The London borough of Newham will see a direct face-off between Greens and Newham Independents in the 2026 local election. Both parties will seek to eat away at Labour’s longstanding domination in the area, and the council could realistically switch to “no overall control” — a scenario in which no single party secures a majority of council seats.
Double push against Labour in Newham
Newham Independents — who have received an endorsement from Your Party — are currently the main opposition but the Greens are close behind. Both have claimed they’re “the only party” able to defeat Labour locally.
However, in a borough where around 50 percent of residents live in poverty, why isn’t there a progressive coalition to defeat Labour outright? One possible answer is that the area is highly diverse and where the far-right has no chance. Opposition groups are fighting it out to see which challenger to the left of Labour has the best chance of prevailing in Newham.
The BBC reported earlier in April that:
The borough’s directly-elected mayor has significant powers over local services such as housing, including local regeneration schemes and affordable housing targets, planning and waste collection.
The main candidates challenging Forhad Hussain, the Labour candidate, are Newham Independents councillor Mehmood Mirza and Green councillor Areeq Chowdhury.
Mirza and the Newham independents
Mirza, a self-described socialist, has called out Labour’s wastefulness in office, asserting that:
Reform & Labour are two sides of the same rotten system that has been failing residents for decades!
Labour’s support for Israel’s genocide in Gaza and warmongering throughout the Middle East is another burning issue for Mirza, insisting that:
Britain must stand for international law, diplomacy, and democratic accountability
Newham Independents have also emphasised the effort they’ve put into challenging Labour ahead of the vote:
The numbers speak for themselves, we will work tirelessly every day of every week of every month to serve you the people of Newham.
Vote Newham Independents on May 7th
pic.twitter.com/31C7IAFp0B
— Newham Independents
They’ve also outlined in a manifesto the priority issues they would tackle if elected, such as:
- Freezing council tax
- Ensuring all secondary school children get free school meals
- Introducing free first parking permits
- Offering “a no-charge bulky waste collection”
- Improving public spaces like parks
Our Little Ilford park is a direct link to crime & antisocial behaviour
Neglected parks often become hotspots for:
• Drug use
• Vandalism
• Intimidation and loitering
This is backed by the “broken windows theory” when an area looks abandoned, it signals that no… pic.twitter.com/yQMzOhTzAf— Tahir Mirza 4 East Ham (@TahirMirzaPTI) March 31, 2026
A full list of Newham Independents candidates can be accessed here.
Chowdhury and the Greens
Riding the wave of increasing Green popularity across the country, Chowdhury has called the Newham elections “a straightforward choice” between Labour and the Greens. The councillor has also been receiving high-profile support from within the party.
Chowdhury has highlighted a council house controversy surrounding Labour candidate Hussain, and called into question Labour’s reliability after the leak of its manifesto. He has also underrated and ignored the Newham Independents, despite admitting they “will do well in some wards“.
Locally, the Greens have three key missions:
to ensure we have the best possible environment to live in; to root out corruption at Newham Council; and to radically reform Newham’s housing department, so that it serves residents properly.
Their manifesto also insists that:
If elected, Green Party councillors and I will meet regularly with community groups, campaigners, academic experts, and residents to consider further ways to support our communities and achieve the three key missions.
The main plan, it stresses, is to:
alleviate poverty, drastically improve our environment, and tackle the housing crisis
The Green Party’s manifesto, published today, sets out our plan to build a Newham we can be proud of.https://t.co/nxL2CpLfZl pic.twitter.com/2fpp3J5Ca1
— Areeq Chowdhury (@AreeqChowdhury) April 16, 2026
Is an anti-Labour coalition possible?
Labour seems to be fully aware of the challenge it’s facing in Newham, sending numerous high-profile figures to campaign in the borough. But it might feel the burn even more if the opposition on the left were more unified and less fractious.
As the Canary has previously reported, it’s perfectly possible for left-wing independents and Greens to collaborate and challenge Labour together via a cooperative alliance. And with some people in Newham predicting a strong result for independents, an anti-Labour coalition would certainly seem like common sense.
Newham Independents and Greens have a lot in common. But for now, they’re competing with each other to end Labour’s domination.
Hopefully, once the election results are in, there’ll be more cooperation across the left to bring the people of Newham the meaningful change they deserve.
Featured image via the Canary
By Ed Sykes
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