All Change on Newham Labour Group
Ousted Deputy Mayor John Gray is making a come-back. Insiders tell us that irrespective of political sympathies, members are not unhappy with Gray because at least he knows how to chair a meeting. Gray is still under a cloud however (as is Fiaz), because he was listed in the Hirsh report for allowing/condoning the posting of antisemitic remarks of a Labour Party Facebook page.
Carlene Lee Phakoe (we thought that she was on the paid executive, but maybe that doesn’t matter now) almost had a walk over into the position of Deputy Chair.
In a humiliating expulsion Cllr Alan Griffiths was evicted from the role of Group Secretary. So much for his years of sycophancy to Fiaz. There are whispers that his expulsion was not unrelated to his Facebook posts that suggested that Israel was not the root of all evil in the middle east. He is replaced by another former Cabinet Member, Cllr Susan Masters.
We wonder whether the axis of Gray and Masters indicates that Fiaz will now find herself under rather more scrutiny from her Labour Group.
Pushpa Makwana was returned to the position of Treasurer. She does the job so well that she does not need to produce accounts and has chosen not to produce them for the last three years!
In the race for the Assistant Whip staunch Fiaz ally (and de facto Chief Whip) Jane Lofthouse, beat Wales supporting candidate Lakmini Shah, but only by four votes. Given the size of the Fiaz payroll vote this must have come as something of a surprise. Lofthouse combines her role in the whip’s office with a lucrative deputy cabinet position. Nice work if you can get it. Chief Whip Animul Islam retained his place as Chief Whip even though most of the decisions now seem to be taken by Lofthouse.
Delphine Tohura and Jennifer Bailey picked up the Assistant Secretary post and Women’s Officer post respectively.
On Overview and Scrutiny, veteran office holder Cllr Tony McAlmont beat Green St councillor Hanif Abdulmuhit to retain the position. Just as well as Cllr Abdulmuhit might have exercised a degree of independence in the role.
Councillors Ayesha Choudhury, Daniel Lee Phakoe and Joshua Garfield were elected as Scrutiny Chairs. Choudhury is largely seen as supportive of the pre-Fiaz establishment; Daniel Lee Phakoe (and his wife) appear to have settled for the Fiaz ‘shilling’; the interesting new-comer is Garfield. Known to have had his relationship with Fiaz strained because of her unenthusiastic response to talking antisemitism, does this mean that her former acolyte will now become a thorn in her flesh or has he simply been bought off? Only time will tell.
