Quid’s In at Dockside

It’s an ill wind that blows no good.

Never truer than at Dockside. For some.

We learn that with the exit of the Director of Housing, the post is being filled by an interim director, at the cost of £650 per day. That’s a cool £170,000 per year before any on-costs.

We were also surprised to learn that the ‘new’, Chief Marketing Officer has left, having been in post for merely six-months. Surely, at some time, someone is going to discern a pattern here. Senior staff working with Mayor Fiaz have a habit of leaving.

This was what he said on his appointment, from the LBN website.

"Having previously led public engagement campaigns locally, I know first-hand just how dynamic and diverse a borough Newham is. I am thrilled and delighted to be joining a leadership team with such evident vision, passion and ambition for the people of Newham. I was impressed and inspired by what both Abi and Rokhsana had to say, and their shared understanding of the importance of engagement and communications in delivering their priorities.

"As a role at the cutting edge of local government marketing and communications, and with resident participation and strategic delivery at its heart, there are incredibly exciting possibilities for innovation and delivery in our comms approach and I feel genuinely humbled and privileged to have been appointed. I can't wait to get started."

Whatever went wrong? We don’t know, but allegations of bullying and an obsessive management style are not the subject of this brief article.

With the Head of Comms gone, another interim has been required. Again, at the cost of £650 per day.