HE may have failed to win a seat in the House of Commons in this year’s General Election but Tower Hamlets’ Respect politician Abjol Miah’s image is hanging in the MPs’ office block in Westminster.

Mr Miah contested the Bethnal Green and Bow seat for the Respect - the Unity coalition and was photographed in Whitechapel Road electioneering on April 12 - the date the then Prime Minister Gordon Brown called the General Election.

The picture was taken for a series of images by photographer Simon Roberts who was commissioned as the official House of Commons election artist by the Speaker’s advisory committee on works of art.

Mr Roberts travelled throughout the UK in a motor home photographing candidates from the three main parties as well as candidates from smaller and independent parties.

An exhibition of 25 photos is on display at Portcullis House, on Victoria Embankment, where the new Bethnal Green and Bow MP Rushanara Ali has her Westminster office.

Mr Miah came third in May’s General Election polling 8,532 votes (16.8 per cent), behind the Liberal Democrats who polled 10,210.

He was leader of the Respect group on the council until the May election and represented Shadwell, but did not contest his council seat, putting all his energies into the General Election campaign instead.

“He said I am honoured to have my image in Portcullis House. I was happy to give the photographer the time. I saw myself as a local candidate and as an ordinary person to represent Tower Hamlets.

“I will definitely run again.”

Ms Ali reclaimed the seat from Respect for Labour won 21,784 votes (42.9 per cent).

Public access to the exhibition at Portcullis House is by guided tour. Further information is available at www.parliament.uk/visiting/exhibitions-and-events/exhibitions and at www.simoncroberts.com