Harlow Reform “challenge” Tory-run council to change mind over cancelling local election request
News / Fri 16th Jan 2026 at 05:19pm
THE HARLOW branch of Reform UK has challenged the Conservative-run Harlow Council to reverse their request over the cancellations of local elections.
A spokesperson said:
We challenge the basis for Cllr Swords’ Conservative administration’s decision to seek a postponement of the May district elections, which is deplorable and cowardly, for the following reasons:
- It is a cowardly response to consistently high and rising support for Reform UK nationally and locally with Conservative councillors seeking to protect themselves from an electoral threat by cancelling residents’ right to choose the make-up of their council.
- There is no guarantee that the Local Government Reorganisation (LGR) will run to schedule, especially as elections for a new Mayor for Essex, a central part of the LGR reforms, have already been postponed for 2 years. Will he keep seeking to suspend democracy if the schedule slips further?
- Citing the Conservative Council’s chaotic rush to demolish and rebuild everything all-at-once in the town centre is invalid. Cllr Swords would have no basis on which to seek a postponement were it not for LGR reforms, so the notion that his administration is too busy to hold an election is ludicrous.
- The County and several Essex districts, including Epping Forest, are not calling for postponements, so there is no moral case to deny the people of Harlow the opportunity to choose who amongst them should sit in the council chamber as elected councillors.
- LGR is not a necessity, rather an unnecessary Labour Policy, poorly conceived, badly implemented and with almost no public consultation. It serves the Conservatives and Labour as a fig leaf to deny voters their right to choose who runs their town and district.
The Council had an opportunity to be bold and open with the people of Harlow by allowing May’s district elections to proceed, but have chosen to run scared of them, not debating, not consulting, simply cancelling the relevance of voters, the very people who fund the Council through their taxes.
“We demand that the Conservative Council withdraw their request for a postponement and let voters have their say”.
Pete
2026-01-16 19:30:30
I wonder if they will encourage Robert Jenrick (and his co-traitors) to resign as MPs so their constituency members have a chance to be represented by the party they voted for. I wonder also what Reform would have done differently in Harlow, they say they would not have started the renovation of Harlow.
Ted
2026-01-16 19:32:09
Reform run Harlow!! In your dreams.
David
2026-01-16 22:39:40
It's disgusting that local or any elections are banned, just goes to show how scared they are, if there was a general election now reform would win hands down.
Ex Reformer
2026-01-17 00:12:34
How are they planning on challenging them? By giving them jobs?
David Forman
2026-01-17 05:08:46
This is the fourth article on local elections being cancelled by Dan Swords, yet no comment from the Greens. Perhaps today?
Carolyn
2026-01-17 07:53:30
Also nothing from our illustrious MP Chris Vince. One would have thought this might be a matter of some significance to his constituency. Although given his history to date, I imagine before pronouncing he requires clearance from his puppet master, Sir Kier Starmer.
Dan Long
2026-01-17 08:02:05
This proves that the Tories are just as much as a cowardly part has the Labour party. In my opinion, all the councillors who were due to to sta d for replying elections, including you Dan Swords, should not keep there titles and should lose their allowance because they officially have it been re elected. Plus if the Harlow residents are going to keep being denied a democratic right to vote in who we would prefer to represent us here in Harlow then every Harlow residents should stop paying our council tax until we are given the right to vote again. Our council rmtax goes towards the services that we receive and that is a very poor service under this Tory administration Party if Harlow and it was when Labour were the administration of Harlow.
jarrett
2026-01-17 10:42:30
Credit to Swords for at least starting to do something with the town and for that alone i will continue to vote blue in the locals, but come a General Election it will be Reform.
Frank
2026-01-17 11:24:21
OMG, has anyone seen the Reform stand in the Town Centre? What a creepy bunch of losers, not fit to run the kids park run not alone the council
Stephen Archer
2026-01-17 15:11:17
Could someone explain to me the logic of holding elections for a Council which is soon to be abolished?
Joanna Munday
2026-01-17 22:14:47
So scared of democracy all parties and know they will lose to reform or labour
AB
2026-01-18 12:53:55
Elections would be a good idea, if the Reform Ltd company did achieve a majority, a couple of years of their incompetent administration would finish them for good, as will be happening in other parts of the country.
Iain Dracott
2026-01-19 12:44:53
I really hope we can vote in the local elections, it is our democratic right. Whilst I'm not of this Council's persuasion, I would like Dan Swords to finish what he's started in regenerating our Town Centre, he will be judged at the next local election, or is this what he's scared of ? Iain.
Steve Barnes
2026-01-19 16:30:36
Stephen Archer- The logic of ensuring that we get a local election in May 26 is that it will be your last chance (if you are a local Harlow resident) to vote for a local independent who will listen and respect your views instead of being wedded to the central government policies of the current party in power. If the May 26 elections are cancelled there will be no further voting for Harlow residents alone. The current government programme is for the proposed Unitary Authorities to be enacted in early 27 and placed in power from April 28. Who knows who will be your ‘local councillor’ when it all happens? Somebody from Maldon in the East, Saffron Walden in the North or Buckhurst Hill in the South? Cllr Dan Swords doesn’t want the elections in May 26 because he has a very slender majority as far as councillors are concerned and some will need to be re-elected in May to maintain the status quo. Labour are whingeing because if he gets his way they will still be in the minority. The truth is they are both worried about losing seats in May. See current letters from Nicholas Taylor, Harlow Residents Alliance and David Foreman for further information. Also letter from Gary Roberts about lack of consultation with tenants.
Steve Barnes
2026-01-19 16:45:36
Iain Dracott - you’re indeed very right, it is our democratic right to vote. No locally elected councillors have the mandate to remove that right but none the less they will probably have a vote and try to do so, as Essex County Council did last May. Cllr Dan Swords will not be judged at the next ‘local election’ because if he gets his way there will not be one.
Steve Barnes
2026-01-19 16:49:01
David, Apologies for the misspelling of your surname.
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