Pic: John Biggs website

John Biggs has announced his consideration for running in the 2014 Tower Hamlets Mayoral Election.

Biggs, who was previously leader of Tower Hamlets Council, has until February 22 to make a final decision to run.

His chances of becoming selected by the Labour Party as its candidate is helped by an endorsement by its leader, Councillor Joshua Peck, who recently announced he would stand down in order to bring up a child and would not stand in the forthcoming mayoral election.

Speaking to Eastlondonlines, Biggs showed enthusiasm for taking on Mayor Rahman in next year’s election.

He said: “I think I would be a strong candidate for the election in May 2014.

“I have been serving the people of East London as an elected representative for Labour for over 20 years and I think I have the experience and leadership qualities to do this job. And it is a challenge I would relish.

“I would target housing, employment, education, environment, council services, public safety, quality of life, how the borough should respond to a range of challenges and to rapid growth and change.”

He also said that the current Mayor had done ‘not particularly well’ at meeting the needs of the Tower Hamlets community.

When Labour dropped Rahman as a candidate for Tower Hamlet’s first Mayoral election in 2010, he was replaced by Helen Uddin Abbas.

Rahman left the Labour party and won the race with the endorsement of the Respect Party.