Elections | forestgatedotnet

Archive | Elections RSS feed for this section

Your 2026 council candidates

Beckton (3 seats)

Surname	First Name(s)	Party / Description
ABBASI	Shahzad Mumtaz	Newham Independents Party Candidate
ADEDAPO	Afusatu Olajumoke	Newham Independents Party Candidate
AHMED	Mohammed Mashud	Newham Independents Party Candidate
AHMED	Syed	Labour Party
ATANASOV	Deyan	The Green Party
AUSTIN	Lois	Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition
CHALLINOR	Tony	The Green Party
ELVIN	Ramona-Lavinia	Liberal Democrats
GREEN	Heather	The Green Party
HILLIER	Angharad	Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition
KADLE	Aditya Krishnanand	Local Conservatives
KARIM	Mohammed Abdul	Local Conservatives
KOUNTA	Sidy Ali	Local Conservatives
MONU	Lazar	Reform UK
TAYLOR	June	Christian Peoples Alliance
WILSON	Tonii	Labour Party
YOUNG	Blossom	Labour Party

Boleyn (3 seats)

Surname	First Name(s)	Party / Description
AZIZ	Muhammad Tarek	Newham Independents Party Candidate
BEPARI	Md Halim	Labour Party
BROMLEY	Mark David John	Local Conservatives
FUSSELL	Kerena	The Green Party
GIBSON	Simon	Christian Peoples Alliance
HASSAIN	Rabbir	Labour Party
KHAN	Moniba	Newham Independents Party Candidate
LYNCH	Helen	The Green Party
MCWILTON	Karl	Reform UK
MEABY	Charles Richard Patrick Gaitskell	Local Conservatives
MILLER	Sheree	Liberal Democrats
MIRZA	Mehmood	Newham Independents Party Candidate
MOLLA	Md Ariful Haque	The Green Party
POLEON	Sheila Carol	Labour Party
TROANTA	Silvia	Local Conservatives
VABANAGIRI	Venkat	Christian Peoples Alliance
VITNAM	Leela	Christian Peoples Alliance

Canning Town North (3 seats)

Surname	First Name(s)	Party / Description
AHMED	Zulfiqar	Newham Independents Party Candidate
ANDERSON	Imogen	The Green Party
CLAESON	Robert	Liberal Democrats
HOUSTON	Bryan	Local Conservatives
HUSSAIN	Aleya	Labour Party
HUSSAIN	Mohammed Delwar	Newham Independents Party Candidate
HUSSEIN	Ibrahim	Newham Independents Party Candidate
ISLAM	Aminul	Local Conservatives
MOHAMMED	Shaban	Labour Party
MOTTE	Nicolas	The Green Party
NKIRE	Goodness	Christian Peoples Alliance
NKIRE	Precious	Christian Peoples Alliance
PARANEEHARAN	Gowry	The Green Party
RAHEEM	Samir	Reform UK
RAHMAN	Redawanur	Local Conservatives
ZILICKAJA	Larisa	Labour Party

Canning Town South (3 seats)

Surname	First Name(s)	Party / Description
ALAM	Syed Uzaib	Liberal Democrats
ALI	Amir	Independent
BENSON	Aderonke Florence	Labour and Co-operative Party
BLACK	Luke Robert	Local Conservatives
CLINE	Alex	The Green Party
DASGUPTA	Rohit Kumar	Labour and Co-operative Party
DIANAT	Ahrash	Reform UK
FAQAI	Ahmed Omar Sheikh	Local Conservatives
GUANA	Belgica	Independent
HAYDER	Syed Rafiz	Newham Independents Party Candidate
JORDAN	Linda Ann	Independent
KHAN	Maria	Local Conservatives
LAING	Myrtle Verona	Christian Peoples Alliance
MORRIS	John James	Labour and Co-operative Party
NAMWANJE	Prossy	Christian Peoples Alliance
RAHIM	MD Abdur	Newham Independents Party Candidate
REILLY	James	The Green Party
SAUD	Abdul Aziz	The Green Party
YOHANNES	Feven	Newham Independents Party Candidate

Custom House (3 seats)

Surname	First Name(s)	Party / Description
ALI	Wazed	Newham Independents Party Candidate
BUCK	Rustam Sikander	Local Conservatives
FELEK	Zafer	Newham Independents Party Candidate
GURMESEVA	Suze	Christian Peoples Alliance
ISLAM	Badrul	Independent
LAFFERTY	Heather	Labour and Co-operative Party
LAWAL	Idiat	Christian Peoples Alliance
MEHEGAN	Tony	The Green Party
MIAH	Rois	Local Conservatives
MOSS	Ben	The Green Party
MUDD	James Matthew	Independent
MUGHAL	Mushtaq Hussain	Independent
ODOI	Thelma	Labour and Co-operative Party
ROLL-PICKERING	Tim	Local Conservatives
RUSH	Simon	Labour and Co-operative Party
SMITH	Raphael	The Green Party
TILEY	Ben	Reform UK
TUPPEN	Alexander	Liberal Democrats
WIJESINGHE	Chandrika	Newham Independents Party Candidate

East Ham (3 seats)

Surname	First Name(s)	Party / Description
AKTAR	Maria	Local Conservatives
DIVER	Andrew	The Green Party
HALIM	Abdul	Newham Independents Party Candidate
HUSSAIN	Wasim	Workers Party
KHAN	Nuruzzaman	The Green Party
NAKUM	Hiren	Reform UK
NAQVI	Syed Taqi Jawad	Newham Independents Party Candidate
PATEL	Mukesh	Labour Party
PATEL	Sofia	Labour Party
SAHERA	Begum	Newham Independents Party Candidate
SCHLAUTMANN	Nina	The Green Party
SHABBER	Ahamed	Local Conservatives
SIDDIQAH	Aisha	Labour Party
SIKDER	Jahangir Alam	Local Conservatives

East Ham South (3 seats)

Surname	First Name(s)	Party / Description
ABDULBARI	Abdul Faizal	Newham Independents Party Candidate
AHMED	Royal	Local Conservatives
BHUYAN	Mohammad Arifur Rahman	Newham Independents Party Candidate
COLLINGWOOD	Danny	Reform UK
HUSSAIN	Kamal	Independent
HUSSAIN	Sanawar	Labour Party
KHAN	Tasnim Humayra	The Green Party
MASTERS	Susan	Labour Party
MCMAHON	Noel Bernard	Reform UK
NAMAIA	Charan	The Green Party
REILY	Paula	The Green Party
ROB	Suhel	Independent
SHAH	Lakmini	Labour Party
SHAN	Asad Ali	Newham Independents Party Candidate
SHEARS	James David	Liberal Democrats
SINGH	Udeshwar Kumar	Local Conservatives
TALUKDER	Abdus Sabur	Local Conservatives
WILLIAMS	Nigel	Reform UK

Forest Gate North (2 seats)

Surname	First Name(s)	Party / Description
CARLILE	Matthew	The Green Party
CHANG	Jenny	Liberal Democrats
CRESSWELL	Matthew Brendan	Local Conservatives
CRONIN	Liz	Labour and Co-operative Party
EVANS	Rachel	Reform UK
MACDONALD	Lesley Margaret	Reform UK
MADDEN	Malcolm Bernard	Local Conservatives
MIAH	Shofa	The Green Party
RAHMAN	Walid	Newham Independents Party Candidate
TRIPP	Rachel Elizabeth	Labour and Co-operative Party
WENBORNE	Roy Charles	Newham Independents Party Candidate

Forest Gate South (3 seats)

Surname	First Name(s)	Party / Description
ALAM	Aktharul	Labour Party
ASIM	Muhammad	Independent
AYANO	Ketema Worku	Local Conservatives
BAKARAN	Arshan	The Green Party
BHARIWALA	Zakaria Esoof	Newham Independents Party Candidate
CARTER-LENNOX	Robert Dale	Labour Party
HOQUE	Sabrin Ara	Newham Independents Party Candidate
HUDSON	Ellis Joseph Bartholomew	Local Conservatives
JAMAL	Sohail	Independent
KHAN	Mohammad Khalid	Independent
KHEYRE	Zahra	The Green Party
MAHRANE	Chabane Abdelmadjid	Local Conservatives
PAGE	Helen Valentina	Labour Party
PATEL	Mavin	Reform UK
PICKARD	Jack	The Green Party
RAJA	Kashif	Newham Independents Party Candidate
TERRAR	David Graham	Liberal Democrats
WHOMES	Jazmine	Liberal Democrats

Green Street East (3 seats)

Surname	First Name(s)	Party / Description
BRAINES	Steven	The Green Party
CHOWDHURY	Sunny	Newham Independents Party Candidate
HOSSAIN	MD Zakir	Newham Independents Party Candidate
HUDSON	Hilary	The Green Party
ISLAM	Md Anowarul	Local Conservatives
KITA	Ankita	Reform UK
MOHAMMED KHATUN	Haroon	Local Conservatives
PATEL	Kirankumar Ramanbhai	Local Conservatives
PATEL	Miraj	Labour Party
RAHMAN	Rohima	Labour Party
RASOOL	Hafiz Abdul	Labour Party
SHEIKH	Parvez Akhter	Newham Independents Party Candidate
SIKANDAR	Awais	The Green Party

Green Street West (3 seats)

Surname	First Name(s)	Party / Description
ABDULMUHIT	Hanif	Labour Party
DONEV	Slav	Reform UK
GANI	Mohammed Osman	Labour Party
GOR	Nirali M	Reform UK
HUMPHREY	Rachel	The Green Party
HYSA	Joerd	Local Conservatives
IBRAHIM	Idris	Newham Independents Party Candidate
JONES	Dick	Reform UK
LIZA	Rumana Salim Bhuiyan	Newham Independents Party Candidate
NANDIVELUGU	Ravindra Reddy	Local Conservatives
PATEL	Huzayfa	The Green Party
SLAWSON	Sangeeta	Labour Party
STONE	Ada	The Green Party
UJIAGBE	Peter Williams	Local Conservatives
YASEEN	Qasim	Newham Independents Party Candidate

Little Ilford (3 seats)

Surname	First Name(s)	Party / Description
ALAM	Musawwar	Labour Party
BULLAH	Mahbu	Local Conservatives
CHAWDA	Sharon	Labour Party
COAKLEY	Freya	The Green Party
DUMITRIUC	Andy	Reform UK
HILL	Janet	Reform UK
HO	Francis	The Green Party
KAZIBWE	Samuel	Christian Peoples Alliance
MARIADAS	Saverimuthu Joseph	Local Conservatives
MCCLELLAND	Ian	The Green Party
MIRZA	Tahir	Newham Independents Party Candidate
MURENGERA	Peter	Christian Peoples Alliance
OSMAN	Showkat	Local Conservatives
OZDEMIR	Sinan	Liberal Democrats
RAHMAN	Oli	Newham Independents Party Candidate
ROSE	Pauline	Christian Peoples Alliance
SHAMIMA	Nasreen	Newham Independents Party Candidate
SYED	Abul Bashar	Labour Party

Manor Park (3 seats)

Surname	First Name(s)	Party / Description
AHMED	Ashraf Uddin	Local Conservatives
BANGLAWALA	Sabir	Newham Independents Party Candidate
BURTON	Sarah	The Green Party
FENECH	Marie	Reform UK
HAQUE	Imam	Labour Party
HOPKINS	Lesley Ann	Reform UK
JACKSON	Derek	Liberal Democrats
KHATUN	Salema	Labour Party
KUMAR	Rajeev	The Green Party
MUNROE	Dean	Reform UK
MURUHATHAS	Vasuki	Local Conservatives
PATEL	Salim	Labour Party
RAHMAN	Badol	Newham Independents Party Candidate
REHMAN	Mujeebur	Newham Independents Party Candidate
SALOMON	George	The Green Party
SAYMON	Md Somrat	Local Conservatives

Maryland (2 seats)

Surname	First Name(s)	Party / Description
DOCKING	Neil	Reform UK
DRAKE	Kelly	The Green Party
DUROJAIYE	Tai	Local Conservatives
ESSEL	Titus Kofi	Newham Independents Party Candidate
HOSSAIN	Mohammad Akbar	Newham Independents Party Candidate
JONES	James	Liberal Democrats
LEE	Betsie	Reform UK
LOVATT	John Michael	Local Conservatives
MCMAHON	Reece	Labour Party
ONOVO	Melanie	Labour Party
TILBURY	Ren	The Green Party

Plaistow North (3 seats)

Surname	First Name(s)	Party / Description
ACQUAAH	George	The Green Party
ADIL	Zeshan	The Green Party
ALAM	Faysel	Reform UK
ALI	Nizam	Newham Independents Party Candidate
ALI	Zulfiqar	Labour Party
BLOORE	Terri	Local Conservatives
CHOWDHURY	Murad	Local Conservatives
JOBSON	Paul Martin	Christian Peoples Alliance
LAGUDA	Joy	Labour Party
MONU	Ella	Reform UK
NAQVI	Sophia	Newham Independents Party Candidate
PATHAN	Mohmed Iqbal	Newham Independents Party Candidate
QURESHI	Pervez	Labour Party
SAEED	Ahmad	Communities United Party
SINGH	Amanjit	Local Conservatives
TAYLOR BURGE	Graham	The Green Party
ZEKAI	Gulsun	Liberal Democrats

Plaistow South (3 seats)

Surname	First Name(s)	Party / Description
ALAM BEGUM	Mohammed	Local Conservatives
ANJUM	Shazia	Independent
BEGUM	Rubi	Labour Party
CONSTANTIN	Gabriel	Reform UK
GRUNTA	Frederik Kai	Liberal Democrats
HUSSAIN	Akmol	Local Conservatives
ISLAM	MD Nazrul	Newham Independents Party Candidate
KANEV	Ivaylo	Reform UK
KHAN	Obaid	Newham Independents Party Candidate
KHAN	Tamzied Hossain	Newham Independents Party Candidate
KING	Pippa	The Green Party
LEONELLI	Herbert	The Green Party
LOFTHOUSE	Jane	Labour Party
PETCU	Alin	The Green Party
RAHMAN	Md. Atiqur	Local Conservatives
SINGH	Asheem	Labour Party
TCHESSE	Kocotchy	Christian Peoples Alliance

Plaistow West & Canning Town East (3 seats)

Surname	First Name(s)	Party / Description
BEELER	Ben	The Green Party
CHAUDHARI	Abdul Hakeem	Newham Independents Party Candidate
FERDOUS	Shantu	Labour and Co-operative Party
FLANAGAN	Karen	The Green Party
GORDON	Robert	Labour and Co-operative Party
ISLAM	MD Saiful	Newham Independents Party Candidate
LADAN	Constantin	Reform UK
LITTERI	Benedetto	Local Conservatives
MIAH	Rajan	Local Conservatives
SARLEY PONTIN	Madeleine	Labour and Co-operative Party
SOORAL	Susha	The Green Party
TARIQ	Syeda Fozia	Newham Independents Party Candidate
TEFRA	Misrak	Local Conservatives
WISKIN	Shayne	Independent

Plashet (2 seats)

Surname	First Name(s)	Party / Description
BAILEY	Jennifer Marie	Labour Party
BETTELL	Kate	Reform UK
CLARKE	Katy	The Green Party
GULAMUSSEN	Zuber	Newham Independents Party Candidate
KIELY	Tim	The Green Party
MEABY	Khatija Suleman Badat	Local Conservatives
MOON	Christian	Liberal Democrats
RAHIM	Zakir Hussain	Labour Party
SARAVANAN	Ram	Local Conservatives
SHARIF	Ilyas	Newham Independents Party Candidate

Royal Albert (2 seats)

Surname	First Name(s)	Party / Description
ALAN-RUMSBY	James	Liberal Democrats
EASTER	Ann Rosemarie	Labour and Co-operative Party
KONKATI	Poojitha	The Green Party
MCALMONT	Anthony	Labour and Co-operative Party
OXLEY	Daniel	Reform UK
PATHAN	Ziyan	Newham Independents Party Candidate
SIKDER	Faruque	Newham Independents Party Candidate
SUKANDER	Nadia	Local Conservatives
SUMMERS	Kia	The Green Party
TARAN	Palmira	Local Conservatives
WILKINSON	Jason	Liberal Democrats

Royal Victoria (2 seats)

Surname	First Name(s)	Party / Description
BRAYSHAW	Steve	Labour Party
CALLENDER	Rob	The Green Party
EAST	Richard	Liberal Democrats
FAGE	Bradley James	Local Conservatives
MUGHAL	Ehsan	Newham Independents Party Candidate
OKPARAEKE	Kevin	Reform UK
OLADAPO	Caroline	Labour Party
PYARI	Shabd	The Green Party
WRIGHT	George Joseph Benjamin	Local Conservatives
ZYGAROWSKI	Tomek	Newham Independents Party Candidate

Stratford (3 seats)

Surname	First Name(s)	Party / Description
ALAM	Shohel	Newham Independents Party Candidate
AMIN	Miral	Local Conservatives
BECKLES	James	Labour and Co-operative Party
BHUIYAN	Jahangir	Local Conservatives
DORGHAM	Samie	Liberal Democrats
FALOLA	Femi	Labour and Co-operative Party
HAQUE	MD Maksudul	Newham Independents Party Candidate
HWANG	Chae Ho	The Green Party
ISLAM	Naimul	Newham Independents Party Candidate
KAMALI	Sabia	Labour and Co-operative Party
KEELING	Danny	The Green Party
MOSELY	Alfie	Reform UK
QUINTERO	Sonia	The Green Party
SAINCLAIR	Lucrece	Independent
THOMAS	Nitin John	Local Conservatives

Stratford Olympic Park (2 seats)

Surname	First Name(s)	Party / Description
ALI	Dilshad	Newham Independents Party Candidate
BAXTER	Jonathan	Reform UK
BRIGGS	Robert John	Liberal Democrats
DAVE	Vijaya	Local Conservatives
HIGGINS	Nate	The Green Party
HUDSON-SMALL	Joe	The Green Party
MASON	Darren	Labour Party
NABUDDE	Rachel	Local Conservatives
OSEI-TEMENG	Rachael	Labour Party
RAMDAY	Rabindranauth	Reform UK
SHAH	Vaishali	Newham Independents Party Candidate
WILLOUGHBY	Laura Claire	Liberal Democrats

Wall End (3 seats)

Surname	First Name(s)	Party / Description
ALEXANDER	Jose	Labour Party
ANAND	Kumar	Newham Independents Party Candidate
BAPU	Victoria	Christian Peoples Alliance
DADI	Jayanthi	Christian Peoples Alliance
FLETCHER	Rowan	The Green Party
HOWELL	Paul	The Green Party
HUDSON	Lester Thompson	Labour Party
KANNAN	Durai	Local Conservatives
MAJEED	Muhammad	Newham Independents Party Candidate
MD ABU	Noman	Newham Independents Party Candidate
MOHAMADU	Faheem	Reform UK
MOLE	Amanda	The Green Party
NATHAN	Ki	Local Conservatives
PARTHIBAN	Vijay	Local Conservatives
PIRAPAHARAN	Arunasalam	Liberal Democrats
SHAW	Carole Angela	Labour Party
SWAMY	Bharath	Christian Peoples Alliance

West Ham (3 seats)

Surname	First Name(s)	Party / Description
AHMED	Fokoruddin	Local Conservatives
ALOM	Ibrahim	The Green Party
BANO	Attia	Newham Independents Party Candidate
CELIS RANGEL	Karina	Liberal Democrats
CONSTANTIN	Robert	Reform UK
CREAN	Mayra	Newham Independents Party Candidate
GRAY	John	Labour and Co-operative Party
GREEN	Andy	Reform UK
HENNESSY	Armyn	Local Conservatives
KHAN	Manir Uzzaman	Local Conservatives
KWARTENG	Adjoa	Labour and Co-operative Party
MANNION	Sam Michael	Labour and Co-operative Party
MOSTAFA	Karib	Newham Independents Party Candidate
SCOTT	Deb	The Green Party
SHIRAZUL	Kawsar Mohammed	The Green Party

Tags: local elections

Comments Leave a Comment
Categories Elections, Newham, Politics

Your mayoral candidates 2026

10 Apr

The official list of candidates for mayor of Newham has been published:

Candidate	Party
Terri Bloore	Conservative
Areeq Chowdhury	Green
Clive Furness	Reform UK
Forhad Hussain	Labour
Kamran Malik	Communities United
Mehmood Mirza	Newham Independents
Bharath Swamy	Christian Peoples Alliance
Laura Willoughby	Liberal Democrats

Tags: Local Elections 2026

Comments Leave a Comment
Categories Elections, Newham, Politics

With the main contenders in May’s elections desperately trying to outbid each other to win the votes of car drivers – free residential parking permits, an hour (or two!) of free parking every day, a new multi-storey car park on Green Street – it’s worth asking… why?

Car ownership is a minority pursuit in Newham. Across the borough, less than half of households own a car or van. And there isn’t a single ward where car ownership exceeds 60%. In every single ward at least 40% of households won’t see a single penny of benefit from free permits or high street parking. But they will suffer the consequences of more traffic, more pollution, more noise and less safe streets.

It makes no sense whatsoever.

Ward	Total HHs	HHs with no car	% no car
Stratford	6801	4776	70.22%
Stratford Olympic Park	4513	3105	68.80%
Royal Victoria	6745	4276	63.40%
Canning Town South	2795	1729	61.86%
Maryland	4521	2641	58.42%
Canning Town North	3830	2229	58.20%
Plaistow West & Canning Town East	5824	3170	54.43%
Forest Gate South	5864	3147	53.67%
Plaistow North	5752	3001	52.17%
West Ham	5338	2774	51.97%
Royal Albert	3660	1811	49.48%
East Ham	4299	2099	48.83%
Boleyn	4566	2189	47.94%
Manor Park	4688	2213	47.21%
Green Street West	4136	1938	46.86%
Plaistow South	4215	1974	46.83%
Custom House	6195	2866	46.26%
Green Street East	4440	2053	46.24%
Forest Gate North	3802	1738	45.71%
Little Ilford	5065	2292	45.25%
Plashet	2948	1292	43.83%
Wall End	4597	1971	42.88%
Beckton	5485	2249	41.00%
East Ham South	5435	2178	40.07%
TOTAL:	115514	59711	51.69%

Source: Office for National Statistics, 2021 UK Census

“Car is a necessity not a luxury,” says Cllr Mirza, Newham the Independent candidate, in his election materials. Given half of all residents in the borough don’t own a car, I wonder how he thinks they survive. Does he imagine they are all sat at home, unemployed and starving because they can’t get out to find a job or go to the shops?

Tags: Car ownership, Local Elections 2026

Comments Leave a Comment
Categories Elections, Newham, Politics

A Failure of Leadership

19 Mar

Ballot box
“We will consult properly and use community ballots to make sure decisions on important changes to your local street and environment are made by you.” So says Forhad Hussain on his current election leaflet, under the heading ‘Leadership you can rely on.’

Similarly, Newham Independents candidate Mehmood Mirza promises to “cancel all proposed LTNs and properly consult on the existing ones.”

When local politicians champion “community ballots” or “proper consultation” on schemes like low traffic neighbourhoods, they frame it as ‘democracy in action’—giving residents the final say on their streets. The reality, however, is that this is an abdication of leadership at precisely the moment when communities need it most.

The fundamental problem with these ballots is that they reduce complex policy decisions to binary choices. Traffic management isn’t about whether people like or dislike a scheme in isolation. It’s about balancing competing needs: child safety versus driver convenience; air quality versus journey times; long-term health outcomes versus short-term disruption. These are exactly the kinds of trade-offs we elect representatives to navigate on our behalf, using evidence and expertise alongside public input.

Moreover, the playing field for these ballots is far from level. Well-organised opposition groups, amplified by outside actors with their own agendas, flood communities with disinformation. Claims about emergency vehicle access, economic decline, or displacement of traffic are often exaggerated or outright false, yet they resonate emotionally because people are nervous about change. Meanwhile, the diffuse benefits—cleaner air, safer streets for children, reduced through-traffic, less noise pollution—are harder to mobilise around, even though the evidence supporting them is strong.

As a result communities become battlegrounds. Neighbours who previously coexisted peacefully find themselves on opposite sides of an artificially sharpened divide. Social media arguments replace constructive dialogue. The ballot doesn’t build consensus; it entrenches positions and creates winners and losers. Conflict instead of cohesion.

True leadership means making difficult decisions based on evidence, even when they’re initially unpopular. Of course it means consulting communities and listening to concerns: schemes can be adapted where legitimate issues arise—but ultimately it’s about taking responsibility for the outcome. Politicians who instead defer to referendums are passing the buck, hoping to avoid accountability by ‘listening to the people’.

If a scheme is genuinely worthwhile, the mayor and council should implement it, monitor its effects, and be prepared to modify or reverse it based on real-world outcomes. This is governance. Community ballots, by contrast, are a recipe for division. Elevating the loudest voices over the best evidence isn’t leadership, it’s the exact opposite.

Newham deserves better than politicians who mistake populism for democracy and ‘community ballots’ for governing.

Tags: Forhad Hussain, Local Elections 2026, Mehmood Mirza

Comments 1 Comment
Categories Elections, Newham, Politics

And there’s more…

8 Mar

Hanif Abdulmuhit on a Labour leaflet

It seems that I was guilty of a couple of bits of understatement in Friday’s post about former councillor Hanif Abdulmuhit.

First of all, he is not just campaigning for Labour, he is a candidate in Green Street West, the seat he previously held for both Respect and Labour.

And secondly, his support for the Conservatives went beyond now-deleted social media posts – he joined the party and campaigned for it.

Tory AGM Tweet

This tweet is from September 2023 and Abdulmuhit is there, at the West Ham Conservative’s AGM. He’s on the right, partly hidden by Tim Roll-Pickering’s head.

An arrow pointing at Hanif Abdulmuhit's head

And here he is campaigning for them.

Tory canvas.

Hanif Tory canvassing.

I guess the Labour selection panel’s due diligence on his social media history wasn’t as diligent as it should have been.

Tags: Green Street West, Hanif Abdulmuhit, Labour

Comments 1 Comment
Categories Elections, Newham, Politics

A man for all seasons

6 Mar

Hanif Abdulmuhit campaigning in 2026

Hanif Abdulmuhit out on the Labour campaign trail

While we’re on the subject of people changing parties – not especially unusual in the small world of Newham politics – let’s talk about Hanif Abdulmuhit, who is currently out campaigning for Labour ahead of the upcoming local election.

Abdulmuhit began his political life as secretary of Newham Liberal Democrats. He then joined George Galloway’s Respect party, winning a council seat in 2006, defeating Labour incumbents in the process, and standing as the party’s London Assembly candidate for City & East in 2008. As Respect collapsed in on itself, he completed the remainder of his term as a Labour councillor, sat out the 2010 elections, and then returned — fully reconstructed — as a Labour member in 2014. He went on to serve as a mayoral advisor for Building Communities and community lead for Green Street in the administration of Sir Robin Wales.

That second Labour stint lasted until 2022, when he was deselected by the NEC panel charged with picking the party’s candidates. There were suggestions that he was the victim of dirty tricks in the run-up to the selection process, and he took it very badly. In social media posts, subsequently deleted, he announced his support for the Conservatives.

Abdulmuhit’s bitterness towards his former party was on open display in July 2023, when he posted gleefully about Labour’s defeat in the Boleyn ward by-election. “Some refreshing news out of Newham at last!” he wrote, celebrating the victory of independent candidate Mehmood Mirza and describing it as “proof people of Newham have had enough of broken promises and lies of Newham Labour.”

The irony — or the problem, depending on how you look at it — is that Mehmood Mirza is now Labour’s principal opponent in the Newham mayoral election. The same man whose victory Abdulmuhit publicly cheered, whom he held up as a symbol of Labour’s failure and the community’s rejection of the party, is today the candidate Labour most needs to defeat.

The contradictions do not end with his serial party-hopping. Abdulmuhit was also posting views that sit strikingly at odds with Labour’s national platform and Newham Council’s own stated priorities.

When Sadiq Khan shared a video explaining the health effects of toxic air, Abdulmuhit dismissed it as “Propaganda! Absolutely no definitive evidence for this whatsoever!” — a remarkable claim given that the scientific consensus on the harm caused by air pollution is overwhelming. Newham is one of London’s most polluted boroughs; the health consequences for its residents are not an abstraction.

He also amplified a Toby Young article from the Daily Sceptic — a well-known climate-sceptic outlet — approvingly characterising climate scientists as “fanatics” and “gloom merchants” driven by “wishy washy feelings” rather than science. These are not merely heterodox views within the Labour family. They are positions associated with the right flank of the Conservative Party and its outriders, not with a movement that has made clean energy and environmental action central to its offer to voters.

Newham Council has declared a climate emergency and committed to ambitious net-zero targets. Labour nationally has staked significant political capital on its green agenda. A Labour activist publicly aligning himself with Toby Young on climate science is not a minor quirk — it is a meaningful ideological statement.

Hanif Abdulmuhit spent eight years as a Labour councillor before being deselected. He then publicly celebrated Labour losing a council seat, specifically praising the independent candidate who is now Labour’s main opponent in the mayoral race. He has dismissed the scientific evidence on air pollution as propaganda and shared climate-denying content from a right-wing sceptic outlet. He has also, at various points in the more distant past, been a Liberal Democrat and a Respect councillor.

None of this is secret. It is all a matter of public record — or was, before it was deleted along with the rest of his Twitter/X account.

The question worth asking is not why Abdulmuhit wants back in. Political calculation is a constant in Newham, and the motivations of someone who has navigated this many different party loyalties are presumably pragmatic. The real question is why Labour would want him close to its campaign — and, more pointedly, why it would welcome back someone whose loudest recent contribution to Newham politics was cheering on the very candidate Labour is now trying to beat. And who retweeted this kind of thing:

Voters are entitled to know who is working on behalf of candidates they are asked to support. In a contest where Labour’s credibility and trustworthiness in Newham is itself at issue, the company a campaign keeps matters.

Forhad and Hanif

Having someone whose political journey spans the Lib Dems, Respect, Labour, the Conservatives (however briefly), and back again — and who was publicly delighted by Labour’s embarrassment less than two years ago — seems, at best, an unusual choice.

Tags: Hanif Abdulmuhit, Labour, Respect

Comments 1 Comment
Categories Elections, Newham, Politics

Journey’s End

4 Mar

Wales Furness Reform.

Robin Wales and Clive Furness with Nigel Farage (picture via London Evening Standard)

Well, it was bound to happen sooner or later. Sir Robin Wales and his long-time ally and fellow Blue Labour acolyte Clive Furness have defected to Reform UK.

Wales will be joining as ‘Director of Local Government Development’ and Furness will be the party’s candidate for Mayor of Newham.

Both men have long promoted a politics well to the right of mainstream Labour opinion and their recent piece in Spiked about why they left the Labour Party was merely a trailer for this announcement.

This blog was largely founded as a way for me to express my disgust and amazement that Wales, a man who so clearly possessed no Labour values whatsoever, was in any kind of leadership position at all, much less the all-powerful and unchallengeable directly elected mayor. And it turns out, in the end, I was absolutely right.

Those currently running what remains of the Labour Party in Newham – hollowed out by five long years of suspension – should have a long hard think about their decision to turn their backs on the last eight years and embrace the politics of the previous 20.

Wales and Furness have gone. Good riddance. Their politics should go with them.

Update: Wales’ new title at Reform is Director of Local Government Development, not Director of London Local Government as I previously had it. Apologies.

Tags: Clive Furness, Reform UK, Sir Robin Wales

Comments 1 Comment
Categories Elections, Newham, Politics

How a new voting system could end Labour’s grip on Newham

2 Feb

Forhad for Mayor.

Uma Kumaran MP on Instagram

For decades, Newham has been synonymous with Labour dominance. The borough has consistently delivered some of the party’s strongest results anywhere in the country. But as we approach the May 2026 mayoral election, a perfect storm of a changed electoral system and political upheaval threatens to end that era.

The System That Protected Labour (though it rarely needed it)

Until now, Newham’s mayoral elections used the Supplementary Vote system, where voters could express both first and second preferences. If no candidate secured over 50%, second choices were redistributed between the top two. In practice, this rarely mattered — Labour won outright on first preferences in five of six elections. Only in 2006, when George Galloway’s Respect Party mounted a strong challenge, did Labour need second preferences to win.

Had the Tories not abolished this system in 2022 it would have provided Labour with a crucial safety net this year. Progressive voters could have backed the Greens or another party as their first choice, knowing they could return to Labour via second preferences. Even with Labour’s support weakened by the unpopularity of the Starmer government, the party would likely have benefited from transfers from other progressive voters keen to keep less appealing alternatives out.

That buffer has for the time being disappeared. Despite introducing legislation to reinstate the supplementary vote, parliament has not yet passed it into law, so the 2026 election will use First Past the Post. One vote, winner takes all, regardless of whether they achieve a majority.

Historical Strength, Meet Historic Weakness

To understand how extraordinary the current situation is, consider the numbers. In 2018, Rokhsana Fiaz won with a commanding 73.4%. Even in 2022, when her support dropped significantly, she still secured 56.2%.

Historically, Newham Labour’s candidates have outperformed national polling by 25-40 percentage points. For example, when the party polled 29% nationally in 2010, their mayoral candidate won 68% locally. Newham has always been a Labour bedrock.

Fast forward to January 2026, and Labour is polling at a catastrophic 17-22% nationally — the party’s worst position since monthly polling began in 1983. Even with the usual level of out-performance versus the national party, Newham Labour may struggle to hit even 40% this time.

And with the early messaging from Labour candidate Forhad Hussain suggesting he is running against the current mayor’s record rather than the Opposition, that is doubtful. “Labour’s made a mess of it, vote Labour” is s hard message to sell.

The Challengers Emerge

Given the polls and the change to the voting system, this election is genuinely competitive.

The Newham Independents’ candidate, Councillor Mehmood Mirza, represents the largest opposition group on the council with four seats (or is it five?). His populist platform — council tax freezes, free parking, public events, even more free parking, and free sports gear for every child — taps into dissatisfaction over street cleaning, parking charges, and council governance, as well as anger over Labour’s stance on Gaza. Whether his ambitious spending promises can be delivered within a balanced budget is questionable, but the appeal is undeniable. Promises cost nothing, and by the time voters find out he can’t actually deliver them, it’s too late.

The Green candidate, Councillor Areeq Chowdhury, defected from Labour in 2024. His candidacy provides a direct bridge for disillusioned Labour supporters into another progressive option. The Greens already hold the Stratford Olympic Park ward and are targeting council seats in Stratford, Forest Gate and the Royal Docks. They came second with 17.4% in the July 2024 general election in Stratford & Bow, demonstrating organised support across the borough’s younger and more affluent areas. His promise to “ensure we have a clean, green place to live in” will resonate with those voters.

The central structural problem for Labour is that they and their main challengers sit broadly within overlapping political spaces. They share concerns about housing quality, street cleaning, regeneration, and accountability. Despite his regressive policies on climate and tax, Mirza enjoys the endorsement of Jeremy Corbyn, while the Greens have also attracted support on the Left with positive messaging on migration and calls for a wealth tax.

If Chowdhury attracts environmentally-minded and younger voters, while Mirza consolidates anti-establishment and community-based support, Labour’s vote could be eroded from two directions at once.

Reform UK adds another layer of complexity. Newham is not an obvious Reform stronghold. It is younger, more ethnically diverse, and more urban than the areas where Reform has typically done best. Its core base — older, white, socially conservative voters — is relatively smaller here. But the party’s emphasis on social conservatism and cultural issues may resonate with some older and more religious voters who feel detached from Labour’s current direction. Without much in the way of local campaigning infrastructure they secured around 17% in the recent Plaistow South by-election. Reform doesn’t need to win to make a difference because it draws votes from multiple pools: disaffected Labour supporters, residual Conservatives, and general protest voters. Ten or twelve percent could reshape the contest by lowering the threshold for victory.

The Fragmentation Factor

Put these elements together, and the outcome is unprecedented fragmentation and a potentially knife-edge result. Something along these lines is entirely plausible:

Labour: 32-40%
Newham Independents: 25-33%
Greens: 18-25%
Reform: 10-15%
Others: 5-10%

Labour might win with barely a third of the vote, meaning a large majority preferred someone else. Alternatively, if one challenger consolidates better or is more effective at turning out its vote, the party could lose out entirely.

The Irony of Simplification

Historically, Newham’s mayoral elections were about majorities – often big majorities. In 2026, they’ll be about pluralities. Labour’s dominance was built on strong first-preference support, reinforced by second preferences when needed. Under FPTP, only the first layer remains. Its proponents claim it’s a simpler system, easier to understand. Ironically, it could lead to a result that is more complicated and unpredictable.

For Labour, the task is clear but difficult: hold the vote together in an unfavourable national climate and prevent further defections. Their current strategy, focusing on parking and traffic management, is seriously puzzling. Why add salience to issues that Mirza is actively campaigning on and at the same time risk alienating younger and environmentally conscious voters, for whom the Greens are already an attractive option?

For the challengers, the dilemma is opposite. Each has a case against Labour, but collectively they risk canceling each other out. Fragmentation may hand Labour victory by default.

Whatever happens, 2026 will produce a mayor backed by fewer people than any of their predecessors. In a borough long accustomed to clear mandates, that would mark a profound shift in how local power is won — and how legitimate it feels. Labour may be about to learn a harsh lesson about the vagaries of first-past-the-post in an age of political volatility.

Tags: First past the post, Green Party, Labour, Local Elections 2026, Mayor of Newham, Newham Independents

Comments 3 Comments
Categories Elections, Newham, Politics

So long, farewell

8 Dec

Mayor Rokhsana Fiaz

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.

Update: Simon Rush has been selected as a candidate in Custom House ward; Rohit Dasgupta has been reselected in Canning Town South.

Tags: Elections 2026, Labour, newham

Comments 1 Comment
Categories Elections, Newham, Politics

Remembering Neil Wilson

25 Aug

Cllr Neil Wilson at Curwen Primary School

Newham lost one of its most devoted public servants on July 30th, 2025, with the passing of Councillor Neil Wilson, known affectionately as the “Father of the Council.” A by-election to replace him will be held on September 18th.

Neil Wilson’s journey into local politics began in the early 1990s. After an unsuccessful bid in South Ward (now East Ham South), Wilson found his political home in 1994 when he was first elected to represent Hudson’s Ward. The ward would later become Plaistow South following boundary changes. For the next 31 years, Wilson served the area where he lived, embodying the important principle of local representation.

In the administration of Sir Robin Wales, he held the Equalities portfolio. More recently, under Mayor Rokhsana Fiaz, he served as Cabinet Member for Health and Adult Social Care.

Wilson’s High Anglican faith was a cornerstone of his life and politics. He was a regular worshipper and trustee at St Alban the Martyr in Holborn and a member of the Society of Sacramental Socialists.

By-election

The contest to fill Wilson’s seat has attracted candidates from all five national parties, plus the local independents. The six candidates standing are:

Asheem Singh – Labour Party
Md Nazrul Islam – Newham Independents Party
Rois Miah – Local Conservatives
Sheree Miller – Liberal Democrats
Lazar Monu – Reform UK
Nic Motte – Green Party

This by-election comes at a tricky time for Newham Labour. The three local constituency parties remain suspended and a new candidate for mayor, Forhad Hussain, has been selected for next year’s elections.

Recent by-election losses in Plaistow North and Boleyn, plus the 2022 defeat to the Greens in Stratford Olympic Park have raised questions about Labour’s grip on the borough. A victory in Plaistow South would demonstrate resilience despite recent controversies, while a defeat could signal deeper challenges ahead of the 2026 campaign.

A lasting legacy

As voters prepare to choose Wilson’s successor, they face the challenge of replacing someone with deep institutional knowledge, a profound commitment to social justice and a determination to do through best for his constituents.

Wilson served for 31 years, but his legacy extends beyond mere longevity in office. Wilson represented a style of local politics rooted in community connection, principled governance, and genuine public service. His commitment to equality, his role as a mentor to newer councillors, and his unwavering dedication to his community set a benchmark for public service.

The candidates vying for his seat will each bring their own vision for Plaistow South’s future. However, they will all be measured, in some way, against the standard of service that Neil Wilson established over more than three decades of dedicated public service.

On September 18th, residents of Plaistow South will not just be choosing a new councillor – they will be selecting someone to carry forward the democratic tradition that Neil Wilson served with such distinction.

Tags: Neil Wilson, newham, Plaistow South

Comments 2 Comments
Categories Elections, Newham, Politics

← Older Entries

Search

forestgatedotnet