Labour fears “another Bradford”

Abjol Miah: facing calls to stand in Weavers

East London News: The shadow of George Galloway’s by-election victory in Bradford West is hanging over the Weavers by-election in Tower Hamlets.

There is now a concerted community campaign to persuade former Respect councillor Abjol Miah to put himself forwards as a candidate.  The factors which inspired electors in Bradford West are coming into play.  Tired with Labour’s lacklustre performance in the Council, activists and opinion formers are calling for a candidate whose first priority will be to speak out on behalf of Weavers residents – against the austerity measures and war-mongering of the Con-Dem Coalition.  Labour is seen as obsessed with mounting petty, vindictive attacks on Mayor Lutfur Rahman rather than offering support for his popular anti-poverty measures such as funding EMA and refusing to put rents up to 80% of market levels.  “If the people of Bradford can have a choice,” one activist told ELN, “why can’t we? Why should we have to put up with Labour?”

Labour itself has been thrown into turmoil by the Bradford West result.  With too few activists to run a campaign in both wards, Labour appears to have thrown in the towel in Spitalfields & Banglatown and is now concentrating on campaigning in Weavers ward. Labour’s Spitalfields candidate will find this very frustrating: this could be the third time the Labour establishment has undermined his attempts to return to the Council chamber.

Labour’s efforts in Weavers are being hampered by the fact that they do not yet have a candidate to promote.  ELN previously reported on Labour’s procedural difficulties (http://www.eastlondonnews.com/what-a-tangled-web-we-weavers) but they are now in further disarray over finding a candidate who can beat the “Galloway effect”.  Local party bosses, who see Michael Keith as “yesterday’s man”, now have the upper hand over the selection process and it seems that the Nutty Professor’s hopes of fighting the seat are to be dashed.  That leaves Labour a narrow panel of candidates to choose from – a problem it will deal with by re-opening the panel to new applicants.  As it refused, just weeks ago, to re-open the panel in the selection of a candidate for Spitalfields – ruling out local favourites – the Party is risking disaffection from Spitalfields members who will be asking why they were treated differently.

The different treatment comes, apparently, because local Labour leaders have found a woman who is prepared to stand but who did not want to stand in 2010 and is therefore not on the panel.  She has not stood before and has little experience of public speaking or community activism, but would be a loyal supporter of current Labour Group Leader Josh Peck – who will be one of the small group of party bigwigs selecting the candidate.

Labour’s problems in Bradford are said to stem from its habit of taking local voters for granted – a habit which is alive and well in Tower Hamlets.