There are seven candidates on the ballot paper to elect Newham’s next Mayor. Last month, Newham Voices featured statements from four of the candidates. This month we asked the remaining three to have their say.

Simeon Ademolake: Christian Peoples Alliance

Simeon has lived in Newham for over 30 years. He became a local councillor here for the CPA Party in 2006 becoming the first black Christian Democratic Councillor in British electoral History.

Simeon is an Environmental Designer and a Law graduate from the University of East London in Newham. He’s been the pastor of The Redeemed Christian Church of God, Harvest Chapel based in Newham for over 15 years. He’s now the Chairman of Newham partnership for Complementary schools.

He says: “Education was in a terrible state when I came to Newham. Black children were under achieving and I decided to start a not- for-profit supplementary school to support them in my own way. The school is 22 years old and it is still running. My supplementary educa- tion initiative was replicated by the then Mayor after my motion on it was passed in the Council.”

Why is he seeking the office of a Mayor? According to the Trust for London 2022 publication, “Half of Newham children (50 per cent) are judged to be in households in poverty, compared to 37 per cent in the typical London borough.”. This is after many years of continuous Labour rule. Simeon has the robust capacity and experience to change Newham to a prosperous borough by emulating the best practises from other successful boroughs.

He says: “My commitment to reduce the disgraceful housing waiting list is on top of my agenda, I promise to build 2000 genuinely affordable homes in four years and make supplementary schools free for all children ages 4-16. I will stop the closure of City Farm and review all the parking restrictions and road closures. Small businesses will be given sup- port to make them flourish.”

Newham needs change and will undoubtedly benefit from Simeon’s leadership. @simeonademolake

Lois Austin: Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition

Lois Austin

Working-class people in Newham have been let down. The Labour mayor and council choose to carry on making the Tory government’s imposed cuts rather than stand up for us.

The cost of living crisis is worsened by council tax hikes. Newham already has some of the worst poverty levels in the country.

Our local services are being destroyed, with Newham City Farm and Durning Hall set for closure and Stratford Circus ‘repurposed’.

At the same time, the monstrous and polluting MSG Sphere and Silvertown Tunnel get the green light and West Ham park is threatened by development.

I am a longstanding local anti-cuts campaigner, and as a Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition mayoral candidate I will only take a worker’s wage if elected mayor.

Newham Council has £616 million in ‘usable reserves.’ A socialist mayor and councillors would vote against every austerity cut and charge, start rebuilding the jobs and homes we need and send the bill to Number 10.

As part of the local campaign alli- ance, Newham Resists, I drafted a ‘needs budget’ to give the working class what it needs, not more cuts.

Instead of gentrification, build thousands of high-quality council homes. Seize empty properties for council housing. No to the demolition of the Carpenters Estate! Repopulate with those in housing need, and all homes let at council rent.

Stop the land grab! No to gentrification of Green Street market and Hamara Ghar elderly accommodation. Newham’s young people deserve a future. Restore and expand closed youth services.

Profit out of schools! Stop allowing community schools to become academies.

As mayor, I would champion quality free education and training, a £15-an-hour minimum wage for all ages and investment in socially useful job creation with living wages and trade union conditions.

As mayor, I would campaign to end racist policing, ‘stop and search’ and for democratic community control of police policy and hiring.

To end Newham’s record-level pollution, we need a publicly owned and fully funded transport system. No to public transport cuts, car charges and increased parking charges.

Other anti-cuts community campaigners are standing in the mayoral and council elections – Vote for all ‘needs budget’ candidates!

Mehmood Mirza: Independent

My name is Mehmood Mirza. I am standing as your independent socialist candidate for Mayor of Newham. I have lived and worked in the Borough for 23 years and love it!

I used to be a member of the Labour Party, believing it would fight to defend ordinary people. Sadly, as you will know yourself, this is no longer true.

I believe Newham’s Mayor should be leading the way in challenging the Tory Government and refus- ing to implement its cuts. Newham Council has substantial financial reserves which means it could shield the people of Newham from unaffordable housing, dangerous streets, increasing pollution, the destruction of our community resources and cuts in health and social care. Sadly, Newham’s current Labour Council and Mayor are doing the Government’s dirty work for them rather than standing up to the Tory Government and working across London to build resistance to cuts and poverty.

I have run a food bank in the East of the Borough for the past one and half years. This is important work because we provide food and resources to thousands of people who desperately need support and solidarity in this deprived borough, but it really should not be neces- sary in the 21st century. We live in the capital city of one of the richest countries in the world, yet we have to fight to survive in one of the poorest and most polluted boroughs. Whilst criminal oligarchs own plush and often empty apartments here and in other parts of London, residents of Newham are forced to live in some of the worst housing conditions in the country. We have record homelessness in Newham, which is a disgrace and completely preventable.

I am a community activist and want to see a Mayor and Council in Newham which works to defend the people of the Borough. I pledge to take only London living wage instead of taking £86,000 Mayoral special responsibility allowance. I am not in this for a career. I am standing because I am passionately

committed to changing things for the better in Newham by working with the community to challenge injustice and poverty. As your Mayor, I will continue to live amongst and alongside the working class people I will be proud to represent.

As Newham’s Mayor I will work with the Council to freeze Council Tax; reverse budget cuts; build genuinely affordable public housing; tackle Newham’s backlog of repairs; and bring services back in-house to defend jobs and service quality. I will re-open the City Farm closed by the current Mayor and council; support a focused plan of street cleaning and road repairs, coming down hard on fly tippers, crime and other antisocial behaviour. I will work with the community for a greener borough with an end to the current profiteering punitive parking regime and introduce incentives to tackle the climate emergency in the Borough. I will stop work on the Silvertown Tunnel and MSG Sphere, engaging in genuine and transparent community consultation before starting any significant public works.

Please use your first preference vote to get real, lasting change in Newham. We all desperately need it. If someone else is your first preference please give me second preference.

Read the statements from Saleyha Ahsan (Liberal Democrat), Rob Callender (Green Party) Rokhsana Fiaz (Labour) and Attic Rahman (Conservative) here.

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