Private Eye Notes the Departure of Fiaz and Gbago

The Fiaz–Gbago saga just won’t quit. What began as an internal falling out between Newham’s two top women has now spilled over into the pages of Private Eye, which has reported on the rather awkward consequences of their feud. In the process, Private Eye even gave a nod to our own humble blog for keeping tabs on the drama.

Back in July, Abi Gbago the chief executive handpicked by Mayor Rokhsana Fiaz was offered a £230,000 plus payoff, wrapped in a Non-Disclosure Agreement and signed off in a “secret” council meeting. This for someone who, we were told, had resigned. 

Private Eye summarised the whole affair with characteristic bluntness: both women are now on their way out of the borough. But our own reporting has uncovered a fresh twist. Fiaz claimed the entire cabinet had lost confidence in Gbago; in reality, several members say they were never consulted, and some are now filing complaints with the Standards Board.

It’s a political mess that manages to be both grimly predictable and wildly entertaining. While services are being cut and residents are told to tighten belts, the council still found the cash for a quarter-million-pound hush money deal and in doing so, has handed its critics a ready made campaign leaflet.

Private Eye Article