Claim e08a59d4Checked 21 Jul 2026
TrueOn the truth scale
“Havering is the first Reform UK London borough.”
—Andrew RosindellReform UKReform / Romford·Engagements·03 Jun 2026Factual · official legal institutional
Reasoning & Evidence21 Jul 2026
The claim that "Havering is the first Reform UK London borough" is clearly and consistently confirmed by multiple authoritative sources.
In the May 7, 2026 London local elections, Reform UK won 39 out of 55 seats on Havering Council, achieving a majority and taking control of the borough. This was widely reported as the first time Reform UK had ever won control of a London council. The borough was previously under no overall control (with an HRA/Labour coalition).
Multiple sources confirm this was a first for Reform UK in London:
- The Standard (Evening Standard) stated: "Reform UK has achieved a historic breakthrough, seizing control of a London council for the first time ever."
- BBC News confirmed: "Reform UK won the election on 7 May 2026 and took control of Havering council."
- OnLondon reported: "Reform UK has won its first and only London council."
- Wikipedia's 2026 London local elections page shows Havering as the sole borough under Reform control.
- Local Government Chronicle reported: "Reform has gained its first London borough, Havering."
The claim is accurate. No important qualification is missing — Havering is indeed the first London borough to be controlled by Reform UK.
Sources:
- BBC News, "Havering: Find out which party won in the local elections 2026" — https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/ce3dy9l5vzgo
- The Standard, "London local elections: What are the results in Havering?" — https://www.standard.co.uk/news/london/london-local-election-results-havering-b1281552.html
- OnLondon, "London Borough Elections 2026: The Results" — https://www.onlondon.co.uk/london-borough-elections-2026-the-results/
- Wikipedia, "2026 London local elections" — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_London_local_elections
- Your Thurrock, "Reform wins first ever London council as it takes control of Havering" — https://www.yourthurrock.com/2026/05/10/reform-wins-first-ever-london-council-as-it-takes-control-of-havering/
- Local Government Chronicle, "Local elections 2026: Sweeping Reform gains, deep Labour losses" — https://www.lgcplus.com/politics/governance-and-structure/live-blog-local-election-results-2026-08-05-2026/
From speech
Q7. I wonder if the Prime Minister has had the chance to study the election results in Havering: zero Labour councillors were elected in Romford, zero Conservative councillors were elected across Havering for the first time since 1964 and it is the first Reform UK London borough. That shows people’s disillusionment with the political establishment. In his final days as Prime Minister, can he do something for the people of Romford and give us the accident and emergency unit at Queen’s hospital that the right hon. Member for Ilford North (Wes Streeting) said he would deliver, but failed to do?
Sources opened
| [1] | havering.gov.uk |
| [2] | standard.co.uk |
| [3] | bbc.co.uk |
| [4] | bbc.com |
| [5] | electionresults.uk |
| [6] | uk.news.yahoo.com |
| [7] | onlondon.co.uk |
| [8] | yourthurrock.com |
| [9] | en.wikipedia.org |
| [10] | lgcplus.com |