A major east London borough would get an “independence” vote on remaining part of the capital under a Reform UK government, an MP has vowed.
Andrew Rosindell, who defected from the Tories to join Reform last month, told the event in Romford that Havering residents would get a choice to remain Londoners or rejoin Essex as a “self-governing unitary authority” if Nigel Farage were Prime Minister.
The Romford MP told Reform UK supporters on Monday: “We are not east London, we are Essex”.
He added: “To change Havering’s status within Greater London and restoring our independence from City Hall will require legislation.
“So, the next Reform UK Government under Prime Minister Nigel Farage…will give Havering a choice, a choice to break free of the Mayor of London and become a self-governing unitary authority once again.
“Just as we were after the abolition of the GLC [Greater London Council], before Tony Blair imposed the GLA [Greater London Authority] and Mayor upon us. So Havering will get back control over the development of our town centre.
“We will rid ourselves of Ulez, which has been dividing up families and communities.
“Most importantly, it will ensure that policies decided for the people of this borough are made by the people of Havering. No more dictatorship from the Mayor of London or City Hall.”
Havering was created in 1965 under the London Government Act 1963, combining the areas of the former Romford Borough Council and Hornchurch Urban District, which were both previously part of Essex.
It is largely suburban — and is one of the greenest London boroughs— with more than of its land being Metropolitan Green Belt-protected.
Mr Rosindell has long argued that under the GLA, Romford does not see enough policemen and its police stations have closed, constituents did not want to be a part of the Ultra Low Emissions Zone (ULEZ) and have opposed “planning interference” from the mayor.
Nigel Farage held the Monday evening Romford rally as Reform UK seeks to win control of councils in east London at the May borough elections.
Ahead of the event, two Conservative councillors in Havering defected to Reform, bringing the total in the borough to three.
Councillors Christine Vickery and Robert Benham join former Conservative councillor Keith Prince, who defected last October.
They will now be able to form an official group at the town hall for the first time. Ms Vickery said the Conservative party was "not what it was when I joined 25 years ago" and Reform would "make Britain great again".
Reform’s campaign for the London local elections will focus on crime, housing and immigration.
The party is seeking to recruit 1,800 candidates to stand in the borough elections.
In an email to party members, encouraging them to stand, Reform’s London mayoral candidate Laila Cunningham said: “On May 7, Londoners will elect their local councillors, the people who decide how your borough is run day to day.
“Councils control housing, planning, parking, licensing, waste collection, youth services, social care, and how your council tax is spent.
“These decisions shape whether your street feels safe, your area is clean, and whether the people who’ve paid in all their lives actually get something back.”
She stressed that local authorities control who gets access to social housing.
“Too many London councils have chosen to prioritise new arrivals over British families and veterans who’ve contributed to this country all their lives,” she claimed.
Ms Cunningham, a Westminster councillor who defected from the Tories to Reform, has also argued that London is unsafe due to the levels of crime.
However, London Mayor Sir Sadiq Khan has slammed Right-wing politicians who he accused of painting a “dystopian picture of London as a city that’s fallen”.
The London Mayor tore into Reform and Tory politicians who he claimed “can’t stand what London represents - a city that’s diverse, progressive and thriving, with a Mayor who happens to be a Muslim”.
He also told ex-Tory Chancellor Nadhim Zahawi, who defected to Reform, to “stop being a pound shop version of Donald Trump” after he claimed London was unsafe and highlighted an encounter with a man who appeared like “he hadn’t slept for a week” and “looked like somebody that might be violent”.
Scotland Yard chief Sir Mark Rowley has stressed that the number of murders recorded in London dropped last year to its lowest level per capita since records began.
