Selection Fraud?
The publication of Roxi and the Tablighis has raised some interesting additional material.
The individual, ‘Mufti’ Umair Zulfiqar was identified as one of the principal activists within one faction of Tablighi Jamaat and within Newham People’s Alliance.
What has arisen refers to an incident in the selection proceedings for the mayoral candidate back in 2017-18. Readers may recall the arcane procedures of the Labour Party allows the members to initiate a ‘trigger ballot’ for sitting MPs and Mayors. Essentially, if a majority of branches and affiliates vote to trigger a ballot, then the nominations go to an open selection of all the members.
Roxi and the Tablighis details the way in which the TJs in the NPA orchestrated the ‘community vote’ inside the Labour Party in favour of Fiaz.
What we could not before demonstrate was cases of fraud. One case does not mean there were multiple cases. However, one case with such a high-profile individual, does at least suggest the possibility of fraud on a more widespread level.
Think back to the selection meetings in 2017 and in particular to the selection meeting at Plaistow North. There was a video which if we can find it again, we will provide a link to.
Former councillor Forhad Hussein was speaking, and in a memorable phrase described Robin Wales as a ‘Marmite’ character, you either loved him or hated him, when suddenly, mid-stream he stops and confronts a member of the audience.
The person he identified was one Umair Zulfiqar, whom he believed was neither resident in the ward nor a member of the Labour Party, so he called him out.
Zulfiqar’s response was to run out of the room.
The Labour Party required strict checks on the identity of individuals coming into the hall. These were overseen and recorded by Cllr Tahmina Rahman, (pro-Wales).
The actual checks on identity were being conducted on the door by one Mehmood Mirza (pro-Fiaz). Yep, this was the same Mehmood Mirza who has just quit the Labour Party; and who is no longer quite so pro-Fiaz.
It appears that Umair Zulfiqar had attended the meeting at which he had no right to be present, bearing the identification documents of another person; someone who was a member but was seemingly unable to attend. Mirza scrutinised the documents and announced that he should be admitted. We are told that he did this knowing that Zulfiqar was not eligible to attend.
Thus, a complaint was made to the Labour Party. This was still in the Corbyn era, so that may go some way to explaining what happened next. Councillors Hussein and Brayshaw, the Campaign Committee observer who was also the Chief Whip on the Labour Group submitted the complaint.
Because Zulfiqar was not a member, the complaint had to be against Mirza, essentially for admitting a voter whom he knew was showing false identity documents, purporting to be someone else.
At his hearing with the Labour Party, up popped one Councillor Alan Griffiths (right-wing, but anti-Wales); yes, the same Alan Griffiths that knows nothing about the NPA. Griffiths spoke up for Mirza and apparently was influential with the panel. Mirza got off. That time.
Funny old world.