Labour’s John Biggs elected mayor of Tower Hamlets

Rahman, who was Britain’s first directly elected Muslim mayor, lost the position following an investigation which found him guilty of widespread electoral fraud, including vote rigging, religious bullying of Muslim voters through imams and false allegations of racism aimed at Biggs.

Biggs won a majority vote of 32,754, including second preference votes, to beat the Rahman endorsed Rabina Khan, who was standing as an independent candidate. Khan was one of 18 councillors in Rahman’s Tower Hamlets First party, but was not implicated in any claims of electoral fraud.

There was a strong police presence at polling booths, with signs warning against fraud and cordoned off areas as authorities tried to stop the ballot paper tampering that took place at las year’s election. The votes were counted outside of the borough at the ExCel centre as a further precaution against fraud and intimidation by Rahman supporters.

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