The 2026 Newham mayoral election was held on 7 May 2026 to elect the mayor of Newham, on the same date as the Newham local council election and other local elections across the country.
Forhad Hussain was elected Mayor of Newham for the first time. Labour retained the mayoralty, albeit with a significantly reduced majority.
Background
The position of Mayor of Newham was established in 1965 as a ceremonial role and was given political powers in 2002. Robin Wales of the Labour Party won the mayoral elections in 2002, 2006, 2010, and 2014; he was succeeded by fellow Labour mayor Rokhsana Fiaz in the 2018 and 2022 elections. Wales subsequently joined Reform UK after leaving office. Fiaz announced in July 2025 that she would not be re-standing for election.
Electoral system The election uses the voting system of first past the post to elect the mayor, having been changed from the supplementary vote system in 2022. In first past the post, there is only one count, and the candidate with the most votes wins. The Electoral Reform Society described the move to first past the post as one lowering the bar for politicians and thus damaging British democracy.
Candidates
The mayoral election had eight candidates. The Green Party and Newham Independents were seen as the biggest challengers to Labour.
Results
References