'Forgotten' voters want referendum to leave London: 'We don't want wokey stuff in our borough!'

The outer east London borough of Havering, where Romford serves as the principal town, already appears to be fertile ground for Reform's message as Nigel Farage was met with excited locals.

No single party has managed to secure outright control of the council historically, and financial troubles persist despite the Havering Residents Association taking charge four years ago with Labour's assistance.

The Reform leader has promised an independence referendum on whether the borough should leave Greater London altogether, if Reform takes charge.

Located 14 miles from central London, Romford feels worlds apart from the capital's inner districts.

Residents express deep frustration with worsening local services and claim the Mayor of London has neglected their concerns entirely.

"Sixty years on from the 1965 expansion of London, people here still feel they're part of Essex," Mr Farage observed following his walkabout. "Somehow, Khan becoming the Mayor has exacerbated all of this."

Local traders point to their struggling town centre, noting fewer market stalls and dwindling customer numbers.

They resent substantial payments flowing to City Hall while Metropolitan Police resources concentrate in inner London areas. Romford no longer has its own police station.

Butcher Steve Wickenden, displaying a Reform poster at his stall, offered a blunt assessment: "I don't think anybody likes Sadiq Khan – I don't even think his own family likes him!"

Jen Simmons, visiting from Hornchurch, cited rising crime as her primary concern. "I don't believe that Sadiq Khan is doing anything," she said, adding that she previously supported the Conservatives but is now considering backing Reform.

Immigration has emerged as a significant factor in local discontent, with some residents suggesting the area feels unfamiliar compared to previous decades.

Steve Parsons, seated on South Street, expressed his alienation from the capital, complaining that authorities "bend over backwards" for Muslim communities while ordinary residents feel overlooked.

David Johnson, another former Conservative supporter now backing Reform, identifies more strongly with Essex than London. "If I could quote Mrs Thatcher, there's nothing wrong with immigration – what's wrong is mass immigration," he said, expressing concern that Britain is transforming too rapidly.

Andrew Rosindell, the Romford MP who switched from the Conservatives to Reform in January, stands as the principal advocate for Havering's departure from Greater London.

Born and raised locally, he insists the area's true character remains fundamentally unchanged despite six decades under London governance. "Romford is an Essex market town," he declared. "It has been since medieval times."

He points to numerous ties binding the borough to its historic county: the local football club competes in Essex leagues, residents use Essex postcodes, and the area falls under the Anglian Regiment's traditional territory.

Mr Rosindell argues that substantial sums currently directed to the Mayor could better serve local needs.

He has criticised Sir Sadiq for funding murals bearing "no connection to Romford at all," saying: "The Mayor of London gives grants for all this ‘wokey’ stuff, and we don’t want any of it in our borough."

Despite Mr Rosindell's confidence that demographic changes will not undermine support for separation, others remain sceptical about the campaign's prospects.

Tony Travers, a local government specialist at the London School of Economics, suggests migration from inner London to outer boroughs like Havering has gradually altered their character. "They have become more like London boroughs," he observed.

One trader of Punjabi heritage, who declined to meet Mr Farage, views Reform as divisive. "We're part of Greater London and have been for a long, long time," he said. "I think all they do is stir up trouble."

Council leader Roy Morgon of the Residents' Association emphasised that Romford sits within the M25, warning that departure could cost over-60s their free travel on the Tube and trains.

Prof Travers drew parallels with Brexit: "How do you leave a bloc without losing the advantages? There is a journey to the unknown about this."

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