–There is quite a lot of thrusting in Tower Hamlets right now

By Mathew Carr

Zami Ali, leader of the Tower Hamlets Independents group, has probably left his run a little too late to topple Lutfur Rahman, according to a prominent businessman sometimes known as the Curry King.

Rahman is facing challenges from no fewer than eight candidates in today’s local elections that will determine the executive mayor of the borough, with barrister Ali offering better accountability and transparency.

Siraj (Shiraj) Haque, who backed Rahman’s initial push into the executive mayoralty in 2010, and has since distanced himself, says if Rahman survives today’s vote, his administration will probably offer more accountability and less cronyism.

Last week, Haque told me Rahman had been “kidnapped by bad people”, speaking at a hustings in Whitechapel that he helped organise and at which he gave a press conference. I had been asking him why Rahman didn’t turn up to the event.

At one point, the moderator at the meeting had to remind Haque that he was not a candidate so should not speak so much.

Hustings multi-language press conference by Haque:

https://x.com/carrzee/status/2050299621474226375?s=46

Essentially, Rahman is surrounded by yes men, which needs to change, the businessman said today by phone.

He’s associated with a few restaurants, including in Tower Hamlets’ world famous Brick Lane. (See below.)

Rahman “can’t take the Bangladeshi support for granted,” Haque said.

The Green Party and the Labour Party that runs the whole country, potentially are in the running for the mayoralty if Ali’s group grabs enough of Rahman’s votes.

People familiar with Ali’s chances concede the race might be tight, given the winner will be determined on a first-past-the-post basis. It’s possible the winner might have only 30% support, for instance, given that there are nine candidates.

Pollsters conflate voting intentions by Aspire (Rahman’s party) and Ali’s independents, so the outcome is especially difficult to predict. “Reform” seems to be spending big online.

Tower Hamlets may even need to cobble together some type of very unusual alliance to properly govern the borough, which includes Canary Wharf — London’s thrusting second financial district after the City of London.

Voting stops at 10pm London time Thursday.

https://carrzee.org/2026/05/06/tower-hamlets-mayors-defectors-may-split-his-vote-and-lose-him-power/

Pics from the official candidate booklet

Gemini AI context, partly unchecked.

 Siraj Haque (often referred to as the “Curry King”) has operated several restaurants under the **Clifton Group** umbrella. While business ownership can be fluid and often involves complex company structures, he is primarily associated with **three** key locations on or immediately adjacent to Brick Lane:

### Primary Brick Lane Establishments

* **The Clifton (126 Brick Lane):** This is his flagship restaurant and one of the oldest and most famous curry houses in the area.

* **Shampan (79 Brick Lane):** Records show Haque as the license holder for this establishment, which has historically been a significant part of his “empire.”

* **City Spice (138 Brick Lane):** Haque has been listed in council records as the Food Register Operator for this location.

### Broader Portfolio

Outside of the immediate Brick Lane strip, his influence extends through:

* **The Clifton (Isle of Dogs):** A second branch of his main brand located on Westferry Road.

* **Clifton Supermarket:** Also located on the Isle of Dogs, serving the local Bengali community.

### Note on Ownership

It is important to note that many of these restaurants are managed through various limited companies (such as *Clifton Property and Asset Management* or *Shampan Trading*).

Over the last 17 years, some of these entities have been dissolved or restructured, but the Haque family remains a dominant force in the Spitalfields and Banglatown business community.

He is often cited as owning a “chain” or “empire,” though the exact number of active sites fluctuates as he focuses more on property investment and community leadership.

….