London Borough of Newham

London Borough of Newham, administrative region, London, England. Newham was formed by the amalgamation of the County Boroughs of East Ham and West Ham, together with part of the Borough of Barking and the detached part of the Borough of Woolwich known as North Woolwich. The Thames forms the southern border, while the boroughs of Tower Hamlets, Hackney, Waltham Forest, Redbridge, and Barking and Dagenham surround the rest of the perimeter. Major road systems cut through the southern part of the borough, linking the capital to the eastern counties and the container port at Tilbury. The amateur football team formed by employees at the Thames Ironworks and Railway Works evolved into the borough's famous West Ham United Football Club.

In the 1980s and 1990s the London Docklands Development Corporation redeveloped the Royal Docks area, which occupies virtually the whole southern portion of Newham, creating City Airport in the process. Regeneration of the borough is still continuing, particularly in the remaining dockland areas and around Stratford in the north, the home of the 2012 Olympic Games, bringing rapid change to what has previously been a neglected part of London.

In 1965 Greater London was created under the jurisdiction of the Greater London Council. This council was abolished in 1986, and each inner and outer borough and the City of London itself had its own governing council as the sole administrative authority from then until 2000. The borough councils consist of councillors elected every four years, who in turn annually elect their presiding official. Councils are responsible for the provision of most local services including education, housing, social services, local planning, roads, refuse collection, recreation, and culture.

On May 4, 2000, the people of London voted in a new London mayor, Ken Livingstone, and a 25-strong cross-party assembly, known as the Greater London Authority. A new mayor is elected every four years; Livingstone served two terms, but was defeated by Conservative MP Boris Johnson in the 2008 mayoral election. Although the mayor has limited budget-raising powers, the position includes responsibility for the police, fire service, health, and public transport. Population 243,737 (2001).