Ten candidates in Tower Hamlets mayoral election bid

A new mayoral election is to be held after Lutfur Rahman was found guilty of electoral fraud

Ten candidates have announced they will be running to be mayor of Tower Hamlets after the east London borough's previous mayor was removed from office.

Lutfur Rahman was found guilty of electoral fraud and told he must vacate his post last month.

The candidates for the election on 11 June include Andy Erlam, who led the legal fight to oust Mr Rahman.

Seven others will stand in the Stepney by-election after a councillor was also found guilty of corrupt practices.

The full list of candidates:

• Elaine Bagshaw, Liberal Democrats

• John Biggs, Labour Party

• Andy Erlam, Red Flag - Anti Corruption

• John Foster, Green Party

• Peter Golds, Conservative Party

• Vanessa Helen Hudson, Animal Welfare Party

• Hafiz Abdul Kadir, Independent

• Rabina Khan, Independent

• Nicholas McQueen, UKIP

• Md Motiur Rahman Nanu, Independent

Residents have until 26 May to register for the poll.

Four voters alleged Mr Rahman used "corrupt and illegal practices" in last year's election, which led to an Election Commissioner declaring the poll void.

Mr Erlam is standing for the "anti-corruption" party Red Flag, while Labour have selected John Biggs, its defeated candidate in last year's mayoral election.

They will also face competition from Councillor Rabina Khan, who is a former member of Mr Rahman's Tower Hamlets First (THF) party, but will stand as an independent.

The list of candidates also includes Elaine Bagshaw for the Liberal Democrats, Nicholas McQueen for UKIP and Peter Golds for the Conservative party.

Vacated seat

In the Stepney ward by-election, there are seven candidates including Sabina Akhtar for the Labour Party and Safiul Azam, for the Conservatives.

One of Mr Rahman's aides, Alibor Choudhury, who was the THF councillor for the Stepney ward, was also found guilty of corrupt and illegal practices and ordered to vacate his seat in April.

Mr Rahman, who founded the THF party, was found "personally" guilty of wrongdoing and "guilty by his agents" by Election Commissioner Richard Mawrey, who sat as a judge at an Election Court trial in London's High Court.

Mr Rahman's lawyers described the group of four's claims as invention, exaggeration and "in some cases downright deliberately false allegations" and he has said he will challenge the ruling.