Bengal Lancing

More than anything, the case of Lutfur Rahman illustrates that directly elected mayors are wholly out of place in this country. We ought not to have them.

The next Government ought to abolish them forthwith, as well as requiring that councils return to the traditional committee system that, to his limited but real credit, Eric Pickles has at least permitted to be resumed voluntarily.

The abolition of delegated planning decisions is also desperately needed.

But aspects of the Rahman judgement are worrying.

It is now Common Law intimidation merely for identifiable supporters of a party or candidate to congregate on a pavement near a polling station on polling day.

As for playing the race card, what about UKIP?

The revival of the old law of "undue spiritual influence" ought to be laughed out. But is it going to be applied in Northern Ireland, or in the West of Scotland, or on and around Merseyside, and elsewhere?

Is it going to be applied in Brent Central, or in Finchley and Golders Green, or in Hampstead and Kilburn, or in Harrow East, or in Harrow West, or in Hendon, or in Hornsey and Wood Green, or in Hove?

There, we are talking, not merely about a deity who for political purposes may or may not exist, but about voting on 7th May in the interests, and even under the direction, of a foreign state the very lively reality of which is most certainly not in any dispute.

Last week, I heard every candidate here in North West Durham tell a hustings that they were in favour of assisted suicide, apart from Pat Glass of Labour, who explained why she would vote against any such proposal. Who may not refer to that this side of the Election, and to whom? Whatever happened to equal citizenship?

I must emphasise that I carry no candle for the David Miliband-supporting Lutfur Rahman. He has certainly committed many serious offences. I hope that John Biggs is as anti-austerity and as anti-war as Rahman has at least affected to be.

Just as I hope that Naz Shah is as anti-austerity, as anti-war, and for that matter as pro-life, as George Galloway. I have every reason to expect that she is. Come the next Tower Hamlets Mayoral Election, Galloway might very well be looking for a new challenge.

I have been directly, and not without physical violence against my person, on the receiving end of the racism of what might be called the institutional wing of what was then New Labour. It is a pity that not only will I certainly never again contest an election to public office, but that nor will Neil Fleming.

I should have relished a contest between the two of us, enabling me to put into the public domain the full facts about him, about his family, and about Hilary Armstrong. One way or another, he would have taken me to court. He would have lost. Oh, how he would have lost.

Alas, it will never be. He will no more be a candidate for anything than I shall. He is older than I am, and I am older than my fellow "mulatto", as Fleming would have it, who is probably the next Leader of the party of which Fleming is a member, for now. 

And not only a member, but an employee. For now.