So, Mayor Fiaz, where is the Strategy You Promised?

Over a year ago, Councillor Carlene Lee-Phakoe resigned from the cabinet. The cause of her resignation stemmed from a major policy difference between her and the mayor. In short, Lee-Phakoe, who had held the community safety portfolio, wanted a policy which included enforcement and moving on sex workers. The mayor didn’t.

The mayor it seems, was induced to follow the policy preferred by the English Collective of Prostitutes to that preferred by Newham residents.

The mayor promised to bring back proposals for a public health led approach to prostitution, though she never actually explained what that means. It was this difference that ultimately led to Lee-Phakoe’s departure from the cabinet.

Mayor Fiaz promised to bring a new strategy to council within 10 months. That was nearly 18 months ago and we’re still waiting.

It is not as if the issue has gone away. Newham Independents have tapped into strong local feeling on the issue and it is not about making life easier for prostitution. Labour councillors with wards along the Romford Road are known to be uneasy about the mayor’s dilettante approach to the issue, because it is their seats that are vulnerable.

We became aware that the mayor had commissioned an action plan. Unfortunately, it didn’t meet the mayor’s requirements and so was shelved. To the best of our knowledge, not even councillors have seen it.

Since then, nothing has been heard about the issue.

So, we put in an FOI request.

Following the mayor's promise to present the council with a 'public health’ strategy to combat sex workers plying their trade along  the area of Romford Rd can you please:

1) provide a copy of the strategy that the mayor proposes to adopt, and

2) provide a copy of the strategy/action plan developed by Gary Connor for dealing with the problem, together with an explanation of why this was not enacted.

Thanking you in anticipation.

We’ll let you know the outcome.