Voters are going to the polls at Spitalfields in London’s East End today to elect a ward member for Tower Hamlets Council.
Five candidates are vying for the vacant seat with 7,438 registered to vote in the by-election caused by disgraced councillor Shelina Akhtar being jailed in January for council benefit fraud.
Labour’s Ala Uddin from Bethnal Green is up against Lib Dem’s Richard MacMillan from Bow, Conservatives’ Matthew Smith from Spitalfields, Greens’ Kirsty Blake from Whitechapel and independent Gulam Robbani from Poplar.
Polling is open until 10pm at three primary schools, Christchurch in Brick Lane, St Anne’s RC in Deal Street and Canon Barnett in Gunthorpe Street. The result is expected before midnight.
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