Mayor demands more funding as cabinet hears update on council's response to Covid-19 emergency

Mayor Rokhsana Fiaz has reiterated her commitment towards demanding more money from the Government to support Newham’s residents through the Covid-19 crisis and to save lives.

The Mayor was speaking at a virtual meeting of Newham Council’s Cabinet (13 May) where councillors were given a detailed update on the Council’s response to the coronavirus pandemic over the past seven weeks. It was broadcast live on social media for residents to watch.

The meeting, which was held virtually over Zoom to comply with social distancing rules, heard that the Government has given all local councils a total of £3.2bn to fund the extra services needed to respond to the crisis so far. The Local Government Association, the national voice of local authorities, estimates at least three to four times this amount will be needed.

Newham has received two payments totalling just £20.2m. Mayor Fiaz said: “Newham and other areas like us who have high levels of poverty, deprivation, and health inequality and who are most affected by the impact of coronavirus in terms of mortality, deserve much more. That’s why I’ve written to the Prime Minister calling for a Covid-19 Deprivation Premium on top of what we have received. I will continue to work with our Members of Parliament, Lyn Brown for West Ham, and Stephen Timms for East Ham, to demand more.”

The report to Cabinet told of how 4,500 council workers over the past seven weeks have protected elderly and vulnerable residents living in care homes; supplied personal protective equipment (PPE); supported children with special educational needs; offered youth services through digital means; been there for families with youngsters through early years centres and nurseries; collected bins and swept the streets; stopped retailers trading illegally; and worked with resident-led mutual aid groups, faith communities and the voluntary sector, to feed vulnerable households.

In the seven weeks since lockdown began on March 23:

•    300 redeployed employees and hundreds of volunteers have staffed eight #HelpNewham hubs and distributed more than 10,000 food parcels to needy and vulnerable families;
•    Money Works, the Council’s financial advice and loan service, has offered help to more than 10,000 residents;
•    housing and homeless teams have relocated 400 families into accommodation where they can safely self-isolate, and taken 184 rough sleepers off the streets and into accommodation;
•    sourced sufficient PPE for staff for the next two months, with some 15,000 face masks being used by front line workers every day;
•    trading standards and enforcement teams have visited 500 businesses suspected of illegal trading, and issued 50 closure notices.

The Mayor said: “The approach we have adopted is enshrined in the principles of this administration with regard to community wealth building, addressing poverty, addressing inequality, dealing with the climate emergency, and ensuring that the overriding imperative of saving lives can be met as best as we are able to with the powers we have.”

Mayor Fiaz also said that despite the Government’s recent change of advice from Stay At Home to Stay Alert, given the vulnerabilities of the Newham community, she was recommending no such change in order to prevent a second wave of Covid-19.

She said: “Despite the loosened lockdown, think carefully before you change your behaviour. If you can stay at home, you should. Don’t travel if you don’t need to. Continue to practise social distancing and follow the personal hygiene requirements that are still in place.”

The Mayor also offered condolences on behalf of Newham Council to everyone who is mourning the loss of family and friends.

Published: 16 May 2020