THE RESPECT party will be picking a mayoral candidate at a meeting next month. Although the party, along with other independent parties, had a poor showing at the polls this May it managed to secure a vote for a directly elected mayor in Tower Hamlets.

THE RESPECT party will be picking a mayoral candidate at a meeting next month.

Although the party, along with other independent parties, had a poor showing at the polls this May it managed to secure a vote for a directly elected mayor in Tower Hamlets.

It campaigned hard for a directly elected mayor which it said would make local government more accountable.

Voters went to the polls in a referendum to decide whether they wanted a directly elected mayor. The yes vote was won with 60,758 votes and 39,857 people said no.

They will go to the polls to pick a mayor on October 21.

The party now has just one councillor Harun Miah in Shadwell, instead of the eight it had before the election.

And George Galloway's gamble to stand down from Bethnal Green and Bow and run for Poplar and Limehouse was unsuccessful.

The former Respect leader on the council Abjol Miah is widely touted to run as the mayoral candidate.

He stood for the parliamentary seat of Bethnal Green and Bow this May and took third place with 8,532 or 16.8 per cent of the vote.

Respect will decide on its mayoral candidate at a meeting on July 19.

The other parties have yet to name their candidates although the Labour trio of London Assembly member John Biggs, former council leader Lutfur Rahman and current leader Helal Abbas have all said they are keen to run.