Location: London
Amajor political shift unfolded today at the Newham Council Annual General Meeting (AGM), where the Green Party aligned with the Labour Party, significantly strengthening Labour’s position and dealing a setback to the Newham Independents.
Ahead of the meeting, the Independents had expressed confidence that the Green Party would support them, reportedly claiming a written agreement had been reached between the two groups. However, the AGM results confirmed a different political reality. The clearest indication of the new Labour-Green alliance came during the election of the council’s ceremonial leadership.
Cllr Nate Higgins was elected as Chair of Newham Council for 2026–2027, while Cllr Rohit Das Gupta was overwhelmingly elected as Deputy Chair (Vice Chair) of Newham Council for 2026– 2027, a result widely seen as confirmation of cooperation between Labour and the Greens.
The AGM also marked another major milestone, as newly elected Executive Mayor of Newham, Forhad Hussain, delivered his maiden speech and officially announced his new cabinet, setting out the administration’s priorities for the coming year.
The developments follow the 7 May 2026 local elections, which produced a tightly balanced council:
Labour Party: 26 seats, Newham Independents: 24 seats, Green Party: 16 seats
Labour also retained the mayoralty, with Forhad Hussain elected as Executive Mayor. Although Labour emerged as the largest party, it fell short of outright dominance in the council chamber. The Green Party’s decision to support Labour has now given the administration a working majority, enabling Labour to successfully pass all of its motions during the AGM. For the Newham Independents, who had hoped to build an alternative coalition, today’s outcome represents a significant political disappointment. With today’s events, one thing has become clear: the Green Party now holds the balance of power in Newham and has chosen to back Labour.
