Thames Life

Last Thursday, residents and community groups gathered at the Barking & Dagenham Citizens Accountability Assembly at St Margaret’s Parish Church, following a housing enquiry that engaged over 100 local people. The assembly brought community led demands, especially on fair work, wages and living standards, directly to decision makers. The Leader of the Council and party representatives, including Dominic Twomey(Labour), Andrew Boff (Conservative), Emma Grove(Green) and Ben Suter (Reform), were held accountable to residents’ asks.

Organised by Citizens UK, Thames Life and BD Citizens, the event focused on holding decision makers accountable to community priorities, with candidates responding directly to the issues raised. It was not a traditional Q and A, but a structured assembly where local voices set the agenda. Representatives said yes to almost all of the asks, and now we wait to see those commitments turned into action, showing the real power of organised community action in shaping the borough’s future.