Anas Khan, Muhammed Uddin and the Plot to Undermine the Independents
Labour’s monopoly of Newham politics is crumbling. Readers will remember that in November 2023 the Plaistow North by-election marked the accession of the second councillor under the Newham Independent banner. Sophia Naqvi’s election meant that Newham Independents moved from being a one-man band to an embryonic political party as they were joined by Labour defector, Cllr Zuber Gulamussen.
We reported at the time, that the campaign was subject to some dirty tricks. Anas Khan, supposedly a Labour Party member stood in that election as an independent.
His choice to stand was not out of conviction, but, we understand, at the behest of one Cllr Shaban Mohammed, whose intention was clear: to derail the Independent challenge by splitting the anti-Labour vote.
They failed. Labour lost. And Sophia Naqvi entered the Council chamber as the face of a new opposition movement in Newham.
Interestingly, it seems that the Labour Party has never investigated the role of Cllr Mohammed in urging someone to stand against Labour in a council election. We presume that Khan is no longer a party member, because standing against an official Labour candidate is grounds for automatic expulsion. We presume this, but as the local parties remain suspended it is impossible to know.
It appears that old habits die hard.
OpenNewham has previously reported on Muhammed Uddin and his shadowy role in manipulating community politics for narrow factional ends (see Roxi and the Tablighis). Sources now tell us that Anas Khan, closely linked to Uddin, is preparing to dust off the same cynical playbook ahead of the May 2026 local elections.
The strategy is simple: stand spoiler candidates under the guise of “community activism” or “pro-Palestinian advocacy” to fracture the coalition that poses the greatest threat to Newham Labour.
It is naive to assume that politics is conducted without cynicism. But if our information is correct certain Labour councillors are breaching their own party rules and the party is doing nothing.
It would be nice if political parties stood on a platform of published principles and policies and that they were judged by how attractive these were and how well they did when they were in office. It would be nice…
Labour was once unassailable in Newham. It would now appear that even leading Labour members on the council are getting worried.
Khan and Uddin played a significant role in the deselection of Labour’s Robin Wales using the Newham People’s Alliance as a vehicle. It would appear that they are now about to employ their experience to split the Labour opposition.
Of course, we could be completely wrong and those in the community passing us information might be mistaken. In which case there will not be a rash of pro-Gaza, independent independents standing in 2026. You never know the Labour Party might even investigate the political maneuverings of one former cabinet member in Newham.
Readers will have to judge for themselves, which is the most likely scenario.
Fact-Box: Spoilers, Splits & the Battle for Plaistow North
📊 Plaistow North By-Election, July 2023
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Sophia Naqvi (Newham Independents) – 1,324 votes
Labour Party Candidate – 1,012 votes
Anas Khan (Independent / Spoiler) – 228 votes
Others – 97 votes
➡️ Khan’s candidacy was widely seen as an attempt to draw votes away from the Newham Independents. It failed.
🔗 Key Players
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• Anas Khan – “Independent” spoiler candidate, 2023.
• Shaban Mohammed – Alleged organiser behind Khan’s run.
• Muhammed Uddin – Linked to repeated spoiler tactics.
🗓 Timeline of Spoiler Politics in Newham
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2002–2018 – Labour dominance, few breakthroughs.
2018–2022 – Dissatisfaction on housing, waste, council tax.
July 2023 – Plaistow North by-election; spoiler tactic fails.
2024–2025 – Reports of meetings between Khan & Uddin.
May 2026 – Risk of repeat spoiler strategy to split votes.
⚠️ Why It Matters
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• Spoilers dilute opposition strength.
• Splitting opposition votes makes Labour victory more likely.