Newham’s new mayor has admitted that “things haven’t been perfect” following a difficult election that saw Labour lose dozens of council seats despite retaining control of the borough.
Forhad Hussain, who was elected mayor on May 7, said the result sent a clear message that residents wanted improvements to everyday services including street cleaning, safety and parking.
Although Labour remains the largest political group in Newham, the party lost 38 seats and no longer holds the commanding majority it has enjoyed throughout the borough’s 61-year history.
Speaking about the result, Mr Hussain said: “The lesson is quite clear, we need to improve our relationship with our residents.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 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 and parking.”
One of the mayor’s key manifesto pledges is to introduce an hour of free parking across the borough and make residents’ first parking permit free. He also suggested the council should review its approach to enforcement, including the number of vehicles being removed.
According to figures cited by the council, a quarter of all vehicles towed away across London between 2024 and 2025 were removed in Newham. Mr Hussain said: “We do need to look at how we fine some of our drivers.
“My view is we shouldn’t be lifting cars unless it’s blocking highways or drop kerbs.
“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.”
The mayor said the cost of free permits had already been budgeted for and would be introduced in phases, with charges remaining for households requiring second or third permits. Alongside parking reforms, Mr Hussain has pledged to invest an additional £12 million into street cleaning over the next four years.
The council is also planning to double the maximum fixed penalty notice for fly-tipping from £500 to £1,000.
Mr Hussain said tougher enforcement would be combined with education and community engagement to tackle persistent problem areas. He added that his proposed “community neighbourhoods model” would involve closer collaboration with schools, faith groups, voluntary organisations and sports clubs.
The mayor said he wanted community groups to make greater use of public buildings, including libraries and community centres. “If we’re not using them, let’s see how the community can use them,” he said.
With Labour no longer holding a majority on the council, the mayor acknowledged that cooperation with opposition parties would be necessary to pass major decisions, including future budgets.
He said: “We’ve got to do things in a different way now, in terms of the politics, in terms of working together.”
Despite tensions following the election, Mr Hussain said discussions with opposition councillors had been constructive. “There has been collaboration and there have been conversations,” he said.
“Going forward it does look positive. But of course we’re not going to agree on everything.”
The mayor declined to rule out the possibility of offering future cabinet positions to opposition councillors, saying only that announcements on additional roles would be made in the coming months.
