Mayor of Tower Hamlets stripped of office by High Court

The mayor of Tower Hamlets in east London has been found guilty of engaging in corrupt and illegal practices and stripped of his office by the High Court.

Lutfur Rahman was in his second term as mayor of the borough, which encompasses the Canary Wharf financial district, after winning re-election in May 2014. But election commissioner Richard Mawrey, who sat as a judge, annulled that result and said the contest would have to be run again.

Mr Mawrey said Mr Rahman, who had stood on an independent ticket, had breached election rules and was guilty of "corrupt practice", adding he would be "incapable" of standing in a new election.

The case was brought by four voters who made several allegations including fraud in postal voting and at polling stations and ballot paper tampering.

Mr Mawrey said: "The evidence laid before this court, limited though it necessarily was to the issues raised in the petition, has disclosed an alarming state of affairs in Tower Hamlets.

"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."

He said Mr Rahman had been an "evasive" witness and ordered him to pay £250,000 costs.

Mr Rahman, who was born in Bangladesh but moved to the UK when he was a child, had said previously that there was "little, if any" evidence of wrongdoing against him. His lawyers had described the claims against him as invention, exaggeration and "in some cases downright deliberately false allegations".

A statement on Mr Rahman's website said: "Today's judgment has come as a shock - the Mayor strongly denies any wrongdoing and had full confidence in the justice system, and so this result has been surprising to say the least.

"We are seeking further legal advice on the matter in relation to a judicial review."

Although Tower Hamlets includes the Canary Wharf financial district, it is one of the poorest areas of the UK. It is also one of the most ethnically diverse boroughs in the country, with British Bangladeshis making up about a third of the community.

Late last year the government sent in commissioners to take control of the council following a "fundamental breakdown of governance". Eric Pickles, communities secretary, said on Thursday the ruling "vindicates our action to intervene", adding: "There can be no place for rotten boroughs in 21st century Britain."

He said he would look at extending the commissioners' powers before any by-election.

Boris Johnson, London mayor, said: "I'm very glad that justice has taken its course and that a cloud has been lifted from Tower Hamlets. It is vital now that we move on with new elections and ensure that something like this can never happen again."

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