Access denied: Mayor’s Men barred from Labour Party meeting in Islamophobia row

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Last Thursday, 11th February 2021, the ongoing row about Islamophobia in the Tower Hamlets Labour Party took a dramatic turn of events.

In what was scheduled to be a regular local Labour Party management meeting, the meeting was overtaken by direct intervention of the regional Labour Party.

The Executive Committee of the local Labour Party meets every month to discuss management issues. On the agenda for discussion this month were complaints submitted by members about Islamophobic abuse.

However, just before the meeting, Executive Committee members were informed that there had been an intervention by the Regional Director of the Labour Party, Amy Fode.

BAME Forum Victory, AGM Delayed.

Members arrived at the meeting to find that Amy Fode was there as an observer. In the meeting, it was confirmed that internal party elections will be delayed until the summer. The request to postpone the elections was made by the BAME Forum (Black Asian Minority Ethnic) and voted for by members at a previous meeting.

‘Mayor’s Men’ barred from Labour Party meeting.

Then Cllr Ehtasham Haque, as well as Chris Worrall tried to enter the meeting. Both were named as alleged perpetrators of Islamophobic abuse directed towards female Bangladeshi party members. The Regional Director who was present at the meeting intervened and barred both of them from entering the meeting.

The meeting then proceeded, concluded all business, including setting up a panel to investigate complaints of Islamophobic abuse.

A Labour Party source said: “Mayor John Biggs tried to send his goons in again to intimidate and disrupt the meeting. We were fortunate that the Regional Director was there and intervened and recognized the safeguarding issues.”