Mayor Fiaz will be among those departing after the elections in May
The panel tasked by Labour’s national executive to oversee the election of candidates for next May’s elections has completed its work. While we don’t yet have official confirmation of the successful applicants, there are a number of sitting councillors who will be leaving the Labour benches next year:
- Rokhsana Fiaz, Mayor of Newham since 2018; previously councillor for Custom House
- Dr Rohit Dasgupta, councillor for Canning Town South since 2018; chair of council and First Citizen of Newham
- Alan Griffiths, councillor for Canning Town South since 2014, previously represented Park, Forest Gate South and Plaistow North
- Charlene McLean, cabinet member for Resident Engagement & Resident Experience; councillor for West Ham since 2018, previously Stratford & New Town
- Simon Rush, secretary of Labour Group; councillor for Plaistow West & Canning Town East since 2022
- Amar Virdee, councillor for Green Street West since 2022
- Stephanie Garfield, councillor for Wall End since 2023
- Joshua Garfield, councillor for Stratford (previously Stratford & New Town) since 2018
- Jemima McAlmont, councillor for Wall End since 2022
- Mohammed Muzibar Rahman, councillor for Green St East since 2022
- Sarah Ruiz, Deputy Mayor & Cabinet Member for Children’s Services, Education & Sustainable Transport; councillor for Custom House since 2018, previously South, Beckton and Royal Docks
- Rita Chadha, Cabinet Member for Health & Adult Social Care and Transforming Newham for the Future; councillor for Canning Town North since 2022
- Anamul Islam, formerly Labour Group chief whip; councillor for Forest Gate South since 2022, previously Forest Gate North
- Dina Hossain, councillor for Plaistow West & Canning Town East since 2022
- Carleene Lee-Phakoe, councillor for Plaistow South since 2018
- Pushpa Makwana, councillor for Plashet since 2018
- Terry Paul, councillor for Stratford (previously Stratford and New Town) since 2010
- Winston Vaughan, councillor for Forest Gate South since 2002, previously New Town
- Dr John Whitworth, Cabinet Member for Air Quality, Climate Emergency & Environment; councillor for West Ham since 2014, and previously 2002 to 2006
- Nur Begum, councillor for Little Ilford since 2022, sitting as a Newham Independents Party councillor since learning of her deselection
Of course, there are four other councillors who were elected for Labour in 2022 who no longer have the whip. Belgica Guana (Canning Town South) and Lewis Godfrey (Green Street West) sit as ungrouped independents; Areeq Chowdhury (Canning Town North) is now with the Greens and Zuber Gulamussen (Plashet) is the chief whip for the Newham Independents.
forestgatedotnet 
sad to see John Whitworth go but you have to retire sooner or later. He has given loyal service over so many years and so often the voice of reason. As for the rest of them, I am sure someone will miss them. The complete lack of local democracy is a disgrace, and the CLPs still suspended with no official or believable reason is a stain on the Labour Party.