Peter Landman reports from a stormy Newham Council meeting

Cllr Rohima Rahman — Chair Councillor Rohima Rahman warned protesters

The main purpose of the meeting on 29th February was for the Council to ratify the budget which included a number of cuts in spending to balance the books in the coming year.

But the meeting was disrupted by protests from the public seating area including targeted heckling and alleged anti-Semitic insults were directed against the Council’s only Jewish member Joshua Garfield when he got up to speak. The Chair, Councillor Rohima Rahman warned protesters but after the protests continued the meeting was adjourned and the protesters ordered out of the meeting.

After a 15-minute break the meeting resumed and heard proposals for amendments to the budget from the two opposition groups of councillors, the Independents and the Greens.

Councillor Mehmood Mirza, Independent, spoke to amendments calling for £250,000 to go towards Council acquisition of the Stratford Market Village, the increase in Council Tax to be limited to 3.99 percent, a freeze on rent increases to market traders, and for the introduction of free domestic bulk waste collections.

Majority Labour councillors responded said that the proposed £250,000 would be nowhere near enough and said that it was difficult for the Council to make further income reductions, in view of their financial situation.

The Independents’ written budget statement also proposed to save money by cutting the posts of Chief Transformations Officer, Chief Marketing Officer; and Director of Climate Action.

There were also suggestions to reduce Youth Services costs and a 20 percent reductions to the increases in councillors’ allowances that had been recommended by the Independent Panel that reviews these allowances.

The majority Labour councillors objected to Youth Service reductions. Councillors Danny Keeling and Nate Higgins, the Green Party members, supported the Independents’ proposals with some additions:

That free school meals be extended to secondary school pupils;
That the £250,000 cut in funding to the Theatre Royal be reversed;
That residents in hardship, many of whom are entitled to reduced payments, should not have to pay any council tax;

They also argued that maintaining lower rents for market traders will lead to more economic activity. After much discussion the Council voted to maintain the proposal from the cabinet and the amendments were not accepted.

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