Rabina-Khan
Ten candidates are in the race for the Tower Hamlets mayoral election, which is being re-run on Thursday.
The election was called after the conviction of Lutfur Rahman, who was ordered to step down as mayor of Tower Hamlets last week after a judge found him guilty of corrupt and illegal practices following a High Court hearing.
Labour’s John Biggs – who Rahman defeated in last year’s cancelled election – is a strong frontrunner for the role, as is Rahman-backed independent candidate Rabina Khan.
One of the candidates, independent Andy Erlam, has claimed empty council flats had been allocated votes, leaving the contest “vulnerable” to abuse.
He told the Press Association that he and colleagues had gone to Robin Hood Gardens, a block opposite Poplar town hall that has100 registerd voters despite 90 of around 100 flats being empty.
John Biggs
Mr Erlam said: “There are 100 votes, including postal votes, but there are only a handful of people living there. Therefore these votes are very vulnerable to abusive use by other people. There are several other blocks of flats that are very suspicious.”
A Scotland Yard spokesman said: “We are assessing 16 allegations of electoral malpractice, relating to the upcoming election on June 11.”
A Tower Hamlets Council spokesman said: “The council has not had sight of Mr Erlam’s allegations, however we take any suggestion of fraud or improper activity very seriously.
“The recent election petition judgment praised our returning officer and his work and our local protocol makes it clear the police and council take electoral fraud extremely seriously and will investigate all allegations of irregularities robustly, promptly and fully.
“Our focus now is on working with the Police and Electoral Commission to ensure the return of a free and fair election this Thursday.”