London: In the shadows of the famous "gherkin" building — a symbol of modern architecture — remains one of London's most historic, and poorest, areas.
Whitechapel has a rich history, with The Blind Beggar pub a favourite haunt of gangsters Ronnie and Reggie Kray, and Jack the Ripper's favourite drinking hole not far off.
The deprived area, in the Labour constituency of Tower Hamlets, is faced with many social issues, including unemployment, poverty and drugs.
With just two days left before the election, Gulf News canvassed the Whitechapel market, to determine who the struggling traders are putting their faith in this election.
The largely Asian-Muslim area is located in the East end of London, and many residents are not eligible to vote.
Ramen, 27, braving the chilly English weather, sells fruit and vegetables on a pavement next to the Whitechapel market. Reluctant at first to speak to a journalist, he admitted that he couldn't afford the market license and so was trading illegally. For this reason, he also refused to be photographed.
The young British Asian, who lives in the area, said he's decided not to vote this year, despite Conservative leader David Cameron's visit on the campaign trail at the end of last month.
"At the last election they said things and then they did something different. They [Labour] said they will reduce tax, but then nothing was done. All they're after is money and their own jobs. They said they want to put tax down, but they put it up," he said.
Ramen said he even told Cameron of his scepticism, when he visited his stall. "I told him you have to make things change, but it'll be the same. Nothing will change," he told Gulf News.
The Liberal Democrats have also been on the campaign trail in Whitechapel; yellow leaflets fluttering around the market have been swept up by street cleaners.
Alongside the market stalls, selling clothes, groceries and household goods, sit a row of tiny independent shops. Repairing items is popular in the area, with many unable to afford to replace white goods, electrical items and even clothes.
Milan, 24, a British Asian, works for his family business, Raj Mahal Sweets, an Indian sweet shop.
"Everything is overcrowded in this area," he said from behind an array of sweets.
"I will vote this year, and I will vote for Labour." The problems with his area, as he sees it, are unemployment, drugs and the number of students that have moved into Whitechapel. He said he will vote for Labour because they're "better for the next government," continuing that he hopes his vote will allow the government to address the overcrowding problem.
The student population was also raised as an issue by Abu, 25, from Bangladesh. He was a solicitor in his home country and travelled to the UK to finish his bar examinations. Although he has funds from home, he was found selling cheap mobile phone credit deals in the thick of the competitive market stalls.
"A lot of students from the sub-continent come here. It's a major problem, because there are no jobs for them. The students don't like any of the parties," he claimed.
Campaign: Labour appeals for funds
With just one day left of campaigning before the British public start to vote, the Labour general election coordinator Douglas Alexander, has appealed for funds to print campaign leaflets.
"Even at this late stage, we're encountering more undecided voters than in any election any of us can remember. And we're working every hour left to convince them to vote Labour. So tonight [Tuesday], the presses will start rolling on the leaflets for our final election push. But we can only print the volumes we need with your help — and we need them to be printed tonight in order to make a difference," the communiqué read.
The final two days before the election, it read, is important to protect "tax credits, which families rely on", defend the cancer guarantee "in the face of Tory attacks" and "continuing our support for jobs, when the Tories would take £6 billion out of the economy at the time it's needed the most".
"I'm proud to be Labour, but I'm not too proud to ask now for your help," it read.
