"Newham is a borough which has for many years, most of the time, had all its councillors as Labour. Remarkable. And it's never not been controlled by Labour up until now."
"Factionalism, fragmentation within the Labour Party, means there's a big hope there for Independents, Greens, possibly others. So it looks as if - although it's to be very close that Newham - could be lost to no overall control."
"These are likely to be the most consequential elections in London, certainly for the past 20 years - possibly since the first borough elections in 1964."
The recent election in Newham saw a turnout of 28.8% and a 10.2% swing from Labour to the Greens. Boundary changes increased the number of seats from 60 to 66. Since the election, Labour has faced defections, with one councillor joining the Greens and others becoming independents. The Newham Independents Party has also won three by-elections from Labour. A mayoral election is scheduled for May 7, with significant powers over local services at stake. Fragmentation within Labour raises the possibility of no overall control in Newham.
Read at www.bbc.com
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