Lutfur Rahman
(Picture: Nigel Howard)A political party set up by the disgraced former mayor of Tower Hamlets, Lutfur Rahman, has won a second seat on the borough’s council.
Kabir Ahmed, standing for Mr Rahman’s Aspire Party, won the previously safe Labour seat in the Weavers Ward by-election on Thursday night, with 1204 votes out of the 2607 cast.
The ballot was called after the sudden death of Labour councillor John Pierce, 40, who had represented the ward for a decade.
Mr Ahmed said: “I would like to thank the people of Weavers ward for electing me and I promise to work tirelessly for them on the issues that matter most to them.”
Mr Rahman was removed from office in 2015 for “corrupt and illegal” practices.
Thursday’s result, and a win for Aspire in a 2019 by-election in Shadwell, has prompted speculation that the party could make a comeback at the local elections next year.
Turnout for the by-election was just 28 per cent.
Campaigners suggested Aspire’s win was a protest vote against Labour’s controversial “Liveable Streets” low traffic neighbourhood schemes around Columbia Road, Arnold Circus and the border with Hackney.
Conservative councillor Peter Golds said: “The Liveable Streets proposals were the one and only issue coming up on the doorstep and and proved Labour were completely out of step with the community.”
