Tower Hamlets councillor Abul Monsur, who shared antisemitic social media posts before his election, is still a member of the ruling Aspire group despite being “suspended” from the party. The council confirmed that Monsur remains an Aspire councillor, even as the party says he is no longer a party member.
Council clarifies status
A council spokesperson explained that while Monsur is suspended as an Aspire party member, this “is different from membership of the Aspire Group on the council.” As of June 19, the council website still lists him as an Aspire group member, six weeks after his election.
Before becoming a councillor, Monsur published antisemitic posts on Facebook throughout 2025, including content questioning the Holocaust, supporting Adolf Hitler and British National Party leader Nick Griffin, and promoting far-right conspiracy theories. Neither Aspire nor Monsur responded to requests for comment.
Party suspension and election
Aspire said it suspended Monsur from party membership “pending investigation” on April 30, after being contacted by the Local Democracy Reporting Service. By then, the deadline to withdraw him as a candidate had passed, and he was elected to represent Lansbury ward alongside two Aspire members on May 7.
Immediately after the election, an Aspire spokesperson told the LDRS that Monsur was still suspended and was “not Aspire,” saying whether he took his seat was “up to him.” The spokesperson later said the party had “clarified” this with the town hall’s monitoring officer after she confirmed Monsur was still a member of the Aspire group at a council meeting last month.
The spokesperson stated: “Abul Monsur is suspended from the Aspire Group and is therefore not sitting in the Aspire Group.” However, the council website still lists him as an Aspire member, and he holds ward surgeries together with Lansbury’s two other Aspire councillors at Chrisp Street library. The three appeared together on Bengali-language channel iON TV, where Monsur spoke of hopes for re-election in 2030.
Council statement
A council spokesperson said: “Tower Hamlets Council has been informed that Cllr Abul Monsur has been suspended from the Aspire political party. This is different from membership of the Aspire Group on the council, which is why he is listed as an Aspire member on the website.”
The spokesperson added that Monsur is not taking part in official Aspire activities, stating: “We have been informed he has been suspended from group activities such as attending group meetings and discussions. He has also not been appointed to any committees.” The LDRS made multiple attempts to contact Aspire and Monsur for comment.
