This is a cross post from Trial By Jeory
I was sceptical at first, but a commenter called ‘dog in the street’ first raised it on this thread about Lutfur Rahman’s mayoral advisers here.
After finally getting it confirmed through a council source (Takki Sulaiman’s press office refused to comment), I wrote this in the Sunday Express’s Crossbencher diary column at the weekend.
OH, HOW the mighty are fallen. Labour’s former Justice and later Communities minister Shahid Malik, who lost his seat in Dewsbury in 2010 after it emerged he had claimed £730 on expenses for a massage chair and another £2,600 on a home cinema system, is now scrounging for work at Britain’s supposedly cash-starved councils.
Crossbencher has discovered he is working as an official “equalities” adviser for the controversial Independent mayor of Tower Hamlets, in east London, where he is being paid £200 a day. When we asked the council how he was appointed and for examples of his work, it refused to say, refusing even to confirm he existed.
So, there we are. An ex-Labour minister is advising Lutfur for one day a week on £200.
If someone can find the advert placed for this job, can they please send it me because I’m curious. I’m also puzzled why a council that prides itself on its equalities issues – and which has an army of staff dealing with such matters – feels it needs an extra body.
Malik used to work for the Commission for Racial Equality and was cleared of any wrongdoing with his expenses.
Harry’s Place adds:
In June last year, Shahid Malik visited Gaza and, according to Palestinian Ma’an news agency said this:
Prime Minister of the Hamas government in Gaza Ismail Haniyeh said Monday that he was proud and thankful for the support of international activists, who arrived in Gaza Sunday with the European aid convoy Miles of Smiles.
…
Former British minister of international development, Shahid Malik, who arrived with Miles of Smiles, described the Palestinian people and its leaders as a great example to be followed.
Here is a photograph of Shahid Malik with leading Hamas politician, Ahmad Al-Kurd.
Ahmad Al-Kurd is in charge of an important part of Hamas’ fundraising operation. Both he and his Al Salah society have been “designated” by the US Government, as part of the Hamas terrorist network.
In this picture, you can also see the Islam Channel’s Mohammed Ali Harrath, and Essam Mustafa, a major figure in Hamas’ UK operation. Here’s another one:
Shahid Malik also spoke at the 2008 ‘Global Peace and Unity’ Islamist fest, where he joked about the number of Muslim MPs, saying ‘at this rate, the whole Parliament will be Muslim’, then adding: ‘But just to say – in case there are journalists here today – that is not my objective’.
His co speakers at the Global Peace and Unity Event included a motley collection of extremists, bigots and supporters of terrorism.
The Global Peace and Unity Event was organised by Mohammed Ali Harrath’s Islam Channel. Harrath is the man you can see with Shahid Malik in the first picture. You can also see Harrath here, worshiping the grave of Ahmed Yassin, the dead Hamas leader.
Here is Harrath and Hamas leader, Ismail Haniyeh:
