In the previous election in 2018, the Labour Party maintained its control of the council, winning all 60 seats. The 2022 election will take place under new election boundaries, which will increase the number of councillors to 66. The election will coincide with an election for the mayor of Newham after a governance referendum resulted in the borough keeping a directly elected mayor.
The thirty-two London boroughs were established in 1965 by the London Government Act 1963. They are the principal authorities in Greater London and have responsibiilites including education, housing, planning, highways, social services, libraries, recreation, waste, environmental health and revenue collection. Some of the powers are shared with the Greater London Authority, which also manages passenger transport, police and fire.[1]
In September 2018, Veronica Oakeshott, a Labour candidate for Boleyn ward, resigned because she was moving to Oxfordshire.[5] The by-election in November 2018 was won by Moniba Khan, the Labour candidate.[6] In August 2020, Julianne Marriot, a Labour councillor for East Ham Central, resigned for work reasons.[7] Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, a by-election to fill her seat could not be held until 6 May 2021 alongside the 2021 London mayoral election and London Assembly election. The Labour candidate Farah Nazeer was elected, with the Conservative candidate coming in second place.[8]
As with most London boroughs, Newham will be electing its councillors under new boundaries decided by the Local Government Boundary Commission for England, which it produced after a period of consulation. The number of councillors will increase from 60 to 66, under new boundaries with eighteen three-councillor wards and six two-councillor wards.[9]
Mayoral referendum[]
A referendum was held on 6 May 2021 on whether to retain the mayoral system, where voters elect a mayor every four years, who appoints their own cabinet, or to change to the committee system, where councillors select members of committees and a council leader.[10] The result was to retain the mayoral system, with 56% of voters supporting the status quo.[11]
Newham, like other London borough councils, elects all of its councillors at once every four years. The previous election took place in 2018. The election will take place by multi-member first-past-the-post voting, with each ward being represented by two or three councillors. Electors will have as many votes as there are councillors to be elected in their ward, with the top two or three being elected.
All registered electors (British, Irish, Commonwealth and European Union citizens) living in London aged 18 or over will be entitled to vote in the election. People who live at two addresses in different councils, such as university students with different term-time and holiday addresses, are entitled to be registered for and vote in elections in both local authorities.[12] Voting in-person at polling stations will take place from 7:00 to 22:00 on election day, and voters will be able to apply for postal votes or proxy votes in advance of the election.[12]
Elected mayor
Council composition after the 2018 election