Excerpt:
A man with close links to Islamic fundamentalism and the backing of prominent racists could this week be elected as the executive mayor of a council, with almost total control over its £1 billion budget.
Lutfur Rahman was sacked by the Labour Party last month as its candidate for mayor of Tower Hamlets amid deep concerns about his links with a Muslim supremacist group, the Islamic Forum of Europe (IFE), and a number of powerful local businessmen.
Mr Rahman also signed up entire families of "sham" paper Labour members – some of whom do not even support the party – to win nomination as Labour's candidate.
Mr Rahman is now running as an independent and his supporters say he is "hopeful" of victory.