Politics

From selling anti-war journals outside a bookshop on a Saturday afternoon as a schoolgirl to spending a quarter of a century as an MP, it's easy to see why Dame Margaret Hodge admits to having "always been political".

A long-standing local councillor has been expelled from the Labour Party after apparently throwing his weight behind the Brexit Party on social media.

The council leader of the only leave-voting borough to back Labour in the EU elections said democracy means "you're allowed to change your mind".

The Brexit Party leapt to second place in the recent EU elections in the borough, but Labour held on to the top spot.

Dame Margaret Hodge has slammed Jeremy Corbyn after a human rights watchdog launched an investigation into whether the Labour "unlawfully discriminated against, harassed or victimised" Jewish people.

Barking and Dagenham's new mayor has pledged to encourage people to get involved in the community during his year-long tenure.

Concerns have been raised about the standards of staff training and medical education at Queen's Hospital in Romford and King George Hospital in Goodmayes.

Fines for fly-tipping in Barking and Dagenham will more than double from next month.

Fourteen knives were seized in schools, pupil referral units and colleges in Barking and Dagenham last year, it has been revealed.

Voters will elect 73 members to represent the UK in the European Parliament on Thursday.

Barking and Dagenham has been showcased in a new video aimed at attracting London visitors to the borough.

Inspectors have praised the leadership of a Dagenham school rated as 'outstanding' in its latest Ofsted report.

Public urinators and rubbish dumpers are among the wrongdoers caught on camera by Barking and Dagenham Council.

The number of people claiming unemployment-related benefits in Barking and Dagenham has risen this year, but remains well below that of five years ago, according to the latest government figures.

The home secretary has been given a tour of Barking and Dagenham's Future Youth Zone ahead of its grand community opening this Saturday.

A raft of fresh measures to tackle prostitution in Ilford Lane have been announced at a heated public meeting.

The mother of an autistic man has said he will be a prisoner in his own home when the government takes away the car he depends on to get around.

A Brexit Party candidate for one of London's eight MEP seats has launched his bid for office in Dagenham.

A group of Dagenham pupils have paid a visit to one of the most famous addresses in the country - 10 Downing Street.

Victims of the contaminated blood scandal in England will receive more money, the government said, as a public inquiry begins.

Crossrail will not open before December 2020, the company behind the infrastructure project has confirmed.

Last year eight people were fined for begging by Barking and Dagenham Council, according to a new report.

A grieving family from Dagenham has welcomed the government's decision to grant a visa so a grandmother can attend her grandson's funeral.

The councillor for Albion ward in Barking is running in the upcoming EU elections.

Residents and politicians have gathered to remember Stephen Lawrence on the 26th anniversary of his murder at Barking Town Hall.

Improvement is required within Barking and Dagenham's children's services, inspectors have found.

Barking and Dagenham's representatives in Westminster were split yesterday when they voted on alternate plans for Brexit.

Town Hall officials have been slammed for being secretive about a request by campaigners wanting to know how they handle information to the public.

Jeremy Corbyn has accused veteran Labour MP Dame Margaret Hodge of a "total breach of trust" by recording a private meeting between them without his permission.

Dagenham and Rainham MP Jon Cruddas has urged people to sign a petition opposing plans for a large energy park in Bexley.

Would you like a dedicated cycle route between Ilford and Barking?

A homeless mother-of-three was "devastated" after Barking and Dagenham Council locked her temporary accommodation while she was in prison and destroyed all her family's possessions.

London Fire Brigade spent more than £300,000 on Barking Fire Station, including £90,000 on the showers, as part of £11.8m in repairs and upgrades to its estate over four years.

The council has bought a business park as part of plans to develop a digital and media 'powerhouse' in the borough.

Barking and Dagenham MPs have voted against Theresa May's Brexit plan in an historic defeat.

London Bridge terrorist Khuram Butt of Barking, was able to plan the attack despite being under MI5 surveillance, a pre-inquest has heard.

Barking and Dagenham Council has been rapped for the unfair dismissal of three people on its housing team in summer 2017, including two that faced race and disability discrimination.

Barking and Dagenham Council is among 11 boroughs which have joined forces to provide accommodation to families at risk of homelessness - backed by £38m in government funding.

Barking and Dagenham's Youth Offending Service (YOS) faces challenges in delivering an effective service that stops young people from reoffending, an inspection has found.

The council's purchase of land in a flood zone is 'possibly just the beginning' of a spending spree.

Council chiefs have agreed a deal for the borough to become the landlord of a hotel in Poplar

The MP for Barking has criticised prime minister Theresa May for calling off tomorrow's vote on her Brexit deal.

Crossrail's chairman has stepped down just days before being questioned along with the Mayor of London facing the London Assembly's transport committee over the disastrous 10-month delay in the 'super tube' opening.

Barking and Dagenham's MPs have slated prime minister Theresa May's Brexit deal ahead of a crunch vote.