Take off your gloves in the battle to become Newham’s next mayor

Newham has been under Labor control since its establishment in 1965 and the party has won every election for directly elected mayor since the system was introduced in 2002.

But there were new contenders this year, with eight candidates vying for the mayoral election on May 7.

The entire council will be elected at the same time.

Infighting within Labor ranks in Newham and discontent among some with the party nationally have presented Labor’s dominance with an unprecedented challenge.

Under the leadership of the outgoing mayor, the borough received the worst possible rating from the social housing regulator.

New Labor mayoral candidate Forhad Hussain spoke to the BBC in London while campaigning in West Ham.

“Things are not perfect and we need to do better,” he said.

“And that’s why we have new leadership under New Labor. And it’s me.

“We’re going to do things differently. We’re going to prioritize new residents. We’re going to localize how we provide our services.

“We have a plan to improve services and work with the regulator.”

The Newham Independents Party has won a hat-trick of by-elections since the 2022 election.

They promise to reduce council tax in a borough which needs to find millions in savings and claim to have gained ground thanks to Labour’s approach to immigration and the Middle East.

Newham Independents Party candidate Mehmood Mirza said “people still remember what Keir Starmer said”. referring to his expression “island of foreigners” in a speech on immigration.

“People are unhappy with the Gaza issue and Keir Starmer’s position on Iran.”

He added: “I think the main problem is that people focus and feel like they’ve been let down and taken for granted for a long time.”

At Mickey’s Boxing Gym in Plaistow, locals spoke to BBC London about what matters to them.

Mickey Cunningham, a boxing trainer who founded the gym, said: “I don’t let my son out late these days because there is so much knife crime.

“Boxing is great for young people.

“There should be more places, not just boxing, but affordable prices for families because things are very expensive.

“How can they afford to pay for everything?

Shaniece Allen, who trains at the gym, said: “I would actually like to see more mental health support because a lot more people are struggling these days compared to before.

“But there’s not enough support in the community.”

Greens mayoral candidate Areeq Chowdhury said his party can build on the success it has achieved so far in Newham, at Labor’s expense.

“They didn’t speak strongly enough about Palestine,” he said.

“They didn’t speak loud enough in favor of the workers.

“We have the highest level of homelessness in England, with one in 18 people here homeless, and we sadly have the title of the litter capital of England.

“I think people are fed up with the way Labor has run the council for the last 60 years and the Green Party is offering something different.”

The Conservatives have not won a seat on Newham Borough Council for more than 30 years and came a distant second in the mayoralty last time, but their candidate, Terri Bloore, says they are offering an alternative.

“We’ve been walking the sidewalk, talking to local businesses and residents, and people want change,” she said.

“People are fed up with this council. They say they’ve voted Labor all their lives, but they won’t do it now.”

Four other candidates, from Reform UK, the Communities United Party, the Christian People’s Alliance and the Liberal Democrats, are running for Newham Mayor in the May 7 election.

To find out more about the Newham Mayoral election, click here.

The eight candidates for Newham mayor are:

Terri Bloore – Local Conservatives

Areeq Chowdhury – Green Party

Clive Furness – Reform UK

Forhad Hussain – Labor Party

Kamran Malik – United Communities Party

Mehmood Mirza – Newham Independents Party

Bharat Swamy – Alliance of Christian Peoples

Laura Claire Willoughby – Liberal Democrats.

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