“Toxic”. It’s Official!
Labour’s London Regional Director came down to Newham on Monday 28th April. There was some news to deliver to the Labour Group, and none of it was positive.
The atmosphere in Labour Group was described as “toxic”. That’s not our words, that’s the Regional Director. We have occasionally used the same word, (here, here, here, here, here, and here) to describe. Now it’s official. A Labour Party inquiry has labeled the atmosphere indide Newham Labour Group as led by Mayor Fiaz as ‘toxic’.
Our belief was that she did not have the ability to do the job and as a result reverted to the bullying of colleagues (and staff, but they are constrained by NDAs). It seems that the Labour Party officers now share this view.
This is probably connected to the decision to select the mayoral candidate to fight the 2026 election soon. The word is that this will be done by July 2025 and the current shortlist, it is suggested, will be very short indeed.
We continue to hear that Fiaz continues to seek, but is failing to find alternative employment, which suggests that she doesn’t hold out much hope for a third term.
Needless to say, this will be another imposition and neither local party members nor Labour Group members will be involved.
That was not all. It seems that Newham Labour Group (as well as the constituency parties) is deemed incapable of running its own affairs. London Region of the Labour Party will now control the selection of candidates for Group officers. There are only three of them and it seems that they will all have to be interviewed by the London Region. Shades of Big Brother here?
Region will also select the Labour candidates for Scrutiny Chairs to be elected at the council’s AGM.
It seems that Fiaz’s lack of self-awareness means that she cannot see that she might, just possibly have been partly responsible for the breakdown in relations on the Labour Group. For Fiaz, the problem is located in the failure of the Chief Whip to discipline members.
The trouble for the Whip is that he would forever have to be sticking plasters on a leaking dam. We might have had half of the Labour Group suspended this term. We understand that having failed to get her new favourite, Cllr Steve Brayshaw, elected to the position, the new process will mean that she can get Brayshaw imposed.
Breaking News (aka new gossip).
We understand that Cllr Brayshaw has shown an unexpected turn of independent thought and action. This has not endeared him to the mayor. Our latest soundings suggest that Brayshaw will not be the favoured candidate for Whip at the AGM. We understand that Cllr Jane Lofthouse is now in pole position.
Others set to lose out in any reshuffle include Cllr Rohima Rahman. This will come as a blow to Rahman, having been loyal to Fiaz she is now discovering that loyalty only works in one direction. We hear that Cllr Rohit Dasgupta and Harvinder Singh Virdee are both being lined up as alternatives for the Chair of Council roll.
