FURY: Cllr Anwar Khan accused his white Labour colleagues of halting the ambitions of Bengalis [TOWER HAMLETS]

A Labour Bangladeshi councillor even claimed his own party was ruled by a “white elite” and he is alleged to have called one white colleague a “racist piece of s**”. The footage was captured by Tower Hamlets Council’s own cameras in east London, which were installed in the debating after a general edict to local government bosses from Communities Secretary Eric Pickles last year. Mr Pickles had wanted taxpayers to see how their elected representatives, who are paid between £10,000 and £65,000 a year, behaved during town hall debates. His department had specifically highlighted previous antics of Tower Hamlets, which is ridden with race politics. The film was taken at the meeting of the full council to discuss a £1.2billion budget last week. The notorious borough, which is one of Britain’s most deprived, is run by a directly elected mayor, Lutfur Rahman. He is an independent who was expelled from Labour during an acrimonious election campaign in 2010. (WATCH EDITED VERSION OF ROW)

Since then he has created a cabinet comprised entirely of councillors from a Bangladeshi background after failing to attract white members to defect from Labour. The split has caused a poisonous atmosphere between the political groups. During the meeting on Wednesday last week, Labour councillor Anwar Khan is invited to address the chamber by Speaker Lesley Pavitt. As he makes some remarks about the budget, he cites the name of party colleague, Ann Jackson. He refers to an email she sent before the Olympics criticising the Mayor’s attempt to make the borough’s famous Brick Lane a “Curry Capital” for 2012 tourists. In that email, she had implored the mayor to be more adventurous and make the borough known for more than just good curry.

FARCE: Labour's group leader in Tower Hamlets, Sirajul Islam, was mocked as Danny de Vito lookalike [TOWER HAMLETS]

Hollywood star Danny DeVito [ GETTY]

However, Cllr Khan in the video footage he says: "Despite the current chair of the Labour group Councillor Jackson dismissing the people of Tower Hamlets as nothing more than curry people in her email in 2010. “In her email in 2010 when she dismisses the people of Tower Hamlets as nothing more than curry.” Outraged, Cllr Jackson, who was wearing a black cardigan because she was in private mourning for her ex-husband, rises to her feet. She dismisses his version of events as “laughable” and explains the “proper context” of her words. But this was not enough for Councillor Alibor Choudhury who sits in the mayor’s cabinet and is in charge of the £1.2billion budget.

Oswald Mosely had the black shirts in the Thirties. John Biggs has the black cardigans Cllr Alibor Choudhury

It is after his words that the meeting erupts. Unaware that Cllr Jackson is in mourning, he says: "Cllr Jackson back then did say those derogatory things, and let me say one thing to you.” He then points to her and to her boss John Biggs, a London Assembly member, and says: “Oswald Mosely had the black shirts in the Thirties. “John Biggs has the black cardigans." The speaker, Cllr Pavitt is visibly furious and says: "Cllr Choudhury, that was more than offensive.” She then tries to have him evicted, only to be told that all she can do is issue a warning. In the background, other councillors start chanting “Out, out, out.” A few minutes later, Cllr Anwar Khan, who today quit the local party, is again the centre of attention. He mocks the appearance of Labour’s group leader, Cllr Sirajul Islam, labelling him Hollywood star "Danny DeVito”. Seconds later and off-camera, another Labour councillor sitting next to him, Joshua Peck, switches off Cllr Khan’s microphone. At that point, Cllr Khan sees red and with increasing volume, yells: “Councillor, why did you turn it off?

Independent councillor Alibor Choudhury 'joked' Labour were like Oswald Mosley's Blackshirts [TOWER HAMLETS]

Veteran Labour councillor was visibly shocked by the behaviour and accusations [TOWER HAMLETS]