Mayoral hopeful David Lammy has praised Newham’s landlord licensing scheme ahead of a visit to the borough.

The Tottenham MP, who hopes to be selected as Labour’s candidate in next year’s Mayor of London elections, said that tenants need a strong voice in City Hall to protect them from being exploited by rogue landlords.

He said: “Newham has shown London the way with its own scheme to licence landlords.

“We’ve been lucky so far but it’s only a matter of time before we have a major tragedy on our hands from unsafe housing conditions.

“Recent dawn raids in Newham have shown me just how bad this problem has got.”

Mr Lammy will address supporters outside Stratford station on Thursday as part of his 20/20 tour, visiting 20 boroughs in 20 days.

He will make his speech on the station’s steps on Great Eastern Road, opposite the Stratford Centre, at 12pm.

If elected, Mr Lammy has promised to increase the number of social homes built.

He added: “The promises made about the number of social homes in the former Olympic village have been slowly whittled away.

“Each time that’s fewer homes that are out of the reach for Newham residents. It means families being pulled apart and communities being broken up.

““As mayor I would champion the cause to maximise the number of homes made available to ordinary locals.”

Mr Lammy is one of six candidates bidding to represent Labour in the election.

He is joined on the ballot paper by Diane Abbott, Dame Tessa Jowell, Sadiq Khan, Gareth Thomas and Christian Wolmar.

The winner will be announced in September.