“Were It Not For The Generosity Of Dean From Chigwell Windows The Annual St. George’s Day Parade Could Have Been Cancelled.”

The Reform Member of Parliament for Romford Andrew Rosindell MP responds to comments by Havering’s Leader of the Council-Councillor Ray Morgon.

I have read the statement issued by the Leader of Havering Council, Cllr. Ray Morgon, who appears to be attempting to justify the measures imposed upon our local Scouts by claiming they an obligation under ‘Martyn’s Law.’

This is incorrect. Despite the Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025, known as ‘Martyn’s Law’, receiving Royal Assent in April 2025, the Government has set an implementation period of 24 months.

This means that any new legal duties currently do not apply. The Security Industry Authority has also confirmed that Martyn’s Law “has not yet taken effect,” and that venues and events are not legally required to comply at this stage.

Therefore, Havering Council are imposing something on Romford’s Scouts which is not necessary at this stage, and mean, were it not for the generosity of Dean Floyd of Chigwell Construction, that the annual St. George’s Day parade could have been cancelled.

I would also like to make clear that I have never attacked our local police officers, with whom I have an excellent relationship. What I object to is the fact that, despite the colossal sums of money Havering residents pay to fund the Metropolitan Police, through a precept to the Greater London Authority, the allocation of police resources by the Mayor of London is unfair and insufficient.

Police officers from Havering are constantly being diverted to central London for political marches and demonstrations, instead of being here to protect our community. This cannot be right, it has gone on for many years, and it is time that Havering were allocated the Police we pay for.

The St. George’s Day parades in both Collier Row and Hornchurch are an important annual tradition in our borough, and as Romford’s M.P., and having attended the Romford parade throughout my entire time as the town’s Member of Parliament, I will not stay quiet at the prospect of it being cancelled due to unnecessary bureaucracy.

It is wholly unacceptable that the Scouts were expected to pay £9,000 for a traffic management plan when this is something the Police should be doing automatically.

St. George is the Patron Saint of Scouting as well as our own Patron Saint for England, so we should all be free to celebrate our proud English heritage, culture and traditions.

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