The newly-elected Reform UK leader of Havering Council has firmly rejected Nigel Farage's suggestion that residents should be given a vote on whether the borough should break away from Greater London. Keith Prince, a former senior Conservative figure in local government, was confirmed as leader of Havering London Borough Council on Wednesday, May 27, following a Reform surge that decimated his former party earlier this month.
Mr Prince, who previously served as leader of Redbridge Council and as a Tory member of the Greater London Assembly (GLA), stood alongside Mr Farage as he celebrated his party's victory outside Havering Town Hall on the morning after the election. At the time, Mr Farage addressed the question of whether Havering should revert to its former status within Essex, stating: "Many (local people) feel that their association is with Essex and ever since 1965 have slightly resented being part of Greater London." He added: "All I would say is people ought to have the choice to make a decision on that. So yes, people here ought to have that ability, ought to have that choice."
However, at a council meeting on Wednesday, Mr Prince made clear that pursuing an exit from the GLA would be a waste of time. He said: "I was born in (a part of) the county Essex which later became Havering. I can understand people's attachment to our historic county identity. However, let me make this crystal clear. At this moment in time, from the research that I have done, it is quite clear that many of our residents would be significantly worse off financially if we were to leave London." Acknowledging the opposition resident association's warnings of the financial impact, Mr Prince continued: "So, while there are those who are emotionally attached to the attraction of leaving London, I and this administration have yet to be presented with a well-thought research and costed proposal which outlines the benefits to our residents. Therefore, we will not be wasting our time pursuing 'Hexit' or leaving the Greater London Authority, but we will be concentrated our time and energies on getting Havering back on track."
During a parliamentary session last year, Andrew Rosindell, Reform MP for Romford constituency in Havering, also argued the borough should be given the opportunity to rejoin Essex. Havering became part of the GLA when the London Government Act 1963 established the Greater London administrative region. Mr Rosindell said: "Ever since then, our Essex identity has tragically been diminished and even discarded by some, as if centuries of history in belonging to such a great English county could end simply because of local government reorganisation, which was lazy in its construction and took no account of our history." He added: "Romford is geographically Essex. We are historically Essex. We are culturally Essex and our social, sporting and commercial connections have always looked towards the county of Essex." He complained that being part of the capital is "very costly" for locals, adding: "We pay tens of millions of pounds per year to the Greater London Authority," while also expressing his frustration over what he described as "imposed" London-wide policies, citing planning decisions and the ultra low emission zone as prime examples.
