Liam Mac Uaid looks at what the result of the Millwall by election means
This is a remarkable result even at first glance. When you look at it in more detail it becomes staggering.
There is a very visible class division in the ward. A lot of rich people live in very expensive homes along the river. They work in the financial institutions in central London and in Canary Wharf. They gave the Tories their first ever seat on Tower Hamlets council. The Conservatives are irrelevant in the borough.
Labour has 34 seats and the Liberals hold the other 16 divided between 17 wards. At the GLA election Millwall was one of Respect's weakest wards in the borough, 14th out of the 17.
What this means is that there are no safe council or parliamentary seats for Labour or the Liberals in Tower Hamlets. Respect's vote came from the council estates and tower blocks in one of the poorest wards in the country. Its candidate Paul Mc Garr was well known locally as an active socialist.
As if humiliating Labour wasn't satisfaction enough this is the ward that elected a fascist councillor a decade ago. Now the BNP don't even bother standing in the area.
The implications of this result are breathtaking. If something like it were to be replicated in the next council elections there would be a significant group of Respect councillors elected. It would mean that the two pro-war Labour MPs in the borough would lose their seats.
A lot of Respect supporters in Tower Hamlets are really looking forward to the next elections.