0:00:00 > 0:00:01league's opening weekend. Mishal Full is the
0:00:01 > 0:00:04You can see more on all of today's stories on the BBC News Channel.
0:00:04 > 0:00:05That's all from me.
0:00:05 > 0:00:14Stay with us on BBC One - it's time for the news where you are.
0:00:14 > 0:00:17Good evening, I'm Asad Ahmad.
0:00:17 > 0:00:19One of London's longest serving leaders -
0:00:19 > 0:00:22in a council which is among London's most rapidly changing -
0:00:22 > 0:00:25is facing calls to step down after over 20 years in charge.
0:00:27 > 0:00:29Sir Robin Wales could soon become the second senior
0:00:29 > 0:00:30Labour figure to go, after Haringey Council
0:00:30 > 0:00:35lost its leader on Tuesday.
0:00:35 > 0:00:37And that's all led to some Labour members
0:00:37 > 0:00:42voicing concerns about the direction the party is heading-in.
0:00:42 > 0:00:45Just a few weeks ago, a magazine described Newham
0:00:46 > 0:00:47as a one-party mini-state.
0:00:47 > 0:00:50This was referring to its Labour roots, and the fact that
0:00:50 > 0:00:54at the past two council elections, it has won every single seat.
0:00:54 > 0:00:58While Sir Robin Wells is backing calls for an open selection
0:00:58 > 0:01:00for the party's candidate for mayor in this May's election,
0:01:00 > 0:01:04which could mean party members don't select him.
0:01:04 > 0:01:14But he and others say his long record is a proud one.
0:01:17 > 0:01:20If we come back, 20 years ago, we look at education performance,
0:01:20 > 0:01:22for example, in this borough, it would be very low.
0:01:22 > 0:01:25It would have been one of the lowest in the country.
0:01:25 > 0:01:26And that's been transformed.
0:01:26 > 0:01:28But politics within Labour appear to be turning,
0:01:28 > 0:01:30with a contingent of Labour councillors challenging their
0:01:30 > 0:01:31leader's renomination as mayor.
0:01:31 > 0:01:32This councillor served in Sir Robin's cabinet,
0:01:32 > 0:01:35but he has now turned on him, blaming what he calls...
0:01:35 > 0:01:37The complete absence of a decent housing policy.
0:01:37 > 0:01:39We are standing here in the Carpenter's Estate,
0:01:39 > 0:01:40which he started decanting in 2005.
0:01:40 > 0:01:42There's around 389 units here.
0:01:42 > 0:01:45And only last night they evicted all the rough sleepers
0:01:45 > 0:01:48in the Stratford Centre and gave them community protection orders
0:01:48 > 0:01:50to stop them coming back.
0:01:50 > 0:01:52While here, there are 300 units they could be sleeping in.
0:01:52 > 0:01:56I think that's a disgrace.
0:01:56 > 0:01:58It's important to note that there is no evidence to suggest
0:01:58 > 0:02:00that the increasingly powerful pro-Corbyn movement Momentum
0:02:00 > 0:02:04is behind the calls for a new mayor.
0:02:04 > 0:02:09Councillors and Labour MPs both say they just want a fair election.
0:02:09 > 0:02:12I think that, at the end of the day, you select
0:02:12 > 0:02:14the best person for the job.
0:02:14 > 0:02:16Robin himself has said, let's have an open selection,
0:02:16 > 0:02:18let's open it up.
0:02:18 > 0:02:20And if he is selected as a candidate...
0:02:20 > 0:02:24We just want to go out and fight so we can return a Labour mayor
0:02:24 > 0:02:25so we can do good things.
0:02:25 > 0:02:28But the Labour Party know that if Sir Robin is removed,
0:02:28 > 0:02:31it will inevitably be seen as another victory for the left
0:02:31 > 0:02:38of the party against Labour's traditional centre ground.
0:02:38 > 0:02:41More now on a fire at a residential care
0:02:41 > 0:02:45home in Herfordshire.
0:02:45 > 0:02:47Managers there have promised a "full and proper investigation" --
0:02:47 > 0:02:49after one of its elderly residents died.
0:02:49 > 0:02:53From the 'Woodlands View' home in Stevenage, here's Richard Smith.
0:02:53 > 0:02:55Investigators trying to piece together why there was an explosion
0:02:55 > 0:02:57and fire at this care home.
0:02:57 > 0:03:00At the time, 41 people were inside.
0:03:00 > 0:03:05Seven have been taken to hospital.
0:03:05 > 0:03:08One of those, a man in his 80s, has since died.
0:03:08 > 0:03:10As visitors arrived today, they were met by police.
0:03:10 > 0:03:13How could it have happened?
0:03:13 > 0:03:17I can't make out, how could it have happened?
0:03:17 > 0:03:19One woman, returning to see her mother, described the response
0:03:19 > 0:03:23by the emergency services.
0:03:23 > 0:03:26I could see goodness knows how many flashing lights
0:03:26 > 0:03:27going past my mum's window.
0:03:27 > 0:03:29It made my children quite upset to see something
0:03:29 > 0:03:30was going on in this area.
0:03:30 > 0:03:34So I went to see what was going on, and it was clear to see
0:03:34 > 0:03:35that there was an issue.
0:03:35 > 0:03:40But everyone seemed to be on top and dealing with the situation.
0:03:40 > 0:03:42Many of those inside made their own way out.
0:03:42 > 0:03:46A few couldn't.
0:03:46 > 0:03:49Five residents were rescued by the Fire Service,
0:03:49 > 0:03:52with a further ten led to safety.
0:03:52 > 0:03:55It does appear there was an oxygen cylinder in the room
0:03:55 > 0:03:57where the fire started, and that may well have
0:03:57 > 0:03:59played a part in the fire.
0:03:59 > 0:04:00Tonight, in a statement, the home's owners say
0:04:00 > 0:04:03the safety of residents is their number one priority,
0:04:03 > 0:04:05and their deepest sympathies are with the family
0:04:05 > 0:04:13of the man who died.
0:04:13 > 0:04:14Richard Smith, BBC London News, Stevenage.
0:04:14 > 0:04:15Now the weather forecast
0:04:15 > 0:04:16for tonight and tomorrow.
0:04:16 > 0:04:18Hello, good evening.
0:04:18 > 0:04:20It's set to stay very cold as we head through next week.
0:04:20 > 0:04:23We've got a Met Office weather warning out for snow and ice
0:04:23 > 0:04:25from tonight right up until tomorrow morning, including Monday
0:04:25 > 0:04:26morning's rush-hour.
0:04:26 > 0:04:30Many places are dry tonight but we have a flow of showers coming
0:04:30 > 0:04:32in through the Thames estuary on the north-easterly wind,
0:04:32 > 0:04:35so for south-eastern areas the capital, possibly a few
0:04:35 > 0:04:37centimetres of snow into tomorrow morning's rush-hour.
0:04:37 > 0:04:39Those wintry showers are likely to continue, possibly
0:04:39 > 0:04:40pushing their way further west.
0:04:40 > 0:04:44But as you can see, many places will be dry and there will be
0:04:44 > 0:04:46some brightness around, with a chilly north-easterly wind.
0:04:46 > 0:04:49Still highs of 5 degrees.
0:04:49 > 0:04:51And if you have pictures of snow tomorrow -
0:04:51 > 0:04:55do Tweet them @BBCLondonNews.
0:04:55 > 0:04:59Have a very good night.