THE Tower Hamlets Tory party picked their parliamentary candidate yesterday who will be fighting for the Bethnal Green and Bow ward. Head of Community Affairs for the Canary Wharf Group Zakir Khan was selected by residents at an `open primary to compet

THE Tower Hamlets Tory party picked their parliamentary candidate yesterday who will be fighting for the Bethnal Green and Bow ward.

Head of Community Affairs for the Canary Wharf Group Zakir Khan was selected by residents at an `open primary' to compete to replace Respect's George Galloway in the Westminster hot seat in the next general election.

Mr Khan beat off competition from five other candidates to receive more than 50 per cent of the votes in the first round at the St. Hilda's East Community Centre in Bethnal Green and was officially declared the winner with no second round needed.

Mr Khan said: "It is a deep honour to be selected by residents here today who have placed their trust in me.

"I will work hard to repay that trust and I will be their champion. I am confident that we can turn Bethnal Green and Bow blue at the next election."

He will be taking on Labour's Rushanara Ali, Respect's Abjol Miah, Lib Dem's Ajmal Masroor, the Green party's Farid Bakht and the Independent candidate Hasib Hikmat.