article: Andy Erlam has announced he will stand to be the next Mayor of Tower Hamlets - telling voters it is a chance to 'change everything for the better' The grandfather who won a High Court victory to kick out the crooked mayor‎ of Tower Hamlets yesterday announced he will stand as a 'Martin Bell'-style anti-corruption independent candidate in his place. Andy Erlam pledged to end years of 'Rotten Borough' politics. Last week Mr Erlam led four ordinary voters who defied threats, financial ‎ruin and official apathy to have Lutfur Rahman unseated from office by an electoral court. Rahman - who police afraid of being branded 'racist' failed to charge - was found guilty of rigging his election for mayor in May 2014 by a systematic campaign to steal votes. Yesterday Mr Erlam, 64, a retired film maker, said:‎ 'Since last week, many people have asked me to stand. 'I've given it a lot of thought and have decided ‎to go for it. 'For many years, the people living here have suffered under a corrupt leadership. 'Unless someone stands up to it, there is a danger that Rahman's cronyism and corruption will just continue in another form.' Rahman was banned from office for five years but has many acolytes who are not prevented from standing. In putting his name forward for the election on June 11, Mr Erlam is following in the footsteps of Martin Bell, the former war reporter who stood as an 'anti sleaze' candidate and beat MP Neil Hamilton in Tatton in 1997. ‎Rahman, branded a 'pathological liar' and cheat who 'played the race card on every occasion' by Electoral judge Richard Mawrey QC, diverted millions of pounds from groups like the Alzheimer's Society to Muslim organisations, some with extremist links. Lutfur Rahman, pictured, had the Mayoral office stripped from his after an electoral court found him guilty of rigging his election. He was branded a 'pathological liar' and a cheat happy to 'play the race card' at every turn . Andy Erlam (centre) was one of four petitioners including Angela Moffat (left) and Azmal Hussein (right) who accused Rahman of electoral fraud. Their 'enormous courage' for taking the case forward was praised . Tower Hamlets was so corrupt the government sent in independent commissioners to run it. Mr Erlam said: ‎'The entire local government machine needs to be transformed and with government Commissioners in place, it's the chance in our lifetimes to change everything for the better. 'If elected I will shut down (council-run newsletter) East End Life, the Pravda of Rahman, end the "cult of personality" at the town hall and investigate and change every aspect of the council with the many good officers who I know have been frustrated and blocked for years.' 'This is not the end, this is only the beginning.' Mr Erlam has criticised the Met for 'not investigating election fraud properly, protecting Rahman and for its failure to, even now, launch a serious investigation at the town hall.' He added:‎ 'I am standing to give the voters of Tower Hamlets a choice. If elected, I will lead the transformation of the London Borough of Tower Hamlets and nothing will stop me. The people will decide.' ‎In court last week, the judge hailed the ‘enormous courage’ of Tower Hamlets residents Mr Erlam, 64, Angela Moffat, 47, Azmal Hussein, 63, and Debbie Simone, 44. He said they had faced a ‘potentially devastating’ legal bill if they had lost, adding: ‘They knew Mr Rahman would deploy all his resources to defeat them and they would be portrayed as racists and Islamophobes. And so it proved. The Petitioners have been duly vilified - but they have hung in there. They have been vindicated.’
highlights: Retired film maker Andy Erlam will stand to end 'corruption and cronyism'
  64-year-old was one of four petitioners who accused former mayor of fraud .
  Lutfur Rahman kicked out of office after judge branded him a liar and cheat .
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