Andrew Rosindell M.P., Member of Parliament for Romford, has issued a statement ahead of the selection of amendments to the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill.
These amendments, if selected for a vote and subsequently passed would, in the first instance, reestablish the historic boundries of the County of Essex for all ceremonial purposes, and secondly give residents in Havering the powers to decide whether they wish to remain part of the 'Greater London' area.
The statement is as follows:
I am pleased to announce that I have tabled two significant amendments to the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill which, if adopted, will strengthen our local identity and give residents of Romford and the whole of Havering, a greater say over their future.
The first amendment seeks to ensure that the ceremonial county of Essex once again reflects its historic boundaries. For too long, the proud heritage of Essex has been diluted by arbitrary changes that fail to recognise the identity of Romford, Hornchurch, and neighbouring towns, villages, and communities east of the River Lea. This amendment will restore the alignment between ceremonial and historic Essex, preserving the traditions and sense of place that matter so deeply to local people.
The second amendment empowers residents of the ‘London’ Borough of Havering to shape their own destiny. It proposes a referendum on whether Havering should remain under the Greater London Authority or join a Greater Essex Combined County Authority. This decision should rest with local people, not with central planners in Whitehall. Why should we be grouped with Kingston, Barnet, and Croydon when our cultural, economic, and community ties are far stronger with Chelmsford, Brentwood, Basildon, and Southend?
Being tied to the priorities of so-called ‘Greater London’ has resulted in high-density development we do not want, ULEZ expansion we objected to, and the destruction of local public services that we desperately need and that we already pay for! Havering residents are deeply unhappy with the power that ‘City Hall’ and the Mayor of London exercise over us and the hundreds of millions of pounds it costs our borough by being locked into this regional governmental arrangement, imposed on Havering by the Blair government, over twenty-five years ago.
It is time for change and the people of Havering should be given a voice and have the right to decide what is best for our borough.
I promised to bring forward these amendments during the General Election, and the response from residents was overwhelmingly positive.
Just as I promised to bring forward a Bill to guarantee freedom of travel for pensioners on TfL and regional transport services whatever our local and regional government status. Thus, my “Transport for London (Extension of Concessions) Bill” currently before the House, would protect the Freedom Pass and other travel concessions.
I am fulfilling my election pledges with the hope that, if successful, local people will have a real voice in the decisions that shape their identity and future.
Andrew Rosindell M.P., Member of Parliament for Romford
