Labour Tower Hamlets council candidates list leaked

A COMPLETE list of Labour candidates standing in the local elections in May has this week been revealed to the East London Advertiser.

By Else Kvist

A COMPLETE list of Labour candidates standing in May's local elections has this week been revealed to the East London Advertiser.

The list confirms that five current Labour councillors in Tower Hamlets failed to be reselected after the London Regional Labour Party took over the selection process, as we reported last week.

These are Bow East councillor Alex Heslop, Bethnal Green councillor Salim Ullah, Limehouse councillor Mohammed Shahid Ali, Weavers councillor Fazlul Haque and Whitechapel councillor Waiseul Islam.

The list sees the return of former councillor David Edgar who will be standing for Labour in Limehouse. Two years ago he married Liberal Democrats leader at Tower Hamlets Stephanie Eaton.

The list also features writer and campaigner Rabina Khan. Her book 'Behind The Hijab', a collection of short stories by Muslim and non-Muslim women, sought to challenges stereotypes about woman wearing the veil after September 11.

The list also includes Chrissie Townsend, who set up the Teviot Action Group on Poplar's Teviot estate. But standing in Blackwall and Cubitt Town, she will face fierce competition from the Tories who currently hold all three seats in the ward.

The Labour list has 51 candidates across all 17 Tower Hamlets wards.