Interview: Harlow Conservative leader describes election as “most important for a generation”
Elections / Sun 3rd May 2026 at 11:55am
THE leader of the Harlow Conservatives has described the local elections in Harlow as “th most important in a generation.
YH interviewed him on Saturday evening with just a few days before the local elections.
We firstly addressed the issue of their campaign strategy which, to us, seemed more like an election for a directly elected mayor rather than an election over eleven yards.
We all covered regeneration, building Harlow’s future and a number of other issues.
A full list of candidates can be found on our Politics page.
Mike Harlow
2026-05-03 12:11:47
No interviews from the Tory candidates yet. No room for them on Dan's stage? Won't it be confusing when all they see is him but on their ballot paper they see someone else?
Alex
2026-05-03 12:15:03
Mike Harlow. No!!! Anyone can read the name of the local Conservative candidate in each ward. Not everyone is as stupid as you infer.
Adam
2026-05-03 13:08:27
It is but not for why he thinks, we need to utterly destroy, the uni party of conservative, labour and lib dem. Over the last 40 years their unfretted socialism and statism has destroyed the UK time to rebuild anew with the focus on growth, individual freedom and limited government.
Maureen
2026-05-03 15:07:56
Sums up the situation perfectly. The only choice is for those that are doing. Dan Swords local Conservatives. The rest are a waste of time.
Fernanda
2026-05-03 17:01:37
Labour is a spent flush who did nothing in Harlow for decades. Green under Zac Polanski are with the fairies focusing on attacking the police and not terrorists and Reform have no idea as to how run councils or regeneration; look at the disasters in Kent, Worcestershire, Northamptonshire, etc. that they control. It has to be the local Conservatives if Harlow is to progress.
David Forman
2026-05-03 17:34:23
Despite my concerns in a Letter to Editor regarding Conservative councillor Dr Emma Ghaffari, I have to say that Dan Swords leads the only party in Harlow that can successfully deliver the regeneration Harlow so badly needs.
ScottH
2026-05-03 18:18:19
Cllr Swords no doubt means well, but he is inexperienced when it comes to understanding people and the value of collaborative relationships. He evidently resents challenge or even the thought of sharing power, fails to consult and has a casual relationship with the truth at times (Endeavour House, Harlow the biggest regeneration in the U.K, Bus Terminus delays, delay of crucial regen report until after the election, basis for cancelling the May elections, demolition of neighbourhood garage blocks anybody?) The notion that life ceases if there isn’t a Tory majority seems to be the central plank of his plea to voters. Of course he knows that’s nonsense unless he is the one who is planning the “chaos” of which he speaks. We await the decision of Harlow’s voters of course, but the reality could simply be a more representative council and Cllr Swords having to unlearn “Tell” and start to learn “consult, collaborate, cooperate”.
Jonny
2026-05-03 18:49:37
Scott H , forget Dan Swords. What would Reform bring to the table? Very little if anything and judging by the performance of other councils under Reform control, they are a shambles with many Reforrm councillors resigning, being suspended, etc. Even in Harlow, four of your candidates are in question if you look at other threads. What is the point of voting Reform locally when they have no idea how to operate?
ScottH
2026-05-03 18:55:11
Jonny, please don’t subscribe to the ‘born to govern’ myth perpetuated by the Conservatives.Reform candidates combine experience in council, real-world careers and experience and integrity. There’s a learning curve of course but look what 14 years of Tory ‘experience’ did to our country.
Oi
2026-05-03 19:22:30
Mr Df more bull shite
Jonny
2026-05-03 19:47:21
ScottH, with all respect, you have no candidates with experience of project management of the scale of this regeneration. Why change teams when it is going well. Secondly, the track record of Recorm led councils in Kent, Northamptonshire, Nottinghamshire , etc is hardly inspiring. Finally, I noticed in your reply you made no mention of the issues relating several of your local Reform candidates as to their 'integrity' and suitability: See: https://hopenothate.org.uk/2026/05/02/reform-uk-essex-white-supremacist/ Then there is the case of another who sent unsolicited lurid photos of his genitals to a female work colleague and another who was found to have porn on his council computer. These issues are real.
Jonny
2026-05-03 20:50:16
Scott H I still don't get what Reform or Labour for that matter being to the table on Regeneration. The whole course and financing for it were set out and approved in the budget that was unanimously voted for by both Reform and Labour. So it is clear that neither would do anything differently. Then there is the question on the performance of other councils under Reform control; hardly inspiring in Kent, Nottinghamshire, etc with Reform councillors resigning, infighting and suspensions. Finally, you talk of integrity, but big questions hang over your candidates for Old Harlow and Passmores: see - https://hopenothate.org.uk/2026/05/02/reform-uk-essex-white-supremacist/ Then there are cases of your candidate who sent unsolicited photos of his genitalia to a female work colleague and the other one who was found to have porn on his Council laptop. When you talk of integrity, what vetting do you run?
Eli
2026-05-03 22:40:21
Scott. What do you have say about your two candidates in this report? https://hopenothate.org.uk/2026/05/02/reform-uk-essex-white-supremacist/
David Forman
2026-05-03 23:05:20
Oi is clearly a Reform Party supporter. This is the sort of moronic debating skills they will bring to Harlow Council.
Scott H
2026-05-03 23:22:07
Jonny, your pivot on “forget Dan Swords” is worthy of a mention. Is the pivot because we agree on some or all of the points I made? How can we forget him? Dan Swords has made the election about Dan Swords. His face adorns every flyer, highly amusing ‘man of destiny stares into middle distance’ poses and all. He has reduced the rest of his 16 Tories to nameless lackeys who the voters are left to assume play some role. Fundamentally though, you cannot forget the figure who, despite not even fighting his seat, has placed himself at the centre of this May election, all the more ironic given he tried so hard to cancel it! It’s therefore apt to question his real value to the regeneration as how must ballast can he really have? No formal training in project management at this scale, no higher education (and I’m no snob as nor do I), no real world experience running anything else other than Robert Halfon’s office. Let’s face facts. If you needed someone to manage a multimillion £ regeneration project with once in a generation funding you had fought hard to secure, would Dan’s CV leap out at you?
Carolyn
2026-05-04 05:14:03
Hi Scott, Dan Swords is doing a great job, , better than anyone in the past 25-30 years. How about you stop being evasive and tell us about some of your highly dubious candidates as has been asked already. I remember how you ran away and hid a week or so back when you were being chased to set out Reform's local plans ( still never made clear). What have you got to say? Residents have right to know. Aren't the BBC doing a report on this?
Gary Roberts
2026-05-04 06:35:50
Arrogance while nothing is built reminds me of that story that ends in failure. The look at me mentality of Boris Johnson and we know he was style over substance. The leaflet I received from the local Conservatives didn't tell me about the candidate or the policy agenda for the area. A year left before integration of various councils. So will the various projects be completed in the town centre be then? I have my doubts.
Roz
2026-05-04 07:54:00
Scott H, I really don't understand your apparent obsession with Dan Swords and your attempts to put him down. He is a very talented and visionary young man, who is delivering on what Harlow has needed for years. Why would anyone want to change or interfere with this? I still fail to see clearly what Reform, or Labour for that matter is offering that would constitute and improvement or acceleration to the regeneration programme. Sounds more like sour grapes without any measurable substance. I prefer to stick with the local Conservatives for Harlow. It is working.
Barry
2026-05-04 10:26:22
Reform has some very dodgy candidates. Scott H talks of integrity. He has to be joking when you see some of the characters he has put up for election.
ScottH
2026-05-04 12:04:53
Carolyn, we have been crystal clear with our plans, remove your blinkers. I don't know how you care to digest your politics, but I think I'll resist giving chapter and verse on a comments section. As for your other comments baselessly denigrating our candidates, who have the courage to stand up for their communities, yours is rather par for the course from supporters of the Nasty Party, as your own Theresa May once dubbed you.
Nicholas Taylor
2026-05-04 12:25:10
The simple fact is, the most important elections in the history of Harlow will take place in 2027 and 2028 when the town looses it's own political identity, having been submerged within the new West Essex Unitary Authority. I have spoken to many people in recent weeks, I am pleased to say that most clearly know that the work which has already started and those that are tendered for will go ahead whover wins the elections next week because the team of officers at Harlow Council will get on with their work as usual. There will be no chaos, there never has been when there are electoral changes. Cllr Swords tries to disassociate himself from national politics by calling himself a local Conservative but the fact is, he is a member of a national Party which slashed police numbers, starved schools of funds, closed Surestart centres and reduced our armed forces to a laughing stock amongst other things.
Carolyn
2026-05-04 14:14:25
ScottH 'baselessly denigrating' Reform candidates? Have you not seen today's YH post regarding Reform's candidates in Old Harlow and Passmores?
Yvonne
2026-05-04 14:22:30
Nicholas Taylor if as you say that Council officials do everything then why bother have elections and electing Councillors? Surely we just need an appointed politburo to manage everything. Policy and direction is made by Councillors, not officers. Under Kabour officers held sway and councillors were either too ignorant or insolent to actually do anything, which explains why nothing was ever achieved or started. Bureaucrats tend to work in their own interests. This Council under Dan Swords has regained the role of executive authority and alongside competent Cabinet is bringing about change that would be threatened if Reform or Labour got anywhere near control as they would just hand it back to bureaucrats. No. We need the local Conservatives in charge to deliver the programme. Be in no doubt.
Nicholas Taylor
2026-05-04 22:32:03
I agree Yvonne with your comment that policy and direction is made by councillors. What we have now is a Councillor who micro managing the council without, unless I am mistaken. no qualifications in any subject relevant to the running of a council or a team behind him with little experience either, just as you condemn candidates from Reform who have (apparently) little experience. Quallified and experienced officers are there to provide legal advice and the benefit of their experience in taking policy and direction forward.. As for nothing being started by Labour, well I am of course not here to defend them but they did many good things over the years including building new homes. Your view of "bureaucrats" is not one I recognise from my 22 years working for Harlow Council in a senior roll and does a disservice to all those who work hard for Harlow Council on a daily basis. I stand by my comment that there will not be chaos within the Council whatever happens on Thursday.
PJ
2026-05-04 22:50:13
ScottH is arguing online with tit for tat arguments really how we convince people to vote Reform?
Phil
2026-05-05 13:48:49
I think the bigger picture here is that Dan Swords is insisting that all the regeneration will collapse without him at the helm. Who has said that? We're all very aware that there is an enormous amount of money being spent by the current Conservative council. Can anybody explain where this has come from, or how the council intend to pay it back? A bankrupt council will automatically be blamed on whoever has control of the council at the point of discovery, not the point of bankruptcy. It seems to me that Dan Swords et al. are trying their hardest to delay publication of the accounts until after the election, so that they have time to hide the mess prior to the Essex County Uni-party coming into effect. If there is a Reform surge, as is expected, this may force the councils hand into opening the books and proving their workings. I suspect DS and his cronies are terrified at this thought, hence why they tried to prevent this years elections. They were trying to give themselves time to fix the mess they've gotten themselves and, more importantly, us into. There is no other sensible explanation as to why they were so desperate to 'postpone' elections!
staff
2026-05-05 16:15:06
@phil, the money is a part of the towns fund and leveling up fund. widely reported through the early to mid 2020s.
Seamus
2026-05-05 16:29:57
I have concerns. Mostly around these elections are supposed to be about selecting multiple candidates to represent us. However, if this article is to be believed then in a very trump tribute act, we seem to be talking about Dan Swords as the only candidate for the conservatives. Under Dan we have had a lot of pledges and promises but like Trump, Dan doesn’t like to be held accountable and is very thin skinned. Occasio house, lower meadow homeless pods, burnt mill flats are a few points where Dan doesn’t like being asked reasonable questions. My concern is, if a person votes for a conservative candidate, that area will get NO representation because nothing happens in Tory land unless Dan allows it. So why vote for the tories to represent you if all you get is Dan ?
James
2026-05-06 10:27:37
Dan Swords is not regenerating Harlow he is not improving our homes, streets, parks or roads. All I see is expansion and high rises. So called affordable houses, but no council houses. Green spaces being lost to concrete. Our town used to known as a green oasis just outside London, a New Town away from the concrete jungle, a place where my parents came to live and bring up their children and a safe place to live. Dan is turning my parent's dream home into the very same CONCRETE jungle they escaped from back then.
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