Dear Editor,

I HAVE lived in Harlow all my life and care deeply about the future of our town. I am not particularly political and have never felt loyal to any one party. I vote according to what aligns best with my values at the time. If we were voting in a General Election this May, I would likely vote for Reform.

To be honest, I am increasingly uncomfortable with the direction our country is taking. I value multiculturalism and welcome people from different backgrounds, but I also believe that those wishing to live in the UK should do so legally and be largely self sufficient, or at the very least not become a long term burden on taxpayers. Other parties may be tackling many issues, but this is the one dominating both media coverage and everyday conversations — and it is the one they are all failing to tackle. 

However, at a local level, I am genuinely concerned at the prospect of Reform winning seats on Harlow Council.

I have searched for information about their local candidates and policies and have struggled to find anything that reassures me they are equipped to run a council. I wish I could say otherwise. From what I can see on Your Harlow articles their Facebook page, their focus appears limited and ill-judged.

For example, they have criticised the regeneration plans for Market Square and made derogatory remarks about the contractors involved. These plans were consulted on some time ago — I know because I responded to the consultation. If Reform intend to change them, what exactly would they change, and how long would this delay a much needed regeneration? There is no clarity.

They also highlight the fact that there is only one council officer dealing with fraud and rental abuse. While important, solving this alone will hardly transform Harlow.

More concerning is their stance on HMOs. They claim these are a “blight” on communities, housing thousands of people. I live near an HMO, and it causes far less noise and rubbish than a small family living behind me (think of Shameless!).

The bigger issue is that housing and homelessness are already among Harlow’s most pressing challenges.

In 2021 we had approximately 320 HMO’s now that number is approximately 270.  Those most affected by the loss of HMOs are local single people and couples on low incomes who simply cannot afford self contained private rentals. People under 35 on benefits are only entitled to the shared accommodation rate, which makes HMOs essential. Closing them may make some neighbours happier, but it will worsen the housing and homelessness crisis. 

Then there is their proposal to open bus lanes to ease congestion. In principle, that may sound appealing — but this is not within the powers of Harlow Council. Any such change would need approval from Essex County Council and Highways. Promising what you cannot deliver is not leadership. Pick your battles.

What frustrates me most is that if Reform genuinely want to improve life for local residents, they are ignoring the issues that are well documented and deeply felt here every day.

Where is the focus on health inequalities, when Harlow’s outcomes are worse than average?
Where is the plan for tackling high levels of antisocial behaviour and crime?
What about population growth continuing to outpace public services?
What about economic inequality, skills shortages, and — surely something that should be mentioned somewhere — Harlow’s consistently higher-than-average unemployment?

These are complex, difficult problems, but they are the real ones. They require serious thought, experience, and evidence based solutions. At present, I see none of that.

I not only fear what they do say – I fear what they are not saying.

Like many residents, I want change — but not change that (highly) risks making things worse.

Name and address withheld