Labour candidate blames smear campaign after ‘worst tan’ comment

More recently, he attracted criticism for hanging a “Darren Rodwell for Barking” banner on some gravestones.

He said at the time that he “wasn’t being disrespectful” and the banner was there temporarily while his team were fetching more straps.

The council leader also made headlines after threatening to evict housing tenants who did not report knife crime. He later said his comments had been “sensationalised to make me sound like I was some sort of Mussolini”.

In the past five and a half years, Mr Rodwell has received more than £20,000 in gifts and hospitality.

This includes £12,448 in West Ham tickets and hospitality from a single construction firm after they secured permission to build film studios in the area.

Mr Rodwell strongly denied any suggestion he had pushed through the deals in expectation that he would be treated by the studio companies.

“All the major deals were done before they got the box and planning is different to what I can do, I am the executive,” he told The Guardian., external

Other candidates in the Barking constituency include Simon Anthony of the Green Party, Liberal Democrat Charley Hasted, Reform UK’s Clive Peacock and Hamid Shah for the Workers Party.

A full list of candidates will be available on the BBC News website after nominations close.