The 2026 council and mayoral elections are fast approaching, and voters in Havering will soon be heading to the polls on 7 May.
But who can you vote for, what’s at stake and what’s going on in the area?
Here is our guide to everything you need to know ahead of polling day…
Where is Havering?
Havering is an outer borough in east London, bordering Bexley, Barking and Dagenham, Redbridge, and the county Essex.
It is the third-largest borough in London at 43 square miles and contains 20 electoral wards, represented by 55 councillors.
What happened in the last election?
Havering has historically been a council not under control of any one party, with 10 out of 16 local elections since 1964 leaving the council fragmented.
No single party won a majority in the 2022 local elections, with the Conservatives and the Havering Residents’ Association winning the same number of seats.
- Conservatives: 23 (-3)
- Havering Residents’ Association: 23 (+1)
- Labour: 9 (+4)
Three Conservative councillors have defected to Reform UK since 2022, as did Romford MP Andrew Rosindell.
What are the local issues?
Incoming council members will face a difficult financial situation.
Despite implementing more than £40million in savings in the past four years, the council has a projected £77million budget gap for 2026/27 and has filed for Exceptional Financial Support.
Plans for an East Havering Data Centre, which would be the largest data centre in Europe, have also caused local controversy.
Residents are concerned about the project, which will be built on 99 acres – equivalent to roughly 214 football pitches – of Green Belt land.
Project developer Digital Reef has applied for a Local Development Order, which if adopted would mean the development would not have to go through a formal planning process.
However, the council estimates the centre could bring more than 1,000 new jobs to the area.
Council leader Ray Morgon, who was the first non-Conservative leader of Havering Council for over 20 years, told the BBC he would not “shy away from supporting a beneficial scheme.”
Who are the ones to watch?
Reform UK is predicted to win control in Havering by a new YouGov poll shared with POLITICO, which also expects many wins by Reform and the Green Party across the country.
Nigel Farage, Reform’s leader, visited the borough alongside Rosindell, making it clear that Reform are directly targeting Havering.
The party is campaigning on a pledge to take Havering out of Greater London and into Essex.
Other London boroughs predicted to come under Reform control are Bromley and Havering’s neighbouring borough, Barking and Dagenham.
A full list of candidates standing in the election can be found on Havering Council’s website.
Interesting facts about Havering
With a population of 262,000, the borough of Havering has seen larger than average population growth, according to the ONS.
From 2011 to 2021, Havering’s population increased by 10.6% from 237,200 to 262,000.
The average overall increase for England is only 6.6%.
Feature image: Havering Council
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