Press Release
From the Office of the Mayor of Tower Hamlets
For immediate release – 30 Aug. 2013
Tower Hamlets Mayor prepares legal challenge over failure to ban EDL
Demands urgent meeting with Home Secretary, Commissioner and local MPs
The Mayor of Tower Hamlets, Lutfur Rahman, announced today that the council is preparing for a judicial review of the Metropolitan Police’s failure to exercise its power to apply to the Home Secretary for prohibition of the proposed racist march by the English Defence League (EDL) in Tower Hamlets on 7 September.
Mayor Lutfur Rahman said:
“I have been proud of the united response of the community in response to this grave threat of violence and disorder on our streets.
“We will not tolerate racist carpet-baggers being bussed in to stir up divisions in our diverse community.
“I’m deeply disappointed that the police and the Home Secretary have failed to act, despite my formally requesting them to do so. Clearly they are not on the same page as the scores of prominent national and local figures who joined me in calling for a ban.
“I call upon them to see sense, but in the absence of an adequate response I intend to take this matter to the High Court.”
A pre-action letter was issued by the council today, indicating that Judicial Review of the Metropolitan Police’s decision will be sought in the High Court unless the Metropolitan Police Commissioner applies without delay to the Home Secretary for a prohibiting order under section 13 the Public Order Act 1986.
The Mayor has also demanded an urgent meeting with the Home Secretary and the Commissioner on Monday, to include the local MPs Jim Fitzpatrick and Rushanara Ali and London Assembly member John Biggs.
Mayor Rahman has written to the MPs, urging them to join his demand for an urgent meeting to push for a ban.
Mayor Rahman concluded, “We need to get around the table and sort this out. Otherwise, lives and livelihoods, as well as our community cohesion, are at stake.”
Mayor Lutfur Rahman 