Harlow’s Reform councillor reflects on first eight months
General / Sun 14th Dec 2025 at 04:00pm
AS is traditional here are at YourHarlow, we like to drop in on councillors after they have served six months and see how they are getting on.
It is fair to say that Reform councillor Paul Jago, is far more comfortable out and about in his ward of Mark Hall than the council chamber.
But perhaps that is understandable as he is the only Reform councillor in Harlow….for now.
Paul cléarly enjoys his surgeries held at Safe To Go Stow. Even while we were filming, a number of residents greeted him with a cheery hello.
His answers were honest regarding getting help from council officers.
We look forward to seeing exactly what Reforms plan for Harlow is, if they end up running the council in eighteen weeks time.
Brian
2025-12-14 16:17:27
Well done Paul reform give us all hope after this labour government gets wiped out.
Val
2025-12-14 17:03:39
A good interview of the new Reform Councillor. Brian is right. The Labour councillors are a completely useless shower just like the Labour government and our Yes Man MP Chris Vince. Let's hope we get the chance for a Spring clean and get rid of them in May.
David Forman
2025-12-14 19:22:57
I was somewhat surprised that Paul Jago admitted he hadn't been to Harlow Museum until be became a councillor. The same lack of consideration by the Reform Party extends to libraries, as is evidenced from a recent Letter to Editor from Save Our Libraries Essex (SOLE). To sum up Reform in one word: Philistines. See SOLE's Letter to Editor at https://www.yourharlow.com/2025/11/29/letter-to-editor-essex-libraries-better-together/
Brian
2025-12-14 21:23:07
David foreman try talking out of the front of your head,reform are not to blame for 28 years of hopeless government by the uni party,the country is ruined and people like you want it to continue.
Seamus
2025-12-14 22:32:10
David what on earth are you blethering on about, lay off the cool aid. Nowhere in any councillor must do guidelines does it say that you must visit the Harlow Museum or any of the Harlow Libraries. On Libraries, funding comes from government to county council to local council. Reform are not in the majority of those positions (yet) so if you're looking for someone to tackle on libraries then perhaps you should challenge those in charge rather than those who are not? As to the Harlow Museum point, I've never heard such sillyness. When was the last time you demanded a councillor visit the Harlow Museum before being allowed to run for councillor? Your obsession with anti reform clouds your comments into banality. Chill dude.
Nicholas Taylor
2025-12-14 22:45:16
Val, you seem to be sadly out of touch, the Conservatives have been in control of the council since May 2021! On a positive note, the Conservative council has done a lot to improve the musuem and are investing even more money to improve the visitor experience. I did voluntary work there for three summers and when speaking to many visitors who live in the town I was surprised to find so many had never paid a visit before. A little gem of a place which has always needed to be given a higher profile by the council.
David Forman
2025-12-15 03:00:27
As Seamus will know from commenting on the SOLE Letter to Editor regarding libraries, the issue was that Reform were the only party with councillors in Essex who failed to give a statement regarding keeping the library service on a county wide basis when multiple unitary authorities are introduced. As for the museum, if one watches the video from 4 minutes in councillor Jago admits he had been "introduced to so many services that the council.provides". One would expect someone who wants to be a councillor to have a modicum of knowledge about the services it provides before standing for election. Councillor Jago's performance in the council chamber thus far shows he's out of his depth. Next May we will treated to a gaggle of Reform candidates who are equally clueless looking to spend tens of millions of taxpayers' money if they take control. Maybe if they tried researching some useful info before standing, then we all might be spared disaster. Perhaps, they might even attend some council meetings first.
pete
2025-12-15 10:02:56
Any person who becomes a councillor deserves to be congratulated, many attempt it but do not succeed. In Mr Jago's case I am not surprised he seems out of his depth, he is on his own amongst 32 other councillors who mostly, I suspect, have little regard for Reform. His museum comment was a disappointment, I thought he lived in the ward in which case he would have voted in the Museum. He made some descent comments such as about improving things locally for youngsters. I wonder how many other people in the town have also never been to the museum. Possibly the same % as those who never bother to vote perhaps.. I think Reform winning the council could be a disaster for the town (but I also think that of labour). But how do we get change if indeed Reform would bring change, unless new parties are given a chance. And is change going to be better, Brexit doesn't seem to show that it has to be.
Seamus
2025-12-15 11:51:39
David "One would expect someone who wants to be a councillor to have a modicum of knowledge about the services it provides before standing for election." I've just bought beer and quality street for my binmen and yet I've never been to the beer factory or the chocolate factory, should I withdraw that spending till I have visited them? I am reminded of our government and particularly our mp who has visited pensioners, farmers and waspi women and yet he has shafted everyone of them. Experience is no guarranty of quality.
Eddie
2025-12-15 19:57:16
Talks cheap. So let's get a boxing club , good idea getting youngsters to punch one another in the face. My God he is well out of his depth.
Gary Abbots
2025-12-15 23:25:04
If reform are the alternative then why are they all ex-Tory?
peter henegan
2025-12-16 19:54:44
Eddie, he might be out of his depth but at least he is giving it a go. And how else do you learn if it is not starting at the bottom, the sad thing for me is how parties like Harlow Alliance (now Harlow Residents Alliance) fail to get elected despite their local knowledge and affinity with the town because voters tick the same old boxes.
Eddie
2025-12-17 14:04:56
I agree with you Peter Henegan when it comes to the Harlow Residents Alliance . I don't know Nick Taylor personally but he seems to.put a lot of time into the party. But I have my doubts about reform , just look who's leading them and his politics. So I image Paul Jago agrees with them
Phil
2025-12-17 19:09:47
@David in response to your statement 2025-12-15 03:00:27, I find it ironic that you complain about a new councillor, somebody that has actually taken the time to stand when your precious Labour government had no plan when they came to power, even after 11 years in power. Worse still, they're still without a plan since July 2024. How do you not see the double standards in your statement?!
Scott H
2025-12-17 22:47:20
Well done Paul, speaks from the heart not a manifesto and is working hard to repay the trust of his voters and to show those who didn’t, that he’ll work for them just as hard. Compared with the listless, useless Labour Party of Harlow and chest-thumping, self congratulatory Tories turning the town to gridlock and rubble, it’s high time voters had a powerful alternative and clearly that is Reform.
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