‘Petty Politics’ or ‘Dodging Scrutiny’? Havering Council Descends Into War of Words

24th July 202624th July 2026 Francesca Lilleystone 0 Comments Full Council, HARA, Havering, Politics, Reform, Town Hall min read

A war of words has broken out between Havering’s two largest political groups following Wednesday evening’s Full Council meeting at Romford Town Hall.

The row centres on Members’ Question Time, with the Leader of the Opposition, Councillor Gillian Ford, accusing the Reform UK administration of avoiding scrutiny by limiting debate. Reform UK has strongly rejected those claims, saying the meeting was conducted in accordance with the Council’s agreed procedures and accusing the opposition of attempting to distract from its own record in office.

Below is Councillor Gillian Ford’s full statement, followed by Reform UK Havering’s response.

We saw the true colours of Reform UK Wednesday evening.

Reform UK filibustered Councillor question time so they didn’t have to answer the questions. More to the point they were not prepared to answer any supplementary questions. Any unanswered questions are responded to in writing.

We are publishing all of the questions we submitted and will share Reform UK’s responses once they have been published.

The Cabinet Member for Finance detailed how successful the Council had been in reducing 2025/2026 expenditure with a significant lower budget deficit of £38m than had been expected at the April close of accounts. These savings are entirely down to the actions taken by the former HRA administration, although this was not stated by the Cabinet Member.

Reform UK’s plan to reduce the budget deficit further is proposed to be through economic development, yet there has been no mention of the East Havering Data Centre and their previous statement that they would ‘stop it’.

The maturity of some of the Reform UK Councillors was brought into question as Guests in the chamber witnessed “childish face pulling” and “sniggering like naughty school boys”. The monitoring officer has been contacted about this behaviour.

Councillor Gillian Ford Leader of the main opposition group said “democracy in Havering is once again being curtailed. What are they scared of? If they cannot answer
simple questions, how can the borough have the confidence they will be able to manage the complexities of running a Council. Schoolboy behaviour is not what Havering residents need. Reform UK have made promises of which the majority had already been started by the HRA including the Local Plan refresh and expanding the 14 village Greens we introduced (new locations we had started the process for before the election results should be coming through shortly) They can piggy-back off of our successes, but they cannot do that for four years. The responsibility of running Havering Council sits solely on their shoulders.”

A spokesman on behalf of the Reform UK Group told the Havering Daily:

“Councillor Ford’s statement is a desperate attempt to distract from the mess the HRA administration, under which she was Deputy Leader, left behind.

“Members Question Time was conducted in accordance with the Council’s agreed procedures and the time available. Questions that were not reached will receive written answers, ensuring every councillor receives a full and proper response. To describe this as a ‘filibuster’ is simply inaccurate.

“Reform UK was elected with a clear mandate to change how Havering is run. We will support responsible economic development, protect taxpayers and examine every major proposal on its merits.

“The personal attacks concerning councillors’ facial expressions are beneath the serious debate Havering residents expect. If the HARA believes there has been a breach of conduct, it is entitled to follow the proper complaints process. Reform UK will remain focused on the issues that matter, not petty politics, which are repairing the Council’s finances, improving services and delivering the change residents voted for.

“The HARA had years to deliver its promises. Reform UK has inherited the responsibility for turning proposals into results. We will not be distracted by political point-scoring from those who are struggling to come to terms with being in opposition.”

Stay up to date with all of our latest updates and content by following us on our social media accounts!