Open Newham Open Newham

Newham Independents Announce Another Candidate

After a lull, Newham Independents have announced another candidate for the 2026 council elections.

Of course, the publication of their candidate for Forest Gate North may mean nothing more than he was the next in line. Having something of a conspiratorial mind we, however, are bound to ask whether there is more to this than first appears.

Read More
Open Newham Open Newham

Can it be True?

Readers will recall that Mayor Fiaz is a recent convert to the role. Having stood on a platform to abolish the post, after being in post for a few years she saw the wisdom in keeping the elected office. An office which saw her pocketing almost £100k per year.

Read More
Open Newham Open Newham

Labour Wins Hide Underlying Problems

We pondered whether by-election results are an indication of the popularity of the council.

We have excluded the results of by-elections held on the same days as the general election (07/05/15; 04/07/24), because the turnout prompted by the parliamentary elections will skew the results.

Read More
Open Newham Open Newham

Labour Makes a Clean-Sweep of By-elections

On top of the victories in Maryland and Forest Gate North, Labour were successful in Beckton and Little Ilford.

This should take the immediate pressure off Fiaz, but the implications for the Labour Party are still not clear. It seems unlikely that the threatened defections by a number of councillors will now occur.

Read More
Open Newham Open Newham

Is the Beckton Byelection Hotting Up?

We may be forced to revise our predictions for the Beckton byelection.

With the general election over, thoughts are going to the two byelections scheduled for July 18th. Little Ilford still seems to be odds-on for Newham Independents.

Read More
Open Newham Open Newham

The Hidden Architects of Labour’s Success?

Behind the veneer of electoral success, and by any standards 412 seats is a success of historic proportions, there lies a hidden truth that suggests that the mandate Keir Starmer is claiming is not quite so strong.

Read More
Open Newham Open Newham

Not Just Labour. Reform Suffers a Major Defection.

It seems that defections are in the air.

On Tuesday 2nd July, just two days before the general election, Georgie David, Reform’s candidate for the West Ham and Beckton seat resigned. What’s more, she urged her supporters to vote for the Conservatives, who will clearly be grateful for any help they can get.

Read More
Open Newham Open Newham

It All Becomes Clear

We remarked upon the decision of Lyn Brown MP to stand down from her Stratford seat. We speculated that this presaged her elevation to the House of Lords.

This article from The Guardian kinda adds fuel to the speculation.

Read More
Open Newham Open Newham

A Recurring Problem for Labour

Courtesy of social media, we see a small team of Labour activists (incl. one councillor, one ex-councillor and one wannabe councillor), out leafleting for the Labour Party in Beckton.

Read More
Open Newham Open Newham

Asser’s Campaign Moves Up a Gear

It appears that candidate James Asser now has his election campaign up and running. He has his own on-line presence together with a number of endorsements.

Read More
Open Newham Open Newham

Is Newham Labour Running Out of Men? Labour Recycles Election Leaflet.

There appears to be a shortage of male candidates from the Labour Party. We understand that Labour has chosen their candidate to fight the byelection in Little Ilford. Our sources tell us that, following his storming performance in Plaistow North, where he came second to the Independent candidate, Aktharul Alam has been chosen to fight in Little Ilford for Labour.

Read More
Open Newham Open Newham

A Telling Picture

A casual scroll through the Newham website revealed the picture above.

It seems that the Beckton and the Little Ilford wards will both be contested on 18th July, when the result is likely to be determined by which party can mobilise the most of their supporters. Labour is likely to struggle.

Read More
Open Newham Open Newham

More Gossip and Rumour

The stories of dissent in the local Labour Party continue to leak out. While Labour leads nationally with a lead of nearly 20 points in opinion polls, locally, Labour continues to be dogged by internal discord.

Read More
Open Newham Open Newham

Fighting the Patriarchy

Newham Labour have announced their candidates for three of the four upcoming byelections. You’ll be glad to hear that they are all “amazing”, though quite in what way they are amazing is yet to be revealed.

Read More
Open Newham Open Newham

Just When You Thought it Couldn’t Get Any Worse for Newham Labour…

We have discovered that yet another Newham Labour councillor has resigned!

Cllr Liz Booker has chosen to stand down. Although the council website still shows Booker as a councillor for Little Ilford, we have it on good authority that there will be yet another byelection for Newham Council.

Read More