In his first big interview since May’s election, Forhad Hussain speaks to Nick Clark, Local Democracy Reporter, about the need for Newham Council to “improve our relationship with our residents”

Newham mayor Forhad Hussain (credit Andrew Baker/Newham Council) — Newham mayor Forhad Hussain at the election count in May (credit Andrew Baker/Newham Council)

“Things haven’t been perfect,” Newham’s new mayor admits, speaking for the first time after a damaging election for his Labour Party in the borough.

Forhad Hussain won the most votes the mayoral election on 7th May, and Labour councillors remain the largest group meaning the party – just – remains in control.

But more people voted for opposition parties and Labour lost 38 seats, meaning – for the first time in the borough’s 61-year history – it no longer has a commanding majority in the town hall.

“The lesson is quite clear, we need to improve our relationship with our residents,” says Hussain, speaking to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

“We’ve seen investment in our schools, we’ve got the best schools in the country. We’ve invested in our borough when it comes to regeneration and housing, our community centres and our libraries.”

“But,” he adds, “the last few years haven’t been perfect.

“What’s clear on the doorstep is people weren’t happy with those basic services, like cleansing, safety, parking.”

On the last of these, Hussain promised in his manifesto to introduce an hour’s free parking anywhere in the borough, and to make residents’ first parking permit free.

He also suggested parking wardens could dish out fewer fines, and tow away fewer vehicles. Of all the vehicles towed away in London between 2024 and 2025, a quarter of them were in Newham.

“We do need to look at how we fine some of our drivers,” says Hussain.

“My view is we shouldn’t be lifting cars unless it’s blocking highways or drop curves.

“That’s something that needs to change, because I’ve always said we need to be a compassionate and caring council, and an understanding council.”

It’s not all about cars, Hussain says. He also wants to “look at more cycle pathways around Newham” and build more free cycle hangers around the borough.

Yet lower income from parking permits and tickets will mean less money to spend on roads and transport.

Hussain insists the cost of free parking permits “is budgeted – it’s priced up” while the council will still make money from a household’s second or third permit.

He says the free permit scheme “will be done in three phases – so I’m confident that we can deliver that in this administration”.

Likewise, Hussain insists that the council will be able to afford spending more money on street cleaning. He has promised to put £12million more into the service over four years.

The council is keen to emphasise plans to increase its maximum fine for fly-tipping, from £500 to £1,000.

This “shows we’re really serious,” Hussain says.

But he wants to combine this “zero-tolerance approach” with “education” aimed at discouraging littering and fly-tipping, and working with the community to find “solutions in hotspot areas”.

Hussain says his “community neighbourhoods model” will be “very different” to how the council has worked in the past.

He adds there’ll be “collaboration with networks – of schools, faith organisations, the voluntary sector, sport organisations”.

There’ll also be “a lot more opportunities, a lot more activities happening in our public buildings”.

Hussain says he also wants to see how council venues such as libraries and community centres can be used by “our community organisations”.

“If we’re not using them, let’s see how the community can use them.”

Is this also a way for the council to unload the costs and burdens of providing local services onto community organisations?

“It’s more about working together and sharing resources,” Hussain says. “Looking at economies of scale, and looking at how to be a little more efficient. The council doesn’t have all the answers.”

Hussain’s job will be made more complicated by the fact that Newham Labour no longer has a majority of councillors.

This matters because it means he won’t be able to get big decisions – such as the council’s annual budget – through without votes in support from at least one of the two opposition parties, Newham Independents and the Greens.

Hussain says this means the ruling Labour group will has to “do things in a different way now, in terms of the politics, in terms of working together”.

At his first annual council meeting since the election, on 20th May, he managed to keep Labour councillors in some prominent political positions, with the help of the Greens.

It led angry members of Newham Independents – who had wanted to block Labour from chairing any of the council’s committees – to accuse the Greens of “standing for the status quo”.

In response, the Greens said they’d voted to “share power” among political groups and “ensure all members are heard”.

Despite this, Newham Independents reluctantly voted to accept the carve-up, and Hussain says that since then “there has been collaboration and there have been conversations”.

“Going forward it does look positive,” he says. “But of course we’re not going to agree on everything.”

As mayor, Hussain does have complete control over who he appoints to the council’s ruling body, it’s cabinet.

So far, it is made up of himself and four Labour councillors – although he said in May he’d be appointing more posts.

Green councillor Danny Keeling insisted their party was not in “coalition” with Labour. But when asked, Hussain doesn’t rule out offering cabinet posts to members of opposition parties.

“I’m happy with my team at the moment,” is all he says.

“I’ve got to think about who I’m going to add to the team. I’ll be making announcements in the next few months about those new positions”.

For now, Hussain says he’s “looking forward to announcing some positive things in the next few weeks”.

But the real test will be over the next few months and years, and whether Hussain can convince enough people in Newham to come back to Labour.

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