Comical Ali for Mayor?

Comical Ali aka Cabinet Member for Finance - Cllr Zulfiqar Ali

Just when you thought Newham politics had exhausted its supply of plot twists, news reaches us that Councillor Zulfiqar Ali—dubbed by some in the corridors of the Town Hall as “Comical Ali”—is planning to stand as Labour’s next mayoral candidate.

Yes, really.

Cllr Ali, who has shuffled between cabinet roles over the years with all the grace of a man reading from someone else’s script, now apparently believes he’s the best person to lead a borough grappling with financial crisis, political mistrust, and deepening public frustration.

Let’s take a quick trip down memory lane, shall we?

He had a short-lived stint as Cabinet Member for Education—an uninspiring period marked by very little innovation and even less impact. From there, Ali was quietly moved over to Environment, where again, nothing of substance seems to have left a lasting impression—except perhaps on the borough’s fly-tipping hotspots.

Who could forget the bungled closure of Browning Bridge—a fiasco during Cllr Ali’s early days in the cabinet that sparked outrage among local residents and business owners alike. The decision, shrouded in confusion and incompetence, was quickly disowned by Ali himself, who sought to pin the blame on the Mayor at the time. Responsibility, it seems, was never part of the brief.

But it was in 2022 that Ali truly stepped into the spotlight, inheriting the powerful Finance portfolio after Councillor Terry Paul’s departure. For context, Paul had helped steer Newham through the COVID-19 pandemic—a once-in-a-generation crisis—without having to declare financial ruin.

Fast-forward to 2025, and under Ali’s watch, Newham has gone cap-in-hand to the government for “exceptional financial support.” A polite euphemism for near-bankruptcy.

Now, as the borough teeters on the edge, Ali believes he should be given even more responsibility—as Mayor.

Let that sink in.

Sources inside the Labour group say he’s quietly building support, despite widespread concern over his past performance and lack of public credibility. Of course, thanks to the ongoing suspension of Newham’s Constituency Labour Parties (CLPs), the decision on who becomes the Labour candidate won’t lie with local members—it’ll fall to the fine folks of the Labour NEC.

So here's the question: Will they select a man who oversaw the financial nosedive of one of London’s largest boroughs?

Because if they do, it won’t be long before government commissioners are called in to do the job Comical Ali couldn’t.

Newham is at a crossroads. The next Mayor needs to be someone who understands the weight of leadership, the seriousness of the borough’s challenges, and the importance of competence over cronyism.

Ali's track record speaks for itself. The question now is whether the Labour NEC is listening?