Lutfur Rahman, Bangladeshi-origin mayor of London Borough of Tower Hamlets, has overtaken Labour Party leader David Miliband in ‘Top 100 most influential Left-wingers in British politics’ poll conducted by The Daily Telegraph. Lutfur moved up to 53rd on the list, a jump of 15 places from last year when he was placed 68th. The newspaper prepares the list annually. This year’s list was prepared by Iain Dale with the help of an expert panel which was published on September 24, according to a Tower Hamlets release.
Telegraph wrote, ‘A very active community leader, Lutfur became the first directly elected mayor of the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, having been leader of the council for the previous two years. Despite being expelled by the Labour Party following his selection as mayoral candidate, he won as an independent with 51 per cent of the vote. Viewed as a successful Mayor who is making great changes in the area, many in the Labour Party have called for him to be readmitted back into the party. But he is regarded with huge suspicion by the leadership, who regard him as an extremist.’
Lutfur, in his reaction said, ‘I know that The Daily Telegraph’s Top 100 annual poll is a bit of fun – I’m not sure I deserve to be ranked above Tessa Jowell or David Milliband – but it is also a recognition that Tower Hamlets is leading the way with radical anti-austerity policies that are now being picked up by other councils across the UK.’
-With New Age input
