On Tuesday 07 November, Newham Mayor Sir Robin Wales was questioned by BBC London about the Borough’s ranking as a household debt hotspot - labelled the “UK's debt capital.” Sir Robin Wales attempted to explain away Newham’s shocking debt position as a natural consequence of the decline of the Newham Docklands, which hit working class communities in London’s East End particularly hard from the 1960s. But are there other causes that link back to Newham Council's economic, social and welfare priorities - such as chronic under-investment in social housing, low wages and a history of support for gambling - causing... [continues]