Not like Tower Hamlets’ paragon of open and honest local government Lutfur Rahman to throw his toys out of the pram when journalists come calling. The Mayor has not reacted well to news of tonight’s Panorama investigation into alleged dodgy goings on in East London, sending this angry email to supporters:

Criminal investigation underway as BBC Panorama whistle-blower reveals racist and Islamophobic programme on Tower Hamlets

You may be aware that BBC Panorama is due to air a programme about Tower Hamlets next week. I believe the programme is being used for political campaigning and electioneering purposes just weeks before local and Mayoral elections in May. A dossier passed to us by a BBC whistle-blower has revealed it to be in total breach of the BBC’s editorial guidelines as a public broadcaster. It has clear racist and Islamophobic overtones targeting the Bangladeshi Muslim community in Tower Hamlets.

The BBC and the undercover production company, Films of Record, have also been referred to the Information Commissioner and there is now a criminal investigation underway. Sadly this programme is already being used for political campaigning by politicians from Tower Hamlets Labour Party and promoted by right wing journalists. The BBC’s targeting of our borough is nothing short of a direct intervention in the outcome of an election.

Something Lutfur would definitely not know all about…

UPDATE: The East London Advertiser reports a Bangladeshi journalism student working for the BBC leaked Panorama’s sources to Lutfur Rahman.

UPDATE II: Worth having a watch of this attack video being pushed by Lutfur about the Panorama programme: