Romford Conservatives have had a torrid time since 2022. They lost control of the council for the first time since 2002 to HRA.1 Then they fell apart. They’ve had defections and three leaders in three years. Slowing the terminal decline is Mission Impossible.
Worse! There’s a right-wing alternative biting their ankles. The Reform Party is a private company owned by Nigel Farage as an off-shoot to his ego. They are a novelty and will give the Conservatives, HRA and Labour a hard time in 2026.
Romford Conservatives have a Rosindell loyalty test,
“I [Rosindell] am pleased that in Romford, we now have a united and loyal team of Conservative candidates, who will work with me to secure victory next year.” (my emphasis)2
Havering-atte-Bower is interesting. John Crowder defected to HRA, Damian White sulked for three years, and Ray Best has retired – did he want to? So, three newbies in what was a safe ward.
Marshalls and Rise Park had two defections and Conservatives have deselected Osman Dervish – unless he retired. This *safe*(?) seat has attracted two footloose and fancy-free councillors: Robert Benham and Nisha Patel. Did they make a good choice? Roll on 2026.
St Edward’s has been culled as Rosindell worries about loyalty. All three councillors have been ousted. Nisha Patel legged it before getting the bullet. Astonishingly, David Taylor was deselected because he is an effective campaigner. Veteran councillor Joshua Chapman left. Why? Who knows? Three newbies in a competitive election looks like poor tactics. But Rosindell has won elections and possibly knows what he’s doing.
Addendum: Political groups and their candidates
No word on HRA candidates apart from the chaotic St Edward’s. They are persisting with RA cliques for their candidates.
Hornchurch Conservatives will probably have a ring round for candidates in January to maintain the pretence that they are a political party. Does Julia Lopez know?
Labour will probably get round to announcing candidates.
Reform will take anyone that comes along.
Notes
1 HRA are an umbrella organisation cobbled together from Resident Association groups.
2 NEW TEAM 23 CANDIDATES SELECTED TO FIGHT HAVERING LOCAL ELECTIONS IN ROMFORD | Romford
Politics in Havering 
Payback for whatever happened while Rosser was suspended, perhaps? David Taylor’s removal is particularly odd. Even when I’ve not always agreed with him, he has been effective as an opposition politician; aggressive and hot on the details.
Though the other mystery is ditching Wendy Brice-Thompson last time and bringing her back now.
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The Taylor decision is bizarre. He’s the only Conservative councillor to consistently pose questions on policy. He’s very capable but is he also sanctimonious? I don’t know him at all but I do recognise the signs of “I’m right and you’re wrong.” This is OK in a classroom but amongst colleagues it can grate.
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Hornchurch HRA councillors are as bad as their Focus magazine, which has no focus at all.
Rosser will more than likely defect to Reform.
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Rosindell has been an MP since 2001 and he knows how to play the field. At one point he was “more Brexit than UKIP” but he stayed inside the fold. Therefore I doubt he’ll jump ship.
This photo appears to show Rosindell at a Reform meeting in Brentwood
https://x.com/ReemAmirIbrahim/status/1970120329654595831?s=19
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“Hornchurch Conservatives will probably have a ring round for candidates in January to maintain the pretence that they are a political party”.
This and similar situations involving other groups and locations, shows why you need proportional voting reform to restore a functioning democracy, as it appears absurd there are no conservative councillors in Hornchurch and Upminster constituency despite electing a conservative MP.
You need councillors to provide the elected interest and organisation to keep parties going, as once they’re gone the organisation and ultimately votes, finally collapses.
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Party politics in Havering is dead. Despite Rosindell’s heroic efforts the Romford party is going the same way as Hornchurch. Labour is a remnant and HRA is a rag-bag of cliques. I entirely agree that PR is the sensible way forward. But because it’s sensible doesn’t mean that it make any headway. The time for PR was 1997 and that came and went.
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“The time for PR was 1997 and that came and went”.
I agree, albeit I’m surprised Corbyn never offered this option, but I’m still bemused at ‘right-wingers’ bemoaning the country going to the dogs, but objecting to voting reform bizarrely claiming First Past The Post has served us well!!!
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Timid politicians taking a reductionist view of the world even when they can see that they are wrong. However, events might be over-taking them. There are 15 political parties represented in the current parliament. https://members.parliament.uk/parties/Commons
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