Newham Council's interim monitoring officer has stated that while governance improvements have been made, there needs to be greater evidence that these changes are embedded and understood by all,
with sustained and effective monitoring in place.
Janie Berry, the Interim Director of Law and Governance and Monitoring Officer, presented her assurance report to the Audit and Governance Committee on Thursday, 30 July 2026. She confirmed she remained reasonably assured that the Council does have an adequate governance in place.
However, Ms. Berry highlighted that despite improvements since her initial report in December 2025, these enhancements need to be demonstrably embedded across the organisation. She confirmed she had unfettered access to meetings and documents and had not had cause to report under section 5 of the Local Government and Housing Act 1989.
The report detailed observations on the recent elections, the Council's constitution, and efforts to ensure lawfulness and integrity in decision-making. Improvements were also noted in the standing and respect of the Standards Committee, with a refreshed committee and a clear work plan established.
Governance Improvements and Election Observations
Since December 2025, improvements have been made around the governance framework. Specifically, there has been a refreshed committee and a clear work plan established
for the Standards Committee. The Council's constitution is also being reviewed to ensure it reflects the new political position of 'no overall control'. This review includes examining key Procedure Rules and the Scheme of Delegation. An Annual Council has established a Scrutiny Review Group to propose improvements to scrutiny arrangements, including work programming and terms of reference. This group, which is not politically proportionate, will report its findings to a future Council meeting, with any approved recommendations leading to amendments to the Constitution.
Regarding the recent elections, the report noted eight nominations for the Directly Elected Mayor of Newham and 360 nominations for the 66 councillor positions – the highest number of nominations in recent election history for the borough. The arrangements for postal votes were robust, and while some election-related complaints were received, necessary ones were referred to the Metropolitan Police. Polling day arrangements were also robust, with no issues reported that prevented voters from casting their ballots. The count at ExCel proceeded without incident, and no recounts were necessary. No petitions were lodged with the High Court.
Embedding Changes and Future Monitoring
Ms. Berry emphasised the need for greater evidence that these improvements were embedded and understood by all, with sustained and effective monitoring in place.
This highlights a key area for the Council to demonstrate the practical application and understanding of the governance enhancements across all staff.
The report can be viewed in full as part of the Public reports pack for the Audit and Governance Committee meeting on 30 July 2026.
