by LAUREN CODLING
TACKLING homelessness by building 1,000 council-owned homes is a key pledge by a newly elected Labour mayoral candidate in east London.
Rokhsana Fiaz, 47, was voted the Labour candidate for the mayor of Newham last Friday (16).
If she wins the May election, Fiaz has made further pledges, including doubling the number of youth hubs and opposing the ‘academisation’ of schools.
She also vowed to improve transparency in the local government and make sure accountability to communities is a priority during her time in office.
Fiaz beat the present mayor Sir Robin Wales, who has led Newham council since 2002, by more than 300 votes. She will be the borough’s candidate in the council elections on May 3.
Describing herself a lifelong resident of Newham, Fiaz said she was “over the moon” at last week’s outcome. She told Eastern Eye she felt both “humbled and privileged” at the opportunity.
“I grew up [in Newham], it’s been my place of learning and development,” she said. “I’ve lived with my family here and I went to school here. I just want to ensure that I can contribute to its ongoing progress, because like many of my friends and family and the wider community that I’ve got links with, we all have an obligation to ensure that progress in this amazing place is sustained.”
Currently, an estimated 25,000 people in Newham are on the waiting list for council homes. Fiaz claimed the current administration is “getting rid” of 250 council-owned homes, offloading them to be bought by private renters instead.
“It’s bizarre when we have a raging housing crisis, not only in London, but in Newham. We have a significant number of people on waiting lists,” she said.
Fiaz said the move is not sustainable as Newham residents, who earn on average £25,000-£26,000 a year, end up spending a high percentage of their wages on rent
prices.
If elected, she said she had a “variety of mechanisms” which can be used to generate income to build the properties.
Another pledge was to double the number of youth facilities in Newham. The borough’s youth population is one of the highest in London, with approximately 50 per cent of the population estimated to be under the age of 25 by 2021.
At present, there are only four youth clubs for the entire borough. Fiaz suggested adding further youth services that will enable young people to socialise, feel safe, develop critical life skills and learn at the same time.
“We have a situation where young people are saying that there is nowhere for them to go and they don’t feel safe on the streets,” the former charity and public relations worker said. “We need to have services on offer that create spaces for young people to go.”
Earlier this month, Labour MP Debbie Abrahams stepped down from her post due to “aggressive, intimidating and wholly unprofessional” behaviour by her colleagues.
As a female BAME politician, Fiaz said she has not faced a bullying culture, although she acknowledged that it does occur.
Fiaz said her confidence, which she has had from a very early age, allowed her to push back against anyone who has ever attempted to “breach boundaries”.
“I’m confident enough to say, I don’t accept that kind of behaviour so stop doing it,” she admitted. “However, I know that bullying happens in all facets of life and politics is not immune to it.”
Fiaz, who joined the Labour party at the age of 16, was awarded an OBE in 2009 for her work on race, faith, and identity.
She explained she had always been conscious of the world around her and was motivated by issues concerning human rights, equality and social justice.
“I’ve had the mindset that if you put your mind to it, you have the ability to help improve and change the world,” she said. “I am part of the generation that is excited by the prospect of doing that in different spheres in life.”
Bob Blackman MP speaks during the event