Vote Rokhsana as your Labour candidate for Mayor of Newham

Vote Rokhsana Fiaz as your Labour candidate for Mayor of Newham 

Dear Member,

I’m Rokhsana and I’m asking you to vote for me as your Labour candidate for Mayor of Newham. You can read more about me and the detailed plans for Newham here.


From tomorrow, you'll be receiving details about how to vote from the Labour Party, so keep an eye out for your letter in the post!

This selection is a choice between Newham as it has been, and Newham as it needs to be. It’s time for a fresh start, a new vision, a different way of doing things.

It’s time to put our people at the heart of everything we do as a Labour Council by democratising how we do things for and with them.

As your Labour Mayor, housing will be my top priority. I will embark on the most ambitious programme of building new Council homes at affordable social rents for a generation - so that our residents can stay in Newham. This means:

There will be: 

• A Newham Housing Delivery Plan because there is land to build thousands of genuinely affordable at social rent new homes we need for our people. 

I will start:  

• To build 100 new Council owned homes in my first year let at social rent levels, with a target of at least 1000 over my first term.

I will ensure: 

• That 50 percent of Council and private homes built in Newham over the next four years will be let at social rent levels. 

Read more about my plans for housing below. 

With me as your Labour Mayor we can show what great things Labour in power, working together with its people, can achieve locally.

Please give me that chance to be that Mayor. I will work hard for you, your family and everyone in Newham.

Best wishes,
Rokhsana
e: info@rokhsana.org w: rokhsana.org
Twitter @rokhsanafiaz Facebook @rokhsana4Newham Instagram  rokhsana_fiaz
#RokhsTheVote #NewhamRokhs 

HOMES

There is a housing crisis in Newham and many of our residents cannot afford to live here anymore. Nearly 24,000 people were on Newham’s Housing List and around 4500 households were homeless in September 2017. But Newham has the land to build over 35,000 homes over the next 10 years.
As your Labour Mayor, I will embark on a programme of building new Council homes at affordable social rents so that our residents can stay in Newham.
I will also: 

• start 100 new Council owned homes to be let at social rent levels in my first year with a target of at least 1000 over my first term, which will include homes for residents with disabilities. A Newham Housing Delivery Plan will be produced in my first six months;

• ensure that at least 50 percent of Council and private homes that are built in Newham over the next four years are let at social rents and are owned by the Council. This is a challenging but achievable target;

• terminate the proposed Carpenters Estate Joint Venture scheme and consult directly with residents about producing a resident-led Masterplan for its future. This will include the largest proportion of socially rented Council homes on the estate that is possible, aiming for a minimum of 50 percent;

• let 50 percent of all homes being built or which have planning permission by the Council’s private sector development company Red Door Ventures at social rents on long term tenancies.  I will look at using the other 50 percent of homes for innovative long-term solutions aimed at helping Newham residents to stay in the Borough;

• end the current NewShare scheme, which sells off 250 void Council homes each year, immediately;

• rigorously scrutinise all right to buy applications and campaign for an end to Right to Buy;

• support the creation of at least one Community Land Trust in Newham;

• tackle homelessness with compassion and care, so that people who become homeless are housed within Newham, wherever possible. We will look at Housing First type models and innovative forms of temporary accommodation as well as permanent Council owned homes;

• build on the Council’s Private Landlord Licensing scheme to pursue private landlords more vigorously and fully use the new powers in the Labour sponsored Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Bill. 

Trigger Democracy wins!

A great result today for anyone who really cares about democracy and truth in Newham.

"Dear Member Following the count of votes submitted by branches and affiliates of West Ham CLP and East Ham CLP, it has been determined that a full selection will now take place to decide Labour’s candidate for directly-elected Mayor of Newham. Further details of the procedure and application process will be announced as soon as possible. Best wishes Neil Fleming Acting Regional Director Greater London Labour Party"  All 20 Labour Party branches in Newham voted to trigger the current Mayor and hold an open selection of candidates for the election in May. 11 affiliates & forums also voted to trigger and only 4 in favour of status quo. A stunning result!  Last time the total was 20-17 not to trigger. This previous selection was of course overturned due to legal action by Party members. So let's have a good clean fight (no more dirty tricks please) and elect a candidate who will unite the Party in time for the local elections.

. 

Councillor says Newham mayoral trigger ballot process is ‘neck and neck’

Check out reporter Kat Hopps latest from the Newham Recorder

"Campaigners from opposing sides of the Labour candidate Mayor of Newham 2018 election process say they are confident of winning.

Sir Robin Wales has so far won nine trigger ballots and lost three in votes which took place in wards across the borough this
week.

However, Cllr John Gray, who is campaigning for Labour members to vote “no” in the ballots – in order to give other candidates the chance to run rather than Sir Robin being automatically selected – said the “close” results had already caused an “earthquake”.

He said: “It is neck and neck because the wards that were always more likely to vote yes were held this week.

“The wards that are more likely to vote no are more likely to vote next week.

He added: “There is already an earthquake in Newham politics and there has never been a challenge like this in Newham wards.”

The wards that have voted “yes” to keeping Sir Robin as the party’s candidate are Beckton, Custom House, East Ham South, Forest Gate South, Green Street West, Plaistow North, Royal Docks, Wall End and Manor Park after a initial tie led to the vote being re-run.

Wards that have voted no are Canning Town, East Ham North and Forest Gate North. A further 12 affiliated organisations are also in the process of voting and have yet to declare.

So far there have often been just a few votes difference in the results.

The Recorder has been told by a spokesman speaking on behalf of the Labour Party that Sir Robin Wales and his supporters “are feeling confident that they are in a position to win”.

A spokesperson for Trigger Democracy disagreed. She said: “Compared to 2013, lots of wards have been voting “No” or have been really close.

“We’ve achieved a lot in a short time with lots of members visiting our web, Facebook and Twitter and we’ve had members coming along to meetings talking about and voting for an open selection.”

Although the Recorder has yet to receive official confirmation, it understands that only two wards voted against Sir Robin being automatically reelected as the Labour Mayoral candidate for Newham in 2013.

A decision to set the six-month “freeze date” on new Labour members being able to vote four months earlier than in 2013 is also proving controversial with an official complaint being raised with the Labour Party.

Cllr John Gray has said “hundreds of new members in Newham will be disenfranchised” from the vote who may be more likely to opt for a multiple candidate option.

East Ham Labour Party vice chairman, Tahir Mirza, even raised the issue with Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn at Saturday’s London Labour Conference.

A representative for the Newham Local Campaign Forum (LCF) said the timetable and freeze date for Newham’s mayoral trigger ballot “were set according to the proper rules and procedures of the Labour party”.

The breakdown of the results are as follow

Beckton: Yes 16, No 3; Canning Town South: Yes 6, No 8; Custom House: Yes 7, No 6; East Ham North: Yes 20, No 23; East Ham South: Yes 26, No 8; Forest Gate North: Yes 13, No 30; Forest Gate South: Yes 34, No 21 ; Green Street West: Yes 36, No 32; Plaistow North: Yes 27, No 17; Royal Docks Yes 11, No 1; Wall End Yes 20, No 18.

In Manor Park a first vote declaring a tie of Yes 30, No 30 was re-run with the second vote resulting in Yes 29, No 28.

(Photo not from the Newham Recorder but "Je Suis Whitworth for Mayor Campaign". Play "Spot the Mayoral Advisor" game. Also note the "Labour Party" will not have made any statement about Sir Robin "feeling confident". His paid appointees may have done)

"Mayor facing a challenge for leadership"

Front page news (and page 5) in this week's Newham Recorder about the challenge by Cllr Dr John Whitworth to Robin Wales about who should be the next Labour candidate for Newham Mayor.

If there was a NO vote and therefore an open selection then I have no doubt that other younger, black, asian and females candidates would also put themselves forward.

Tonight East Ham North ward voted NO in the trigger for an open and democratic selection process.

Check out the independent Newham website https://triggerdemocracy.com/ for more information and read below the full challenge by John to Robin.

An Open Letter to Sir Robin Wales, Mayor of Newham

Dear Robin,

I think it is time for an open selection of the next Labour candidate for Newham Mayor and I therefore challenge you to a contest and declare myself a candidate.

If you were re-nominated again by a trigger ballot, then by the end of your term you would have been in power for 27 years.

This, in my view, would not be good for local democracy, the Labour Party or the people of Newham.

My mode of governance would include the following key elements:

a. Shaping Council policies based on authentic Labour Party principles to reduce inequalities and ensure all people can thrive

Current Council policies will be initially maintained, but subjected to review by the Mayor, Cabinet members, Council officers and councillors as part of a process which will also seek the views of our residents.

I will shape policies based on the principles of democratic socialism as represented by our current Labour Party leadership which will aim to reduce inequalities, combat discrimination and promote fellowship and solidarity among all sections of our community.

 Enhancing the lives of the people of Newham in these ways will also necessarily entail managing resources in such a way that the quality of provision of essential services, public amenities and infrastructure are maintained and indeed improved.

I believe that promoting the interests of residents can, and should, go hand in hand with ensuring the wellbeing and adequate payment of the staff that that serve them at all levels.

b. Maintaining trust of Newham residents through transparent and open local government

In place of your presidential style of leadership I will introduce Cabinet governance, whereby Cabinet members will be delegated powers and major decisions will be made collectively by the Mayor and Cabinet. The Mayor will therefore function as a chair of a board.

Policy proposals will then be presented to Labour Group for informed discussion which will contribute to the shaping of these policies.

Councillors will be encouraged to discuss the Council’s policies and conduct with their ward residents and party members in their branches, who will give feedback to Labour Group.

This input will feed through both the constituency parties and the Local Campaign Forum, which will become an active partner of the Council. At the same time, the Scrutiny system will be revived with the Council’s Overview and Scrutiny Committee and the subordinate commissions receiving adequate resourcing so they can function as a real critical friend of the Executive.

c. Reviewing the Directly-Elected Mayoral Model

During my term of office I will organise a wide consultation among Councillors, Labour Party members and residents on their wish to either continue with the Directly-Elected Mayoral model or replace it with an alternative system.

When the consultation is complete the question may be submitted for a referendum in time for the change, if decided, to be implemented for the 2022-2026 Council term.

A Directly-Elected Mayor occupies a very powerful position. I believe that power of this kind should be shared, subjected to scrutiny, and not remain in the hands of a single person for too long. This is why I am challenging you to a contest to be the Labour candidate for Mayor of Newham.

Kind regards,

Cllr Dr John Whitworth

When Voting NO means YES to fairness,choice and democracy: Newham Labour Mayor Selection - First Reason

I have blogged about the process and how important the position of a Directly Elected Mayor or so called Executive Mayor is here and also about a website triggerdemocracy.com that argues that there should be an open selection process for the next Labour Candidate to be the Mayor in Newham.

I now want to discuss in more detail why I think Labour Party members and affiliates ought to vote NO at the trigger ballot (or so called "affirmative ballot") meetings during the next few weeks and therefore saying YES to fairness, choice and democracy.

First Reason. 

The position of Directly Elected Mayor is immensely powerful and influential. The Newham Mayor has decided to retain near 100% of Executive power in the Council. This is in his gift according to law. Money is of course key and the Mayor is completely in charge of making appointments and patronage.

Councillors are pretty powerless, since the only way they can block the Mayor is if two thirds of them vote against the Mayor's Budget. They still have an important role in advocating and representing constituents but essentially they have little or no individual or collective power compared to the Mayor.

The Council "Cabinet" is also powerless, at best a talking shop and purely advisory. The Mayor can ignore cabinet or scrutiny decisions and appoint or fire cabinet members and advisers at will. All paid advisers and Cabinet members to the Mayor are bound by a Council protocol to support the Mayor or face being sacked with no right to appeal.

Recently 10 out of the 60 Newham Councillors were given full time paid positions receiving each up to £44,000 including the basic allowance per year and (legally suspect) pensions purely to be advisers to the Mayor - appointed solely by the Mayor.  Other payments are made for sitting on non Council bodies.

Some 27 out of the 60 Newham Councillors have been given paid positions (with pensions). While 6 of them are nominally independent of the Mayor (and I think that "nominally" is the best description given his position and influence) the rest are purely there according to the grace and favour of the Mayor. Many are dependent on the Mayor to pay their bills and their mortgages.

This is why we need to have an open and democratic selection process for the next Mayor. Such a powerful position must have some basic checks and balances. Being openly selected from time to time must be one of them.

Is there any good reason why Directly Elected Mayors should not face an open selection process every 4 years as do all Labour Councillors everywhere and and all other Labour Council Leaders?

If there is (and I doubt it) then there is certainly no good reason for not having an open selection for 19 years (2002 the last one and if not this time then 2021 the next - which may even be another trigger ballot).