11.07.2007
Tower Hamlets disarray
Huw Bynon reports on another setback for the SWP
A few months after the defection to Labour of councillor Wais Islam in April, Respect has lost another of its members on Tower Hamlets council. Last week Shamim Choudhury quit as councillor for the Shadwell ward, telling his local party it was because of "changed personal circumstances". Tower Hamlets secretary Jackie Turner (Socialist Workers Party) put out a circular saying, "We are sorry to see him go and wish him well."
However, Choudhury then contacted the East London Advertiser, bitterly complaining about his "bickering, immature and self-serving" former colleagues, who have "no vision to improve the lives of East End families" (July 4). As usual in such cases, he gave no concrete examples of these failings.
He told the Advertiser that Respect "was formed mostly by militants kicked out of the Labour Party" and it is those "militant extreme left groups" who are now in control. Obviously he is someone with all the facts at his fingertips. No doubt it was this extremism - only just discovered by ex-councillor Choudhury, it seems - that causes Respect "to oppose all that is proposed by others without giving a thought to the merits".
Within a week Respect had called a meeting at its Club Row offices to select Chaudhury's potential successor. There was little time to waste, since the Shadwell by-election has been arranged for August 9. The meeting on July 10 was packed out, with around 100, overwhelmingly male and Asian, members squeezed into the highly restricted space.
Chair Glyn Robbins (another SWPer) struggled to make himself heard above the noise, as he called for the "best order possible for the meeting". There were two nominations: young, female activist Sultana Begum, backed by the SWP, and middle-aged shopkeeper Harun Miah, who is allied to the businessmen's wing of Tower Hamlets Respect.
The two were given five minutes each to present their case, and this was followed by questions from members. Begum, a member of two and half years, spoke first, acknowledging that she had been in two minds about standing (I got the impression that the SWP was desperate for her to do so, as it sees real control slipping completely from its grasp). A young, suggestible candidate was what was called for, but, as we shall see, naivety also has its disadvantages.
Begum started by posing the question, "Do we win at any cost or on principles?" - a fair question, given the previous incumbent's opportunism. Begum said she joined Respect because of its "values", but unfortunately she could not quite remember what those values were - she was unable to get past the 'E' for equality when she tried to remind us what Respect's initials stood for. She had to content herself with saying, "Muslim values are close to my heart" and expressed the wish that everyone should work together.
Miah, a very new member, said: "Respect is a party of the future", whose foreign policy he particularly approved of. Nearer to home, he expressed his concern about parking problems, drugs and "other anti-social behaviour". For the benefit of the elders he then switched to Bengali and finished his speech to loud applause.
In the question and answer session Miah pledged more "social involvement and improvement" and promised to work for "what is good for the community". Oliur Rahman, the first councillor ever to be elected on a Respect ticket, tried to put Harun on the back foot by stressing the importance of trade unions and asking both candidates to commit themselves to joining a union. Our businessman nominee replied: "I will take his advice to become a member of a trade union - I have no problem with that." Oli did not know whether to laugh or cry.
In response to a question on the Olympics, Miah said: "I support and welcome it because it will be good for jobs." The wrong answer, and one that did not go down well with a section of members, many of whom booed loudly. He had less trouble with a question from SWP organiser Aysha Ali, who, in another plant aimed at boosting Sultana's chances, asked the candidates to say something about women's rights. Neither was capable of going beyond general platitudes.
There was one question that went to the heart of the difficulties faced by Tower Hamlets Respect: "We are struggling in unifying Respect councillors and members. How would the candidates overcome this?" While Begum was once more at sea, Miah was ready with his sound bite: "We need to show each other respect and to retain harmony."
The voting was chaotic. Voting slips were flying around like confetti, with whole bundles being passed round the room for members to help themselves. Someone complained loudly about foul play, but I do not think there was any cheating. After about 10 minutes the winner was announced - the businessman's nominee, Harun Miah, had seen off SWP-favoured Sultana Begum by 56 votes to 40.