REFORM UK Harlow has launched its May local election campaign. The launch took place outside the council offices in The Water Gardens in the town centre.

A spokesperson said: “We chose today (12^th April) to launch our campaign being 420 years to the day that James I formally designated the union flag as our country’s national symbol. The flag has gone through a couple of changes since then, but nothing compared to the changes our great nation has suffered at the hands of the political class.

Our economy is on its knees, our communities divided by massive and uncontrolled immigration, the cost of living is through the roof, taxation is at record highs and our children are subject to wokery in its many insidious forms. If only the list ended there. 

So as ordinary people we are amongst those standing up to the political classes, most notably the Conservative and Labour parties and saying: “enough is enough!”. They claim their “experience” is needed, while our experience of them is terrible as they let us down time and time again. Their offer to us is quite simply ‘more of the same’…more tax, more high energy costs, more immigration, more blame-shifting and excuses.

So, this May we are standing in every seat to offer the people of Harlow a choice between those offering ‘more of the same’ and an energetic and determined alternative, Reform UK.

We want to see the redevelopment of our town centre cater more to families as you might see in equivalent towns around us as opposed to just more flats, less parking and repeating past errors with Stone Cross (the market square) for example.

“We want to work with other parties who will work with us for the good of our town. It’s in nobody’s interests to wreck much of the work that has been done, but we know we can improve on it and that such huge decisions cannot be left in the hands of one individual who’s stated ambition is a parliamentary career.

We want to see our housing stock properly protected for those in genuine need. With over 9,500 rented properties, we cannot carry on with only one member of council staff tasked with investigating fraud and abuse.

We want to look again at the hundreds of HMOs across our town that house thousands, particularly those HMOs that act as a blight on the lives of their neighbours.

Only we will be able to work closely with a prospective Reform-led County Council with its responsibility for our roads, underpasses, street-lighting etc. The Conservative-led council is asleep at the wheel on our local roads with increasing gridlock and traffic chokepoints affecting travel and the air we breathe.

We want to fix our roads, fill the potholes and look again at the mostly empty bus lanes to get our town flowing again.

“We love our town and there’s much to celebrate, but also much to do. We want Harlow not only to be somewhere we want to live, raise our kids and to grow old in, but also a place people want to visit as an example of a successful town with a council that truly serves its residents, and not itself. Harlow, vote Reform UK on May 7th”.