Andrew Rosindell, the Tory MP for Romford, is advocating for the London borough of Havering to rejoin Essex, citing cultural, historical, and social ties. He argues that Havering, which is primarily suburban, should not be part of Greater London due to its identity and the financial burden it faces. With proposed local government changes likely to force smaller boroughs into larger councils, Rosindell believes now is an opportune time to reassess traditional boundaries, as his constituents identify strongly with Essex rather than London.
We are historically Essex. We are culturally Essex and our social, sporting and commercial connections have always looked towards the county of Essex.
My constituents and I are proud of our Essex identity, which transcends local government or administrative boundaries that are forever changing-as they are again today.
It is also very costly for us to be part of Greater London, as we pay tens of millions of pounds in additional taxes and fees that we wouldn't if we were part of Essex.
With only 260,000 residents, Havering would need to combine with another similarly sized borough to form a big enough authority to stay in London.
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