Special Report: Let Havering Residents Decide If they Wish To remain in London-Andrew Rosindell MP.

Is it time for a referendum?

The Member of Parliament for Romford, Andrew Rosindell MP, yesterday tabled amendments designed to give Havering the opportunity to leave the Greater London Authority and join Essex.
The long-running argument over Havering’s identity, heritage and governance has once again been thrust into the national spotlight as Mr Rosindell moves to secure a democratic say for residents who have felt overlooked for decades.

For years, Mr Rosindell has argued that Havering’s historic roots and cultural identity sit firmly within Essex, not London, and now he is using the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill to press for a referendum that would allow residents to decide their future once and for all.

Havering’s Identity and the Call for Local Democracy

My amendments to the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill are about respecting local identity, traditions and democracy, by giving the people of Havering the right to uphold their historic identity and choose the best form of local and regional government that suites our borough.

Mr Rosindell also thanked colleagues who have supported this push:

Thank you to my friends and colleagues Sir Benard Jenkin MP; Sir John Whittingdale MP; Nigel Farage MP Lewis Cocking MP; Mark Francois MP James McMurdock MP; and Richard Holden MP for their support in co-signing my amendments that are being put before the House of Commons today.

He confirmed that seven MPs, including Nigel Farage, have now backed his proposals:

7 MPs including Nigel Farage have signed my amendments to give Havering a referendum on being part of Greater Essex instead of Greater London and restoring Havering to the Lord Lieutenancy of Essex.

Why Havering Should Decide Its Own Future

I am fulling my promise to the people of Romford today, by addressing the long-standing dissatisfaction that exists in my constituency and throughout the “London” Borough of Havering over the administrative arrangements that were imposed in the 1960s, for both local and regional government.

Mr Rosindell argues that Havering must be given the choice to withdraw from London governance and instead join the newly-formed Greater Essex Combined County Authority:

I am proposing that the people of Havering are given the right, in a referendum, to decide whether or not they wish to withdraw from the Greater London Authority as well as from under the control of the Mayor of London and instead, have the option of joining the new Greater Essex Combined County Authority.

He added:

I believe it is time the people of my borough were given a say over where they belong. Parliament must respect the democratic voice of the people of Havering on this matter, which has been overlooked and disregarded for more than six decades.

Restoring Essex’s Historic Boundaries

Mr Rosindell also tabled a further amendment, NC85, which seeks to reunify historic and ceremonial Essex and end the decades of confusion created by mid-twentieth-century administrative changes.

Today, my amendment to the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill, is being put before the House of Commons .

If accepted, it would ensure that the boundaries of the ceremonial county of Essex are once again aligned with the historic county of Essex, as they were for many hundreds of years before the bureaucrats muddled things up, causing so much confusion for decades!

The term “county” should only have one meaning and Essex could lead the way in restoring this important principle.

Combining historic Essex with ceremonial Essex, will I believe, end the constant confusion, and allow the people of my fine county to once again celebrate the rich heritage of the county of Essex, in its entirety, from the River Lea and River Stort to the North Sea and from the River Thames and Estuary to the River Stour. #Essex #England

Conclusion

Mr Rosindell has championed Havering’s Essex identity throughout his entire parliamentary career. He has consistently argued that Havering receives a poor deal under the GLA, that its heritage has been diluted by London governance and that residents deserve the democratic right to choose their future. His amendments represent the latest step in a decades-long campaign to restore Havering to the county he believes it has always belonged to.

Time for a referendum!

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