Newham Independents 💛

WHERE IS THE MAYOR? WHO IS ACCOUNTABLE TO NEWHAM RESIDENTS? At Newham Council’s Overview and Scrutiny meeting, serious questions were due to be raised about Mayor Farhad Hussain’s decision to introduce the Community Neighbourhood Model, appointing all eight lead commissioners from one political party, despite that party having little or no elected representation in some neighbourhoods. The Mayor, Cabinet Member and Deputy Cabinet Member were called upon to account for the decision. Not one of them attended. ❌ The Mayor did not respond to the scrutiny request to answer questions. ❌ Cabinet Member Lakhmini Shah was unable to attend due to jury service. ❌ The Deputy Cabinet Member sent a last-minute apology citing family commitments. The result? Not a single elected member of the administration was present to explain or defend the Mayor’s decision. Council officers should not be left to answer political questions on behalf of elected decision-makers. Newham is now a council with no overall political control. The Mayor must recognise the democratic mandate of councillors elected by residents across the borough. Scrutiny is not optional. Accountability is not optional. Democracy must be respected. As Leader of the Newham Independents, I will continue to question decisions, demand transparency and hold the administration to account on behalf of Newham residents. 🎥 Watch my video from the scrutiny meeting. #Newham #NewhamCouncil #NewhamIndependents #CouncilScrutiny #Accountability #LocalDemocracy #CommunityNeighbourhoods

🚨 LABOUR MAYOR’S NEIGHBOURHOOD PLAN HALTED – DEMOCRACY MUST BE RESPECTED! The latest report by Newham Voices exposes serious questions about Mayor Forhad Hussain’s leadership, accountability and respect for local democracy. Despite Labour losing overall control of Newham Council in May, the Mayor continues to act as though Labour has an absolute mandate to control everything. Appointing Labour councillors to lead all eight Community Neighbourhoods, even in areas where residents overwhelmingly elected opposition councillors, is politically unfair and undermines the democratic choice of Newham residents. At the recent Overview and Scrutiny meeting, the Mayor failed to attend to defend his own decision. The responsible Cabinet Member and Labour committee members were also absent. If the Mayor believes his decision is fair, why won’t he come before scrutiny and answer questions? Instead, council officers were left facing questions about political appointments they were not in a position to answer. I commend my colleague, Councillor Sophia Naqvi, Chair of Overview and Scrutiny, for standing firm and insisting on proper accountability. The Newham Independents have consistently challenged this politically unbalanced model. At the last Full Council meeting, we successfully supported a motion calling for neighbourhood leadership to reflect the democratic representation of local communities. Now the Mayor’s plan cannot progress until the scrutiny process is concluded. We are not against empowering neighbourhoods. We are against Labour using neighbourhood structures to concentrate political control and sideline elected opposition councillors. Newham is a council with no overall political control. The Mayor must accept the election results, respect the elected representatives and stop treating Newham as a one-party council. The message is simple: Newham belongs to its residents, not the Labour Party. As Leader of the Newham Independents, I will continue to challenge decisions that undermine democracy and hold the Mayor and his administration to account. 📰 Read the full report by Newham Voices: newhamvoices.co.uk/2026/10/1… #NewhamIndependents #NewhamCouncil #LocalDemocracy #Accountability #Newham #CommunityNeighbourhoods

🚨 ROMFORD ROAD – 24-HOUR BUS LANE PROPOSAL: RESIDENTS’ CONCERNS MUST BE HEARD! 🚨 Today, I stood in Little Ilford Ward alongside my Newham Independents councillor colleagues Oliur Rahman Cllr. Nasreen Shamima and Tahir Mirza, who have launched a petition opposing the proposed 24-hour bus lane on Romford Road. 🚗 Romford Road is already heavily congested! Traffic from the North Circular, Ilford and beyond converges on this busy route, with motorists already facing significant delays. We are seriously concerned that introducing a 24-hour bus lane could make congestion worse, increase journey times and contribute to poorer air quality for local residents. How can Newham Council justify emission-based parking charges while considering road changes that residents fear could increase congestion and pollution? This isn’t just a Little Ilford issue. Romford Road is a major route affecting residents, commuters and businesses across Newham. I visited to support my councillor colleagues and hear the concerns being raised about this proposal. 📢 Our message is clear: Newham Council must listen to residents, properly assess the impact and take their concerns seriously. 📝 My colleagues have launched a petition opposing the proposal. I encourage residents to read it, make their views known and participate in the consultation process. Watch my video from Romford Road. Can you add your signature? ✍️ c.org/Vvr5cqH4WN #RomfordRoad #LittleIlford #NewhamIndependents #Newham #TrafficCongestion #AirQuality #ListenToResidents

🚨 MAYOR FORHAD HUSSAIN – WHERE ARE YOUR ELECTION PROMISES? 🚨 Before the May 2026 elections, Mayor Forhad Hussain promised Newham residents: ✅ FREE first car parking permit ✅ ONE HOUR free parking for residents Five months later, where are these promises? The Mayor has executive powers to take action and deliver on his commitments. So what is stopping him? Instead of delivering for residents, the Mayor appears more focused on surrounding himself with political advisers and assistants. He already has three advisers, alongside other staff in his office. How many advisers does one Mayor need to deliver two simple election promises? Newham residents are struggling with the cost of living, rising parking charges and financial pressures. They don’t need more political advisers advising other advisers. They need action, not excuses! The Mayor was elected on these promises. Now he must be held accountable for delivering them. As Leader of the Newham Independents, I am calling on Mayor Forhad Hussain to stop delaying, use his executive powers and honour the commitments he made to the people of Newham. Less political advice. More action. Deliver your promises! 🎥 Watch my video and judge for yourself. #NewhamIndependents #NewhamCouncil #ForhadHussain #ParkingCharges #FreeParking #ElectionPromises #Accountability #NewhamResidents

🚨 NEWHAM NEEDS MORE PUBLIC TOILETS! 🚻 The lack of public toilet facilities across Newham is becoming a serious concern, particularly around Tube stations, busy shopping streets and other public spaces. During my recent street interview, residents raised concerns about people urinating in public places, the unpleasant smell around station areas and the impact this is having on the local environment. Public urination is unacceptable, but we must also address one of the contributing factors — the shortage of accessible public toilets. Thousands of residents, commuters, shoppers and visitors use these busy areas every day. People, particularly the elderly, disabled residents and families with young children, need access to clean, safe and properly maintained public toilets. We need a practical approach from Newham Council, including better public toilet provision, regular cleaning and appropriate enforcement to tackle antisocial behaviour. Our streets should be clean, welcoming and safe for everyone. 🎥 Watch my interview and hear directly from local residents about their concerns. 💬 Do you think Newham needs more public toilets? Which areas should be prioritised? Share your views in the comments. #Newham #PublicToilets #CleanStreets #UptonPark #EastHam #NewhamResidents #CommunityVoice #NewhamIndependents

🚨 HOMEOWNERS BEWARE! YOUR HOME COULD BE TAKEN OVER WHILE YOU’RE AWAY! Imagine going on holiday and returning to find strangers occupying your home, claiming they have a legitimate tenancy agreement! I recently interviewed a Newham homeowner who went through this terrible ordeal. While he was away on holiday, his property was taken over by alleged squatters. He was forced to go through the courts, obtain an interim injunction and attend a final hearing, which eventually ruled in his favour. But the damage had already been done. 💔 Thousands of pounds spent on repairs, personal belongings lost, months of stress and the emotional trauma of fighting to regain control of his own home. What concerns me even more is that this does not appear to be an isolated incident in Newham. I have come across other cases where people allegedly use fake tenancy agreements to claim they have a legal right to occupy properties, making it difficult for homeowners and the authorities to resolve the situation quickly. How can a homeowner be left fighting through the courts to regain possession of their own property? We need greater awareness, stronger action against fraudulent tenancy agreements and better coordination between the police, council and relevant authorities to protect innocent homeowners. 🎥 Please watch this homeowner’s interview and hear firsthand what he has been through. If you have experienced something similar in Newham, please share your experience. #Newham #Squatters #HomeownersRights #PropertyFraud #HousingCrime #NewhamIndependents