The Plaistow North ward by-election held in Newham yesterday produced a spectacular Labour loss to Independent candidate Sophia Naqvi in what had previously been a very safe seat. The party’s vote share dropped by 39 percentage points. Naqvi came from nowhere to win with 46.3 per cent of the vote. The result poses some difficult […]
Newham has never been synonymous with electoral excitement. Labour has won 90 per cent of seats or more in every local election since 1978, and the appearance of two Greens on the council in 2022 was more competition than usual. On Thursday, the party had to defend two seats in by-elections – always a riskier […]
The government’s most recent energy price guarantee may prevent the most extreme cost-of-living crisis scenarios occurring, but it will do little for many people living in Newham – a borough ranked high for fuel poverty and by certain other deprivation measures – where some of those seeking support say the situation they face is worse […]
Across the capital local authorities are trying to get to grips with what rocketing energy prices and other cost of living hikes could mean for them and for their residents in the months to come. Newham last week convened a summit hosted by the borough’s Mayor, Rokhsana Fiaz. The council’s stated view was that even […]
The Labour Party could face legal action over its re-selection of Rokhsana Fiaz to seek a second term as the borough’s Mayor and its alleged failure to address complaints about her made by Newham councillors and other party members since her election in 2018. Funds are being raised to pay for a “pre-action letter” to […]
Rokhsana Fiaz’s re-selection as Labour’s candidate for Mayor of Newham last week almost guarantees her a second term in power at the election of 5 May. But if her path to victory in the Labour stronghold east London borough now appears smooth, the background local politics could hardly be more turbulent. The very method by […]
UPDATE 18:45 – Labour’s London region has informed Newham members that Rokhsana Fiaz has been reselected as the borough’s mayoral candidate. See email below: Original article With only three months to go until the borough elections, Labour is still in the process of choosing its candidate for Mayor of Newham. Given the party’s overwhelming political […]
Governance referendums in the east London boroughs of Newham and Tower Hamlets have resulted in voters of both choosing to retain their directly-elected Mayor (DEM) systems of local government rather than adopt a more conventional model instead. In plebiscites that took place on Thursday 6 May, the same day as the elections for London Mayor […]
