Respect For Clean Candidates

With all the malicious gossip about local councillors feathering their own nests during their periods in office and with George Galloway clearly more interested in a media career than in representing the electors of Tower Hamlets, I was delighted to see that Councillor Waiseul Islam has abandoned the Trotskyites in order to rejoin the controlling Labour Group on Tower Hamlets Council.

Announcing his move to Labour, Cllr Islam said: "This has been a long and carefully thought out decision by me to leave the Respect Party and to join the Labour Party. I have always believed in the principles of Labour and what it stands for and I have never felt comfortable within Respect since the election in May 2006. I have been more and more frustrated with Respect which offers little in the way of policies, direction or service to the local community in Tower Hamlets, which is the real reason why I entered politics. I reject the notion of dividing the local community for political gain, which is what I believe Respect are effectively doing."

Waiseul Islam is just the sort of person we need to set a squeaky clean example to those who might be tempted by the benefits of office. Unlike certain Councillors who have allegedly benefited in their professional careers or their property dealings, our new Party member is exposed to no such sordid temptations.

A quick glance at his entry in the Register of Members' Interests shows that Waiseul is neither a director nor a partner of any company, has never received any donations to help with his election campaigns, owns no stocks or shares, has never performed any commercial contract for his local authority, owns no property or land within Tower Hamlets, has no rental interest in local authority property, is not a council tenant or other form of property licencee, does not sit the boards of any public organisations, think tanks or charitable organisations, does not represent Tower Hamlets on the boards of any organisations and is not a member of any trades union or professional body.

Now you can't get any more squeaky clean than that. The man puts me to shame. A Councillor who will serve his party and constituents with honesty, integrity and impartiality. Welcome to The Labour Party!