Rahman suffers legal setback in fight for Tower Hamlets mayor

AXED candidate Lutfur Rahman appears to have lost his battle in the High Court this-afternoon to overturn the Labour Party national executive’s ban on him running for Mayor of Tower Hamlets.

The controversial former Tower Hamlets council leader and a team of four QCs were in chambers in discussions with a judge and lawyers from the Labour Party at 3pm.

But insiders have now told the East London Advertiser that Rahman’s bid for an injunction against Labour’s NEC has been refused.

It leaves Rahman contemplating his next move before Friday’s deadline for candidates to lodge their papers at the Town Hall by noon.

Rahman could run for Mayor as an independent, say insiders. He refused to speak to an Advertiser reporter this morning at his office in London’s East End.

The NEC dropped Rahman on Monday. The committee of 22 voted overwhelmingly to impose Tower Hamlets council leader Helal Abbas, who was in third place in the September 4 selection, as candidate for the poll for mayor on October 21.