Newham 2026 Election Results: Labour’s Hussain Wins Mayor; Newham 2026

Key Points

• Labour’s Forhad Hussain won the Newham mayoral election with 25,538 votes, becoming the first new mayor in eight years, succeeding Rokhsana Fiaz.
• Labour secured 26 seats on Newham Council, down from 56 out of 66 previously.
• Newham Independents gained 24 seats, marking a significant advance.
• Green Party took 16 seats, providing the strongest challenge to Labour as predicted.
• All 66 council seats were contested across 24 wards on 7 May 2026.
• Pre-election polls from YouGov and PollCheck forecasted Green gains and Independent shares, with Labour projected at around 35 seats.
• Voter turnout details not immediately available; 2022 turnout was 28.8%.
• No overall council control; Labour lost majority previously held.

Newham (East London Times) May 9, 2026 – Labour retained the Newham mayoralty as Forhad Hussain secured victory with 25,538 votes in the election held on 7 May 2026. Every one of the 66 council seats was up for grabs across 24 wards, including Beckton, Boleyn, Canning Town North, Canning Town South, Custom House, East Ham, East Ham South, Forest Gate North, Forest Gate South, Green Street East, Green Street West, Little Ilford, Manor Park, Maryland, Plaistow North, Plaistow South, Plaistow West and Canning Town East, Plashet, Royal Albert, Royal Victoria, Stratford, Stratford Olympic Park, Wall End, and West Ham.

The results show Labour with 26 seats, Newham Independents with 24, and Greens with 16, ending Labour’s previous control of 56 seats. Prior to the poll, Labour held 56 of 66 seats, Newham Independents four, Greens three, and three other independents.

Who Won the Newham Mayoral Election in 2026?

Forhad Hussain of Labour was elected mayor, as reported on the Newham Council official site. Mr Hussain, a former Labour councillor in Plaistow North from 2010-2018 and ex-Cabinet Member for Commercial Opportunities and Crime and Anti-Social Behaviour, stated:

“The election matters because people deserve a choice. Democracy works when people are willing to step forward and serve. I start work next week with energy and determination to deliver for every part of the borough. This is the beginning of a new chapter for the borough. Together we will build a Newham where every resident will be proud to call home. It is the honour of my life to be elected Mayor of Newham, the borough that made me.”

He takes over from Labour’s Rokhsana Fiaz OBE, who served two full terms since 2018, after announcing in July 2025 she would not stand again.

The mayoral election used first-past-the-post, changed from supplementary vote in 2022, with eight candidates; Greens and Newham Independents as main challengers. Hussain will form an executive cabinet upon taking office on Tuesday following the 8 May declaration.

What Were the Full Newham Council Election Results by Ward?

Detailed ward results from Newham Council show varied outcomes.

In Beckton, Labour’s Syed Ahmed, Tonii Wilson, and Blossom Young were elected.

Boleyn elected Newham Independents’ Muhammad Tarek Aziz, Moniba Khan, and Mehmood Mirza.

Canning Town North saw Green Party’s Imogen Anderson, alongside Labour’s Aleya Hussain and Shaban Mohammed.

Canning Town South went to Labour and Co-operative Party’s Aderonke Florence Benson, Rohit Kumar Dasgupta, and John James Morris.

Custom House elected Labour and Co-operative’s Heather Lafferty, Thelma Odoi, and Simon Rush.

East Ham chose Newham Independents’ Abdul Halim, Syed Taqi Jawad Naqvi, and Begum Sahera.

East Ham South to Labour’s Sanawar Hussain, Susan Masters, and Lakmini Shah.

Forest Gate North: Green Party’s Matthew Carlile and Labour and Co-operative’s Rachel Elizabeth Tripp.

Forest Gate South: Greens’ Arshan Bakaran, Zahra Kheyre, and Jack Pickard.

Green Street East: Newham Independents’ Sunny Chowdhury and Md Zakir Hossain, with Labour’s Rohima Rahman.

Green Street West: Newham Independents’ Idris Ibrahim, Rumana Salim Bhuiyan Liza, and Qasim Yaseen.

Little Ilford: Newham Independents’ Tahir Mirza, Oli Rahman, and Nasreen Shamima.

Manor Park: Labour’s Imam Haque, Salema Khatun, and Salim Patel.

Maryland: Greens’ Kelly Drake and Ren Tilbury.

Plaistow North: Newham Independents’ Nizam Ali and Sophie Naqvi, with Labour’s Zulfiqar Ali.

Plaistow South: Newham Independents’ MD Nazrul Islam, Obaid Khan, and Tamzied Hossain Khan.

Plaistow West and Canning Town East: Labour and Co-operative’s Shantu Ferdous, Robert Gordon, and Madeleine Sarley Pontin.

Plashet: Newham Independents’ Zuber Gulamussen and Ilyas Sharif.

Royal Albert: Labour and Co-operative’s Ann Rosemarie Easter and Green Party’s Poojitha Konkati.

Royal Victoria: Greens’ Rob Callender and Shabd Pyari.

Stratford Olympic Park: Greens’ Nate Higgins and Joe Hudson-Small.

Stratford: Greens’ Danny Keeling, Chae Ho Hwang, and Sonia Quintero.

Wall End: Newham Independents’ Kumar Anand, Muhammad Majeed, and Noman Md Abu.

West Ham: Green Party’s Ibrahim Alom, with Labour and Co-operative’s John Gray and Adjoa Kwarteng.

These results reflect gains in areas like Stratford, Forest Gate South, and Royal Victoria for Greens, and Boleyn, East Ham for Independents.

How Did Pre-Election Predictions Compare to Actual Results?

Polling from YouGov and PollCheck suggested Greens would challenge Labour most strongly, with Independents taking significant shares; PollCheck projected Labour at 35 seats. Actuals show Labour at 26, below projections, Independents at 24 exceeding expectations, Greens at 16 aligning with forecasts.

Prior to 2026, 2022 saw Labour at 64 seats (after boundary changes from 60 to 66), Greens at 2. Recent by-elections, like Plaistow South in September 2025 where Newham Independent MD Nazrul Islam won with 44.3%, indicated momentum.

Which Wards Saw the Biggest Shifts in Newham 2026 Elections?

Wards like Boleyn, East Ham, Little Ilford, Plaistow South, Green Street West, Wall End, and Plashet flipped heavily to Newham Independents. Stratford, Stratford Olympic Park, Forest Gate South, Royal Victoria, and Maryland showed strong Green advances.

Labour held Beckton, Canning Town South, Custom House, East Ham South, Manor Park, Plaistow West and Canning Town East, but lost ground elsewhere. This fragmentation ends Labour’s dominance in the Labour heartland borough.

What Is the Background of This Development?

The Mayor of Newham role, established ceremonially in 1965 and empowered in 2002, has been Labour-held: Robin Wales from 2002-2018, then Rokhsana Fiaz in 2018 and 2022. Fiaz’s decision not to run followed two terms; Wales later joined Reform UK.

Council elections every four years; all seats contested in 2026 due to cycle. Newham, home to 2012 Olympics site, faced issues like housing and regeneration, influencing votes. Pre-2026, Independents gained via by-elections and defections.

Prediction: How This Can Affect Newham Residents

No overall council control means decisions on housing, planning, waste, and regeneration require cross-party cooperation among Labour, Independents, and Greens. Residents may see negotiated policies on affordable housing targets and local services, potentially slowing major projects but incorporating diverse input. Mayor Hussain’s cabinet will lead executive functions, focusing on borough-wide priorities as he outlined. Green gains could push environmental agendas; Independents may emphasise community concerns from recent by-election successes. This setup can lead to more accountable governance for Newham’s diverse population, though coalition-building may delay some initiatives.