Chair of Harlow Reform reflects on very disappointing evening for party
Politics / Fri 8th May 2026 at 08:20am
THE chair of Harlow Reform UK was in sombre mood after a very disappointing night.
They had high expectations but left empty handed.
They not only failed to win all eleven district council wards but also all five county council wards.
We interviewed Scott Helgey at the end of the evening.
David Forman
2026-05-08 08:27:47
The man with no plan reaps his own whirlwind. A reference to Hosea 8:7 for the "Britain is a Christian country" loving Reformers.
Val
2026-05-08 08:44:20
It was pointed out on numerous occasions on YH that Harlow Reform had no concrete plans locally. Scott H arrogantly assumed that people would just buy the national Reform message on matters over which local councils had no control and that Reform would be miraculously swept to power here on the gust of opinion polls. Life rarely plays out so neatly; he met a well-drilled opponent with an enviable track record. People were far more astute and perceptive than he assumed. They could see real m vision and delivery in action and were not willing to risk jeopardising progress with a set of amateurs, learning on the job, as Scott basically confesses in this interview. As for post election introspection, perhaps Scott should start with himself and reflect seriously as to whether he has the qualities and attributes to be a leader.
David Forman
2026-05-08 09:02:35
I must remember to say a prayer for mother who gave me a good Catholic upbringing, as it brings with it a wealth of sayings for every occasion.
Mr George
2026-05-08 09:14:52
I got bored a few seconds in, when heard project fear. God, take responsibility of your own campaign, type of person you had standing for election and how little you promised to do for the people in Harlow. Stop blaming other people for your own ineptness, it just makes you look even more incompetent.
Julia
2026-05-08 09:20:24
Reform offered nothing of substance and Labour nothing at all. The best choice was made and the local Conservatives received over 56% of the votes. An amazing but well deserved result bucking all the national trends and inflicting crushing defeats on both Reform and Labour. The electorate has cast its verdict clearly.
Edward
2026-05-08 09:31:37
Scott really needs to consider his position. This result is a disaster for Reform when they are making headway across the country, but in Harlow were completely crushed. The embarrassment must be even greater given that they brought their national leader Nigel Farage to Harlow at the height of the campaign, no doubt with Scott bragging as to how they were poised to win all 11 wards only to be completely trounced by the Dan Swords team. Reform in Harlow must stick out like the proverbial sore thumb in Reform circles.
Chloe
2026-05-08 09:47:55
HAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH
anti Reformer
2026-05-08 10:07:00
Disappointing for him but not so much for those of us who aren't keen on Reform or their dangerous politics, the fact that they lost here proves this point precisely and quite frankly I'm glad of it even though it would've been a lot better if labour had got in but that's a whole other argument. what we can do now however is to remove those divisive, tatty and abominable flags that have been making this area a dump for the last 6 or 7 months they are not wanted by the majority of people nor is their presence appreciated end of!
Mike
2026-05-08 10:47:47
Oh Dear. What a Shame. Never mind!
Boris
2026-05-08 13:06:18
On one level he should be disappointed, in Mark Hall, where we have the only reform councillor, Mark Gough polled fewer votes than Paul Jago did last summer despite turnout being almost 50% higher. But Reform present themselves as the party for change, he should be pleased that Harlow voters see that change is already happening. He should appreciate that politics is a long game, Reform have done massively well, I am pleased about this. I am not a supporter but it will open them up to greater scrutiny, enable them to learn, and for voters to find out if they are in it for the long run. Of course, they may prove to be a fashion party, popular for a short time. Labour and Conservatives my step up to the table and remove the need for the likes of reform
Frank
2026-05-08 13:16:11
Wrong place, wrong time for Reform in Harlow, Dan Swords is Harlow and impossible to defeat on his history. It’s a shame because he does need holding to account (how much was the odeon cinema?) Reform Harlow were lazy and took Mr Farage,s popularity for granted, now Harlow have no opposition
Eileen Dover
2026-05-08 14:19:29
Fancy bringing your leader to a town to emphasise your perceived ‘popularity’. Sure, you’ve now done well in the whole of Essex, more fool those people. But don’t underestimate the people of Harlow, especially if you bring nothing to the table.
Maureen
2026-05-08 14:28:18
Just as Harlow is the standout national result for the beleaguered Conservative Party so is Harlow the biggest national disaster for Reform in an otherwise triumphant night. This is even more pronounced given that Reform won control of Essex Council. This must be a major embarrassment for Scott Hegley who led them to complete failure not winning a single ward.
Great Scott
2026-05-08 14:47:46
🎺 wa wa wa waaahhhhhhh
Carolyn
2026-05-08 21:29:42
Reform were buried. Their local leadership was shambolic. Scott Hegley is a clown and no match for Dan Swords, who wiped the floor with him.
Tom
2026-05-08 23:04:12
Reform got what they deserved. In Harlow, we don’t play National politics, we keep it local.
Jennifer Steadman
2026-05-09 07:23:17
It is shocking and disgusting that supporters of Reform UK in Harlow demonstrated an increasingly aggressive attitude toward the Harlow Green Party campaigners. Political debate is healthy, but hostility, personal attacks and threats by supporters to actually beat up one of my candidates is not!! Some also suggested that we were not to be trusted around children! It is worth noting here that the majority of the online aggression came via 'faceless' fake accounts, so confident in their comments and threats, but not brave enough to reveal their true identities. I believe the term is a 'bot'. This kind of violent opposition is not welcome in Harlow! We have never experienced any kind of aminosity during previous elections from Labour, Conservative, Lib Dems, or the Alliance Party where Reform were not fielding candidates! The Harlow Reform leader himself tried unsuccessfully to discredit the hard work performed in Mark Hall by our candidate Julie Taylor when the evidence from the residents claimed that Julie was the only person who genuinely took an active interest in their plight. Intimidation and verbal abuse only damage community trust and discourage open honest discussion. People in Harlow deserve respectful conversations about local issues which is evident by the relationship the Harlow Greens have always maintained between both Labour and the Conservative party. Disagreeing on policies is part of democracy; treating opponents with basic respect should be too!
Kay F
2026-05-09 07:53:41
YourHalrow is a toxic environment. And it appears to be by design to drive up engagement/clicks as there does not appear to be any moderation. I will be voting Green at the next election. Sadly this one was about keeping Reform out and the regeneration momentum going.
Julie Taylor
2026-05-09 07:54:59
I’ve got a few points about your leadership and conduct, Scott. You’ve said yourself that you’re relatively new, so why did you believe you could simply walk in and take control of a major regeneration project that's been years in the making with such confidence? Regeneration requires trust, local understanding, and long-term commitment, not arrogance. You also criticised others for “carpet bombing” residents with leaflets, a strange phrase in itself, while your own campaign delivered an extraordinary volume of literature across the area, some telling us our council is broken when it is anything but. And when it comes to “Project Fear”, let’s not forget your central party’s announcement on detention centres, is this not a deliberate attempt to alarm and manipulate voters? I hope you are genuinely reflecting on your decisions. Your refusal to properly address concerns around Eileen McManus and Shirley McGee was a serious mistake. Even if you chose not to withdraw their candidacies, the very least you could have done was apologise or ask them to issue a clear public statement. Instead, you dismissed the matter as “historical” despite it being as recent as 2025. And finally, it’s worth remembering that you don’t even live here.
Tom Compton
2026-05-09 11:15:43
Reform were trounced. Looking at the national results, Harlow was a disaster for them. Poor campaign, lack of experience and incompetent. Harlow Conservatives ran a great campaign, but more importantly, their campaign was factual as they have successful examples to use that highlight their progress as a local council looking after our town. Labour are a disgrace as they were lazy and did not even try.
Carolyn
2026-05-09 20:58:21
If Reform want to gain a foothold in Harlow, they need a new leader locally and better calibre candidates who have some credibility. Their local image is poor and ineffectual. They are no match for Dan Swords and his team.
😊👍🏼👍🏼
2026-05-11 14:14:51
Well done Reform in taking control of Essex County Council.
Curtis Brawley
2026-05-11 20:41:49
The leader’s (Hegley) missus was a witness at Barrymore’s when Lubbock died. That didn’t come up in the campaign.
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