Havering Councillor: Roger Ramsey (Emerson Park)

Roger is a nice old gentleman who’s fallen in with a bad crowd. He became a councillor 41 years ago and was Leader between 1984 and 1990. In the 1980s he was a One Nation Tory. During that period he was repelled by Margaret Thatcher and famously did a ‘sit-in’ during a Stalinist* standing ovation for her. Little did he know that a Romford teenager would become his mortal enemy. Andrew Rosindell (now MP for Romford) was in love with Margaret.

Roger found out he had an enemy in 2006 when he wasn’t elected Leader but a Rosindell acolyte, talentless but loyal, was elected. The bizarre politics of Havering means Romford is the only reliable area for Conservatives. Havering councils are always dominated by their members. As time has gone on, the Havering Conservative group has shrunk to a Romford cabal. Roger is necessary to show ‘inclusion’.

Roger became Leader again following the UKIP incursion in 2014, which left the Conservatives in second place behind a motley crew of Resident Association members. The extremist Romford Conservatives were toxic to the RAs and Roger was the only acceptable Conservative. The 2018 election meant Romford once again asserted its power and Roger lost the leadership to Damian White. Damian is another acolyte of Andrew.

Roger kept a cabinet position but the agenda is set by Andrew and Damian. Once again he’s a puppet. As an elderly millionaire you wonder how he can take the humiliation. £38,000 p.a. is nice but is it enough to make a difference to him? Surely not.

Roger should rescue his dignity and resign.

* https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dDkUYbCSZro This is a 13 minute standing ovation and is well worth the title of Stalinist.