In 2010, Rushanara Ali emerged victorious for Labour, defeating Abjol Miah, the Respect nominee endorsed by the then-sitting Member of Parliament, George Galloway. She was the first person of Bangladeshi descent to be elected as an MP as a result of this.
The shadow business minister won a massive 37,524 majority in the 2019 election, more than 60% of the total vote, making it the largest in the nation. With 6,528 votes, the Liberal Democrats finished in third place, much behind the Conservatives with 5,892 votes.
Ms Ali’s decision to tow the Labour party line and abstain on a Gaza ceasefire vote in Parliament earlier this year angered some in the constituency, which has one of the largest Muslim populations in the country.
It prompted a number of independent pro-Palestinian candidates to announce they would be standing against her at the general election, including Shamima Begum’s lawyer Tasnime Akunjee. However, he dropped out of the race in early June to clear the way for Ajmal Masroor, a Bangladeshi-born British imam and broadcaster.
The pair came to a deal in order “not to split” the independent vote and have urged other pro-Palestine candidates not to run. Mr Masroor, who is understood to have the backing of Tower Hamlets mayor Lutfur Rahman, ran against Ms Ali in 2010 as the Liberal Democrat candidate, coming second.
It has been seen as a safe Labour seat since 2010. However, the independent Aspire party defeated the party in the 2019 election to take control of the Tower Hamlets local council.
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