For a man once banned from office for corruption, declared bankrupt and described in a court ruling as not having a full grip on reality, former east London mayor Lutfur Rahman stands a remarkable chance of returning to power and the chance to control a £1.2 billion ($1.5bn) budget.
Political obituaries were written for Mr Rahman, the two-time mayor of the district of Tower Hamlets, when he was kicked out of office in 2015 for falsely claiming his main rival was a racist, voting fraud, bribery and other complaints.
But after serving a five-year ban, Mr Rahman is back and once again running for mayor in elections this week with a strong chance of victory. Observers predict a close fight between the Bangladeshi immigrant and John Biggs – the current mayor and white Labour candidate who was the subject of false accusations of racism in 2014.
Driving Mr Rahman’s bid for office are the Bangladeshi voters who make up almost a third of the area’s population – a larger community than anywhere else in the UK. His Aspire party is also fielding more than 40 candidates from the Bangladeshi community to stand as local councillors to support the mayor.
That he is standing at all is a remarkable turnaround after four voters successfully brought a case against Mr Rahman over a series of complaints, including handing over large grants that favoured organisations within the Bengali community to secure their votes.
In a highly critical 200-page ruling, Election Commissioner Richard Mawrey described the former mayor as “almost pathologically incapable of giving a straight answer” who had divided the community in pursuit of his own “ruthless ambition”. One senior government minister described Tower Hamlets as having a “culture of corruption” under Mr Rahman.
He was removed from office immediately in 2015 and served with an order banning him from running for office for five years.
Mr Rahman was also ordered to pay £250,000 by the special election court in 2015 but filed for bankruptcy. If he wins the election, he will be paid more than £80,000 a year as the mayor.
“I just think the whole thing is staggering,” said Peter Golds, a councillor for the Conservative Party and veteran campaigner in the borough. “It’s an indictment of the British process."
“When the judgment was read out … you would have thought the authorities would have done something. Instead they left all the petitioners to pick up the legal bills.”
Mr Rahman first successfully stood for mayor in 2010 as an independent after being dumped by the Labour Party as a candidate. He defeated Mr Biggs, his closest rival four years later, to be re-elected but was expelled from office in 2015. The direct election for mayor is being contested by eight candidates and votes are cast in parallel to the contest for council seats.
Central to his victory was that he ran a “ruthless and dishonest campaign to convince the electorate his rival John Biggs was a racist”, said Mr Mawrey. Mr Rahman was accused of securing “undue spiritual influence” by securing support in a letter from 101 imams and religious leaders calling for voters to back him in 2014.
After Mr Rahman’s disqualification, Mr Biggs won a rescheduled vote in 2015 and was re-elected with a stronger mandate in 2018. But in the latest battle he faces a more significant challenge from the charismatic – if elusive – Mr Rahman, who has not turned up for questioning at any pre-election events involving other candidates.
Mr Rahman’s 28-page manifesto with an “8-point plan to fix Tower Hamlets” includes no reference to his previous ban and his other legal woes, including being struck off as a solicitor. His announcement that he was standing included a mild apology but he said that he was never prosecuted for corruption after a police inquiry.
“I have never ever acted dishonestly, but to those who think I didn’t exercise enough control oversight over campaigners in the last election, I apologise,” he wrote.
The National reported in February how one of the petitioners who brought down Mr Rahman is still contesting huge legal bills as a result of his actions.
One mayoralty candidate Andrew Wood – standing as an independent – has committed in his manifesto to paying the costs of the four voters behind the case.
Mr Wood said Mr Rahman had not done enough to demonstrate that he accepted what he did at the 2014 election was wrong. He said it was concerning that he had not opened himself to public scrutiny at pre-election hustings events.
“How will he demonstrate to people he will not repeat what he has done in the past?” said Mr Wood. “What will he do in terms of transparency?”
But he also criticised Mr Biggs for what he said were similar tactics to win the Bengali vote. He said the mayor has been using public money to build a mosque in the borough.
Tower Hamlets has a unique history as one of the UK’s most multiracial areas and home to migrants fleeing prosecution in Europe – including French protestants in the 17th century and Jews in the 19th.
Migrants from Bangladesh are the latest community to arrive in the London borough which has some of the highest rates of poverty in the capital. Yet some of London's poorest residents share Tower Hamlets with the capital's newest financial district Canary Wharf.
The area is changing – Bengali restaurant owners in London’s ‘curry mile’ on Brick Lane opposed plans convert an area owned by a former brewery into an upmarket shopping venue amid widespread fears that rising rents could force some people out of the area.
Observers say Mr Rahman’s campaign – focused on education, homes and tackling the cost of living – remains firmly focused on his traditional constituency within the Bengali community.
“We all want Lutfur,” said Mosabbil Ali, 67, who has lived in the area all his life. Mr Ali said he and his two companions from the Bengali community would be voting for Mr Rahman on Thursday. “There are a lot of people telling lies but Lutfur is a good man and we trust him.”
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Price, base / as tested: Dh182,178
Engine: 3.7-litre V6
Power: 350hp @ 7,400rpm
Torque: 374Nm @ 5,200rpm
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Fuel consumption, combined: 10.5L / 100km
In numbers: China in Dubai
The number of Chinese people living in Dubai: An estimated 200,000
Number of Chinese people in International City: Almost 50,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2018/19: 120,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2010: 20,000
Percentage increase in visitors in eight years: 500 per cent
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Consoles: PC, PlayStation 4/5, Xbox Series X/S
Rating: 3/5
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Schedule for Asia Cup
Sept 15: Bangladesh v Sri Lanka (Dubai)
Sept 16: Pakistan v Qualifier (Dubai)
Sept 17: Sri Lanka v Afghanistan (Abu Dhabi)
Sept 18: India v Qualifier (Dubai)
Sept 19: India v Pakistan (Dubai)
Sept 20: Bangladesh v Afghanistan (Abu Dhabi) Super Four
Sept 21: Group A Winner v Group B Runner-up (Dubai)
Sept 21: Group B Winner v Group A Runner-up (Abu Dhabi)
Sept 23: Group A Winner v Group A Runner-up (Dubai)
Sept 23: Group B Winner v Group B Runner-up (Abu Dhabi)
Sept 25: Group A Winner v Group B Winner (Dubai)
Sept 26: Group A Runner-up v Group B Runner-up (Abu Dhabi)
Sept 28: Final (Dubai)
RESULTS
5pm Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 (Turf) 1,600m
Winner Thabet Al Reef, Bernardo Pinheiro (jockey), Abdallah Al Hammadi (trainer)
5.30pm Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 1,600m
Winner Blue Diamond, Pat Cosgrave, Abdallah Al Hammadi
6pm Arabian Triple Crown Round-1 Listed (PA) Dh230,000 (T) 1,600m
Winner Hameem, Adrie de Vries, Abdallah Al Hammadi
6.30pm Wathba Stallions Cup Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 (T) 1,400m
Winner Shoja’A Muscat, Szczepan Mazur, Ibrahim Al Hadhrami
7pm Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 1,200m
Winner Heros De Lagarde, Szczepan Mazur, Ibrahim Al Hadhrami
7.30pm Handicap (TB) Dh100,000 (T) 2,400m
Winner Good Tidings, Antonio Fresu, Musabah Al Muhairi
The Birkin bag is made by Hermès.
It is named after actress and singer Jane Birkin
Noone from Hermès will go on record to say how much a new Birkin costs, how long one would have to wait to get one, and how many bags are actually made each year.
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
Company profile
Name: Tharb
Started: December 2016
Founder: Eisa Alsubousi
Based: Abu Dhabi
Sector: Luxury leather goods
Initial investment: Dh150,000 from personal savings
The five pillars of Islam
Director: Laxman Utekar
Cast: Vicky Kaushal, Akshaye Khanna, Diana Penty, Vineet Kumar Singh, Rashmika Mandanna
Rating: 1/5
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Key 2013/14 UAE Motorsport dates
October 4: Round One of Rotax Max Challenge, Al Ain (karting)
October 1: 1 Round One of the inaugural UAE Desert Championship (rally)
November 1-3: Abu Dhabi Grand Prix (Formula One)
November 28-30: Dubai International Rally
January 9-11: 24Hrs of Dubai (Touring Cars / Endurance)
March 21: Round 11 of Rotax Max Challenge, Muscat, Oman (karting)
April 4-10: Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge (Endurance)
White hydrogen: Naturally occurring hydrogen
Chromite: Hard, metallic mineral containing iron oxide and chromium oxide
Ultramafic rocks: Dark-coloured rocks rich in magnesium or iron with very low silica content
Ophiolite: A section of the earth’s crust, which is oceanic in nature that has since been uplifted and exposed on land
Olivine: A commonly occurring magnesium iron silicate mineral that derives its name for its olive-green yellow-green colour
Dhadak 2
Director: Shazia Iqbal
Starring: Siddhant Chaturvedi, Triptii Dimri
Rating: 1/5
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The years Ramadan fell in May
Key findings of Jenkins report
- Founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, Hassan al Banna, "accepted the political utility of violence"
- Views of key Muslim Brotherhood ideologue, Sayyid Qutb, have “consistently been understood” as permitting “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” and “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
- Muslim Brotherhood at all levels has repeatedly defended Hamas attacks against Israel, including the use of suicide bombers and the killing of civilians.
- Laying out the report in the House of Commons, David Cameron told MPs: "The main findings of the review support the conclusion that membership of, association with, or influence by the Muslim Brotherhood should be considered as a possible indicator of extremism."
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- Technology expert in robotics and automation: Dh20,000 to Dh40,000
- Energy engineer: Dh25,000 to Dh30,000
- Production engineer: Dh30,000 to Dh40,000
- Data-driven supply chain management professional: Dh30,000 to Dh50,000
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- Project manager: Dh55,000 to Dh65,000
- Senior reservoir engineer: Dh40,000 to Dh55,000
- Senior drilling engineer: Dh38,000 to Dh46,000
- Senior process engineer: Dh28,000 to Dh38,000
- Senior maintenance engineer: Dh22,000 to Dh34,000
- Field engineer: Dh6,500 to Dh7,500
- Field supervisor: Dh9,000 to Dh12,000
- Field operator: Dh5,000 to Dh7,000
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
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RESULTS
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Cricket World Cup League 2
UAE results
Lost to Oman by eight runs
Beat Namibia by three wickets
Lost to Oman by 12 runs
Beat Namibia by 43 runs
UAE fixtures
Free admission. All fixtures broadcast live on icc.tv
Tuesday March 15, v PNG at Sharjah Cricket Stadium
Friday March 18, v Nepal at Dubai International Stadium
Saturday March 19, v PNG at Dubai International Stadium
Monday March 21, v Nepal at Dubai International Stadium
Top Hundred overseas picks
London Spirit: Kieron Pollard, Riley Meredith
Welsh Fire: Adam Zampa, David Miller, Naseem Shah
Manchester Originals: Andre Russell, Wanindu Hasaranga, Sean Abbott
Northern Superchargers: Dwayne Bravo, Wahab Riaz
Oval Invincibles: Sunil Narine, Rilee Rossouw
Trent Rockets: Colin Munro
Birmingham Phoenix: Matthew Wade, Kane Richardson
Southern Brave: Quinton de Kock
