WITH A promise to “put power back in the hands of the people”, Mayor Forhad Hussain kicked off his time as Mayor of Newham following his election on 7th May. He also pledged to focus on cleaner streets, community safety and fairer parking charges.
The Labour Mayor faces the challenge of running Newham while Labour no longer has an overall majority of councillors. Labour is the largest party, with 26 councillors, but the Newham Independents Party is just behind, at 24, and the Green Party has 16 Councillors.
Mayor Hussain has appointed a Cabinet of four Labour Councillors. The Cabinet is advisory, so Mayor Hussain will be taking decisions, not the Cabinet. However, the appointments do signal that the Mayor expects Labour to be running the borough, rather than bringing in other parties for collaborative work.
Deputy Mayor is Cllr John Gray, who will also take responsibility for Housing. He was Deputy Mayor in Mayor Roksana Fiaz’s Administration, so he provides some continuity between the two mayors. Cllr Gray is a keen Unison activist and is seen by many locals as being on the Starmer wing of the Labour Party. Other Cabinet members are: •Cllr Lakmini Shah, Cabinet Member for Children, Education and Communities; •Cllr Susan Masters, Cabinet Member for Adults, Health and Environment; •Cllr Zulfiqar Ali, Cabinet Member for Finance and Resources.
Where non-Labour councillors were taken on board was with the position of Chair of the Council – a post often referred to as “civic” or “ceremonial” mayor, of even Speaker of the Council (such as in Tower Hamlets). Green Councillor Nate Higgins will be the Chair, and Labour’s Councillor Dr Rohit Dasgupta will be Vice Chair.
Mayor Forhad Hussain said, “We want to put power back where it belongs, with the people of Newham. People are tired of feeling decisions are made without them. They want to be listened to, involved and respected. So, we will give communities more say over local decisions. We will give local families the respect, the tools and the power to make a difference on their doorstep. Because local people know their neighbourhoods best.
“For too long, power has been centralised in Newham – that stops now. Instead, we’re going to inspire and support community activism, bring local people together and empower them to make positive changes in their neighbourhoods. Whether it’s youth projects, coffee mornings, neighbourhood clean ups or weekend homework clubs – the people of Newham know best, and we’re ready to bring their vision to life.”
●Read more about it: Labour loses its majority on Newham Council Labour hangs on to the Mayoralty in Newham