Last month’s by-elections in Newham delivered two new councillors

By Jean Gray

people stand in protest holding placards — Mehmood Mirza is pictured second left, taking part in a lobby outside East Ham town hall on behalf of Friends of Queens Market last month. The friends claim that Newham Council’s plan to redevelop the site rules out the option to simply “retain and refurbish” the well known Green Street indoor market, although the Council claims it will make the market better for stallholders as well as local people

Newham’s ruling Labour party faces increased opposition on the Council following a stunning victory by independent candidate Mehmood Mirza in one of two ward by-elections on 13 July.

Mr Mirza took Boleyn ward with 1153 votes, beating Labour’s Sofia Patel into second place with 871. Green Party candidate Joe Hudson-Small was third with 572 votes.

Mr Mirza is a left wing supporter of former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn. He resigned from Labour in 2022 after the party suspended both West Ham and East Ham constituencies while investigations into a number of alleged ‘irregularities’ were carried out. Two years later, the suspension remains; local parties are still not meeting, and election candidates are not chosen locally but by the party centrally.

“People in Newham are waking up,” Mr Mirza told Newham Voices. “They are not happy with Labour on a number of key issues such as council tax and parking charges. The local party has been suspended for two years and so candidates are not elected democratically and locally. I am very glad that people put their trust in me.”

Mr Mirza’s election attracted much social media attention from strong critics as well as ardent supporters. One criticism frequently levelled at him as a left wing politician is that he is also one of Newham’s biggest private landlords. However, there have been no accusations that he is a ‘bad landlord’ and he says he provided a three-month rent break for tenants during the Covid lockdown. He argues that the number of properties he owns is fewer than the ten his critics claim and that they are all mortgaged. He said: “I worked hard and invested in properties and as such I am providing accommodation for people. I am not raising rents because I know everyone is struggling. I comply with all the regulations and there has been no complaint against me.”

While Labour’s Sofia Patel also has strong local credentials – she was born in Forest Gate and lives in the Boleyn ward – she is closely associated with the Labour leadership as head of events and visits for Sir Keir Starmer. Speaking during Newham Voices’ local hustings on 8 July, she rebuffed claims that she was chosen because of her connection to the Labour leader, arguing that having grown up in a single parent household and still living in the ward, she was well placed to represent local people’s priorities.

The election means that Newham Council now has three opposition members – the Greens’ Nate Higgins and Danny Keeling were both elected for Stratford Olympic Park at the full council elections last year.

Labour fared better in nearby Wall End ward where their candidate Stephanie Garfield, also chosen by Labour centrally, was elected with 1659 votes. Her closest competitor was Conservative Durai Kannan with 739 votes.

The by-elections were called following the resignation of Labour councillors Cecilia Welsh and Luke Charters earlier this year.

Labour agent Alan Griffiths said he was delighted that Stephanie Garfield had been elected in Wall End. “This shows the support Labour in Newham has with voters as we deliver on our Building a Fairer Newham plans, clean streets and safer neighbourhoods.”

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