Local elections 2026: Reform take control of Havering council amid wins across UK
Reform UK have gained the London borough of Havering from no overall control.
This is a notable result for Nigel Farage’s party, and the first prize from their strategy of targeting suburban areas on London’s outskirts. Other target areas include Barking, Bromley and Bexley – and it remains to be seen whether this win can be replicated there.
Havering is one of Reform UK’s top London targets, and one of its most plausible. The borough backed Leave in 2016, is propped up by £77m in emergency government funding, and has approved a 4.99 per cent council tax rise for 2026/27. Reform has grown fast through defections, while the Havering Residents’ Association minority administration, 14 Conservative seats and just 8 Labour seats make the outcome unpredictable.
Voters in Havering head to the polls on Thursday 7 May with the council currently under a minority administration. They will find out if a majority is won in results expected to come at 6am on Friday 8th May.
Following the 2022 election, the Havering Residents Association (HRA) and Labour formed a coalition, but that partnership ended in 2024.
The HRA now leads the council alone, holding 25 seats while the Conservatives hold 14 and Labour 8.
The borough’s financial position has been a constant key issue, with the council currently relying on £77m in financial support from the government to balance its 2026/27 budget. This follows a £32.5m loan in 2024 and an £88m borrowing requirement in 2025.
Council leaders have consistently highlighted that statutory services, such as adult social care (£125.8m) and children’s services (£82.1m), now consume the vast majority of local spending.
To meet these costs, the administration approved a 4.99 per cent council tax increase for the current financial year.
Reform and Conservative defections
Havering is a primary target for Reform UK. It was one of only five boroughs to vote to leave the EU in 2016. And the party has significantly grown its local presence through defections, including three former Conservative councillors and Romford MP Andrew Rosindell.
Reform candidates are campaigning on a platform of “putting pride back into Havering”, with some even suggesting the borough should explore leaving London’s jurisdiction to return to Essex.
The Conservatives are attempting to regain ground after falling from 23 seats in 2022 to 14 today.
Candidate Michael White warned that a breakaway from London would risk the loss of the Freedom Pass for seniors and reduced funding for the Met Police and London Fire Brigade, both of which serve the borough as part of Greater London.
The impact of the council’s financial constraints is visible in local services. Over the last two years, the administration has moved to close three library branches and reduce staff numbers to manage the budget gap.
Meanwhile, Labour leader Keith Darvill, whose party previously supported the HRA, has criticised the current minority leadership for populism and is campaigning for a renewed focus on social housing and local infrastructure.
Results for all 55 seats across Havering’s 19 wards are expected on Friday 8 May.
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