Hustings used to be feisty. Heckling was a sport. Violent arguments between different factions were routine. Candidates1 had to be quick witted as they faced a barrage of unscripted questions and abuse. Times change.
Havering Cyclists organised the event. It was chaired by Rob Enifer of the Romford Town Wombles. There was a genteel discussion of environmental issues in Havering. Questions2 were pre-distributed to candidates, and no-one was ‘ambushed’. They were given two minutes for initial replies. It was fair, purposeful and informative.
The event was lucky with its candidates. They all showed a deep awareness of the principal issues. Gillian Ford had an excellent command of the issues and constantly referred to current Council policy achievements. She was well prepared, which fulfilled the organisers strategy of avoiding waffle.
Keith Darvill, Q1 (see below), interestingly said that he thought housing issues were the principal environmental challenge facing Havering.
Mark Whiley, Q2, hoped for innovative use of public land that was under-utilised.
Q3 was intractable for every candidate. Launders Lane is privately owned and the Council is apparently being held to ransom. A serious problem without an obvious solution.
Q4 Thomas Clark focused on the quality of pavements as well as dangerous roads as negatives for cycling. He worried about traffic flows, toxic air and traffic volumes.
The Q&A session
There was a telling exchange about the possibility, in Havering, of safer walking, wheeling and cycling for children and adults (Q4). Every candidate said this would fail. Mark Whiley said he felt unsafe on his bike. Thomas Clarke cited roads and pavements (again) and added potholes to his list of woes. Keith Darvill spoke of the lawlessness of drivers in regard to speed limits. Gillian Ford commented on Havering’s elderly population.
Surprisingly the last Q&A question referred to the proposed Data Centre. Answers were anodyne and reflected the grim inevitability of it going ahead with, or without, support from the Council. The issue is currently out to consultation.3
Addendum: Conservative and Reform UK
Neither party attended the hustings. Rightly or wrongly, it was believed they avoided the event because they are lukewarm on environmental issues. They avoided scrutiny of a critically important matter for a Green Borough. Havering is 50% ‘Green Belt’ and the management and promotion of that asset is cherishing the ‘Golden Goose’. It was noted that Reform UK’s Keith Prince made a song-and-dance at the recent Planning Committee about the Data Centre. Neither he, nor his representative, were present at the Environment Hustings to defend that position, which looks like political opportunism.
Notes
1 The candidates were,
Councillor Gillian Ford, HRA Deputy Leader
Councillor Keith Darvill, Labour Group Leader
Thomas Clarke from Havering Lib Dems and
Mark Whiley from Barking, Dagenham & Havering Green Party
2 The questions for every candidate were,
Q1) What’s your long-term vision for a cleaner, greener Havering and what would you prioritise as the most pressing issue?
Q2) Do you acknowledge the nature and climate crisis and what does that mean to you in terms of public investment and community involvement in Havering?
Q3) How will you resolve the Launders Lane environmental issues?
Q4) To what extent will you commit to safer walking, wheeling and cycling for children and adults in Havering?
Q5) Will you commit to keeping the ‘Green Forum’ running following the Local Elections in May, and what new ideas would you like to see added to this Forum?
3 Consultation procedure for the data centre East Havering Data Centre Consultation | London Borough of Havering
Politics in Havering 