed as racists and Islamophobes, attempting to set aside the election (by a large majority) of a Mayor whose government of the Borough had been inspirational, for no better reason than the fact that he was a Bangladeshi.
'And so it proved. The Petitioners have been duly vilified - but they have hung in there.'
The group of voters was headed by Andy Erlam, who stood as a councillor on an anti-corruption ticket.
After the judgement, Mr Erlam said: 'It is a fantastic result for democracy. There will have to be a new election of mayor. Mr Rahman cannot stand.'
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