Newham's new mayor: 'things haven't been perfect'

Newham's new mayor has admitted that "things haven't been perfect", speaking for the first time since a damaging election for Labour in the borough.

Forhad Hussain won the most votes in the mayoral election on 7 May, and Labour councillors remain the largest group, meaning the party — just — stays in control. But more people voted for opposition parties, and Labour lost 38 seats.

For the first time in the borough's 61-year history, the party no longer holds a commanding majority in the town hall.

"The lesson is quite clear: we need to improve our relationship with our residents," Hussain told the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

"We've seen investment in our schools, we've got the best schools in the country. We've invested in our borough when it comes to regeneration and housing, our community centres and our libraries.

"But the last few years haven't been perfect. What's clear on the doorstep is people weren't happy with those basic services, like cleansing, safety, parking."

Free parking, fewer fines

On parking, Hussain promised in his manifesto to introduce an hour's free parking anywhere in the borough, and to make residents' first parking permit free.

He also suggested parking wardens could hand out fewer fines and tow away fewer vehicles. Of all the vehicles towed in London between 2024 and 2025, a quarter were in Newham.

"We do need to look at how we fine some of our drivers," Hussain said.

"My view is we shouldn't be lifting cars unless it's blocking highways or dropped kerbs. That's something that needs to change, because I've always said we need to be a compassionate and caring council, and an understanding council."

It is not all about cars. Hussain also wants to "look at more cycle pathways around Newham" and build more free cycle hangars across the borough.

Yet lower income from parking permits and tickets will mean less money to spend on roads and transport.

Hussain insisted the cost of free permits "is budgeted — it's priced up", while the council will still make money from a household's second or third permit.

The scheme "will be done in three phases", he said, "so I'm confident that we can deliver that in this administration".

Cleaner streets, tougher fines

Hussain also insisted the council could afford to spend more on street cleaning, promising an extra £12 million over four years. The council is keen to emphasise plans to raise its maximum fine for fly-tipping from £500 to £1,000, which Hussain said "shows we're really serious".

But he wants to combine this "zero-tolerance approach" with "education" aimed at discouraging littering and fly-tipping, and to work with the community to find "solutions in hotspot areas".

A different way of working

Hussain said his "community neighbourhoods model" would be "very different" to how the council has worked in the past, with "collaboration with networks — of schools, faith organisations, the voluntary sector, sport organisations" and "a lot more activities happening in our public buildings".

He wants to see how council venues such as libraries and community centres can be used by "our community organisations". "If we're not using them, let's see how the community can use them."

Asked whether this was also a way for the council to shift the costs and burdens of local services onto community organisations, Hussain said: "It's more about working together and sharing resources. Looking at economies of scale, and looking at how to be a little more efficient. The council doesn't have all the answers."

Governing without a majority

Hussain's job will be complicated by the fact that Newham Labour no longer has a majority of councillors. He cannot pass big decisions — such as the annual budget — without votes from at least one of the two opposition parties, Newham Independents and the Greens.

This means the ruling Labour group has to "do things in a different way now, in terms of the politics, in terms of working together", Hussain said.

At his first annual council meeting since the election, on 20 May, he managed to keep Labour councillors in prominent political positions with the help of the Greens.

The move angered Newham Independents, who had wanted to block Labour from chairing any of the council's committees, and who accused the Greens of "standing for the status quo".

The Greens said they had voted to "share power" among political groups and "ensure all members are heard".

Newham Independents reluctantly voted to accept the arrangement, and Hussain said that since then "there has been collaboration and there have been conversations".

"Going forward it does look positive," he said. "But of course we're not going to agree on everything."

As mayor, Hussain has complete control over who he appoints to the council's cabinet. So far it is made up of himself and four Labour councillors, though he said in May he would be appointing more posts.

Green councillor Danny Keeling insisted his party was not in "coalition" with Labour, but Hussain would not rule out offering cabinet posts to members of opposition parties.

"I'm happy with my team at the moment," was all he would say. "I've got to think about who I'm going to add to the team. I'll be making announcements in the next few months about those new positions."

For now, Hussain said he was "looking forward to announcing some positive things in the next few weeks". But the real test will come over the coming months and years — and whether he can convince enough people in Newham to come back to Labour.