Len McCluskey, the leader of Britain’s biggest union, has distanced himself from a fight to reinstate the disgraced former mayor of Tower Hamlets who was found guilty of electoral fraud.
In a move that will disturb the supporters of Lutfur Rahman, Unite’s general secretary said he will be backing Labour’s candidate in a rerun of the London borough’s mayoral election next month, and cannot offer support on “issues which are a matter for the court”.
McCluskey has clarified his position in a letter published by the Guardian. Labour officials have privately welcomed the intervention, not least because Unite is the party’s biggest financial backer.
His words appear to tone down claims by Unite’s chief of staff, Andrew Murray, who told a rally of Rahman’s supporters two weeks ago that McCluskey was supporting a battle against what he called a “racist” and “Islamophobic” judgment.
Judge Richard Mawrey QC found Rahman guilty of seven counts of electoral fraud, including wrongly smearing his Labour rival for the mayorship, John Biggs, as a racist.
Biggs is due to stand again in a rerun of the election on 11 June against a candidate supported by Rahman. As a result of the judgment, the former mayor was ejected from office and banned from standing again.
Rahman is seeking to overturn the election court’s decision.
In the letter, McCluskey writes: “I am [also] concerned at the democratic implications of a judge dismissing an elected mayor – laws allowing for such a procedure, against which there seems to be no appeal, should be changed … Resting the case on archaic and potentially racist concepts like ‘spiritual influence’ makes the matter worse.
“However, I do not seek to judge the totality of the case against Mr Rahman and cannot give him support on issues which are matters for the court and in which Unite has no involvement. In the election to choose his successor Unite will, of course, be supporting the Labour candidate.”
A rousing speech made by Murray at a rally in Stepney Green, east London, on 30 April called for a campaign against the judgment and offered Unite’s support.
He said: “I am not speaking in a personal capacity, I am speaking on behalf of the union … and I am sending a message of support from our general secretary, Len McCluskey. Unite is proud to associate itself with Lutfur Rahman.”
Murray labelled the judgment “an undemocratic assault on the people of Tower Hamlets”.
McCluskey’s statement will dismay some supporters of Rahman, who had privately hoped that Unite would help fund his legal costs.
Rahman, who became Britain’s first directly elected Muslim mayor, has been left facing a legal bill of £250,000, which could rise to £1m. He is also seeking to launch a judicial review of Mawrey’s judgment.
It follows Monday’s disclosure in the Guardian that the veteran Labour national executive committee (NEC) member Christine Shawcroft has been suspended from the party and is facing disciplinary procedures after offering Rahman her support.
She is understood to have been accused of campaigning on behalf of Rahman when he was standing against a Labour candidate. She is also acting as a trustee of his legal defence fund.
Another NEC member, the former mayor of London, Ken Livingstone, who has also supported Rahman, said he is not subject to any disciplinary procedures.
Livingstone told the Guardian that the decision to suspend Shawcroft was “outrageous” and unconstitutional, and will be raised by him at an NEC meeting on Wednesday.
The mayoral election will be rerun after Rahman and his supporters were found to have used religious intimidation through local imams and vote rigging to gain power. Rahman also allocated local grants to buy votes.
Rabina Khan, a Tower Hamlets First councillor, is being backed by Rahman to be the next mayor. The Conservative party has endorsed another councillor, Peter Golds, as its candidate.
