Havering Greens Contest All 55 Seats in May 2026 Elections

Key Points

• Havering Green Party has launched its “Change for the Better” campaign ahead of the May 7th 2026 local elections, committing to field candidates in every one of the borough’s 55 council seats.
• Party Chair Mark Whiley stated that residents are ready for a change from the Conservatives and Labour, highlighting a team with experience in business, tech, finance, healthcare, education, and community work.
• The campaign’s three key focuses are: driving local growth and council efficiency; making Havering cleaner and greener; and keeping power locally.
• Under “Drive local growth and council efficiency”: help local firms and providers bid for council work to create jobs and boost business rates; monitor outsourced contracts for value; use technology to cut waste while protecting frontline services and accessibility.
• Under “Cleaner and greener Havering”: safeguard Green Belt via Local Plan reform and reject inappropriate planning tools like Local Development Orders; protect allotments; introduce free seasonal bulky waste collection modelled on Basildon’s ‘The Crunch’; enforce against idling cars, illegal parking, and fly-tipping; restore tree cover to 2018 levels; review Biodiversity, Active Travel, and Air Quality plans.
• Under “Keep power locally”: oppose Reform’s plan for government commissioners by not passing budgets; reinstate public petitions and questions at council meetings; hold ward surgeries.
• Mark Whiley added: “Our credible and wide-ranging agenda is at its core about improving quality of life in Havering, social responsibility, and protecting the environment.”
• Greens attribute Havering’s financial pressures to 14 years of central government cuts and unreformed social care funding and local government settlement formulas.
• Whiley criticised the “political establishment” for a “hostile takeover of Reform,” noting the former Reform Romford Chair’s expulsion, and contrasted it with Greens’ pride in keeping power local for stability and better change.
• Full list of candidates across all 20 wards: Beam Park – Lois Doo, Tito Mogaji; Cranham – Ben Hollis, Peter Caton, Sarah Haider; Elm Park – Gheorghe Zugravu, Kim Arrowsmith, Sami Rahman; Emerson Park – Ghazala Ansari, Linda Pollard; Gooshays – Alexander Short, Daljit Jutla, Marissa Jewell; Hacton – Ajay Rayaprolu, Graham Hayfield; Harold Wood – Anish Kotari, Christopher Silverwood, Marion Sanders; Havering-atte-Bower – AJ Reid, Katy Bradbury, Kurt Bowers; Heaton – Aziz Mogaji, Callum Lewis, Carole Beth; Hylands and Harrow Lodge – Erin Bush, Erin Hickman, Sami Khan; Marshalls and Rise Park – Christopher Strange, Rustam Wahab, Tope Olawoyin; Mawneys – Daniel Nichols, Manon Delaune, Mubasher Khan; Rainham and Wennington – Erin Mansfield, Hamza Anwar, Mark Yetton; Rush Green and Crowlands – Angelina Leatherbarrow, Beth Winslow, Kelly-Louise Edwards; South Hornchurch – Henry Mcaneny, Ruth Kettle-Frisby; Squirrels Heath – Madhu Devershetty, Mark Whiley, Richard Killip; St. Albans – Eugene McCarthy, Laurence Solkin; St. Andrews – Felix Katzenmeier, Keira Gomez, Tia Lancaster; St. Edwards – Alexandra Betkowska, Kieron Thomson-Turnage, Scott Donovan; Upminster – Noel Richardson, Riley Rogers, Rowan Elworthy.
• Elections on May 7th 2026 will see all 55 seats contested; wider platform on havering.greenparty.org.uk.

Havering (East London Times) February 24, 2026 – Havering Green Party has launched its “Change for the Better” campaign for the May 7th local elections, pledging to contest every one of the borough’s 55 council seats with candidates boasting strong local knowledge and diverse professional experience.

As reported in The Havering Daily, party chair Mark Whiley declared:

“People are telling us that they’re ready to make a change from the Conservatives and Labour”.

He emphasised:

“That’s why we’ve built a team of Greens with real-world experience across business, tech, finance, healthcare, education and community work to give people a real choice at the next election.”

The campaign centres on three pillar policies: driving local growth and efficiency, enhancing environmental protections, and ensuring local control over decisions, amid Havering’s ongoing financial strains from years of government austerity.

What is the Havering Green Party’s “Change for the Better” Campaign?

The “Change for the Better” initiative, as detailed by The Havering Daily, positions the Greens as a viable alternative in a borough facing political uncertainty. It promises candidates in all wards, drawing on their purported expertise to address resident concerns.

Mark Whiley, in statements reported by The Havering Daily, underscored the campaign’s aim to improve quality of life, social responsibility, and environmental safeguards. The full platform is accessible via the party’s website at havering.greenparty.org.uk, where residents can explore detailed proposals.

This launch comes as Havering braces for what local media describe as its most unpredictable election yet, with all seats up for grabs on May 7th 2026.

Why Are Residents Seeking Change from Conservatives and Labour?

According to Mark Whiley, as quoted in The Havering Daily, “People are telling us that they’re ready to make a change from the Conservatives and Labour”. He positions the Greens as offering “a real choice” through candidates’ broad experiences.

The party blames 14 years of central government cuts, alongside failures to reform social care funding and local government settlements, for Havering’s financial woes. Whiley stated:

“Those who put us in that position, the political establishment, just completed their hostile takeover of Reform. The former Reform Romford Chair has been thrown out. They advocate for further decline and handing power to government commissioners. In contrast, we have a lot of pride in this borough and want it to stay in local hands. Greens will provide stability and an option of change for the better.”

This narrative frames the Greens as stabilising force against perceived establishment failures.

How Will Greens Drive Local Growth and Council Efficiency?

The first policy pillar, as outlined in The Havering Daily, focuses on economic and operational improvements. Specific pledges include helping local firms, educational, and healthcare providers bid for council contracts to create jobs, boost trade, shorten travel distances for contractors, and raise business rates income.

Further commitments involve tightly monitoring outsourced contracts for value and results, and deploying technology to eliminate waste—while safeguarding frontline services and access for those less tech-savvy. These measures aim to foster efficiency without compromising service delivery.

Mark Whiley described the agenda as “credible and wide-ranging,” centred on quality of life enhancements.

What Plans Do Greens Have for a Cleaner and Greener Havering?

Environmental priorities form the second pillar, reported extensively by The Havering Daily. The party vows to safeguard the Green Belt by reforming the Local Plan and rejecting tools like Local Development Orders for inappropriate uses.

Other initiatives: urgent action to secure allotments’ future; a free, fixed-date seasonal bulky waste collection inspired by Basildon’s ‘The Crunch’ to cut costs and fly-tipping; stricter enforcement on idling cars, illegal parking, and fly-tipping; partnering to restore tree cover to 2018 levels; and reviewing Biodiversity, Active Travel, and Air Quality strategies for improvements.

These proposals respond to local concerns over green spaces, as echoed in broader borough discussions on “grey belt” rebranding risks.

Why Do Greens Want to Keep Power Locally?

The third pillar targets democratic accountability, per The Havering Daily coverage. Greens oppose Reform’s strategy of refusing budgets to invite government commissioners, noting Reform’s chair last year advocated this for cuts and tax hikes, rendering councillors unaccountable. They highlight Reform’s recent “attempt not to borrow,” warning it risks budget failures without wealth-building plans like theirs.

Pledges include reinstating publicly raised petitions and questions at council meetings, plus ward surgeries by elected Green councillors. This contrasts with criticisms of Reform’s approach in local politics coverage.

Who Are the Green Party Candidates Contesting Havering Seats?

Havering Greens have named candidates for all 55 seats across 20 wards, as listed by The Havering Daily.

• Beam Park Ward: Lois Doo, Tito Mogaji
• Cranham Ward: Ben Hollis, Peter Caton, Sarah Haider
• Elm Park Ward: Gheorghe Zugravu, Kim Arrowsmith, Sami Rahman
• Emerson Park Ward: Ghazala Ansari, Linda Pollard
• Gooshays Ward: Alexander Short, Daljit Jutla, Marissa Jewell
• Hacton Ward: Ajay Rayaprolu, Graham Hayfield
• Harold Wood Ward: Anish Kotari, Christopher Silverwood, Marion Sanders
• Havering-atte-Bower Ward: AJ Reid, Katy Bradbury, Kurt Bowers
• Heaton Ward: Aziz Mogaji, Callum Lewis, Carole Beth
• Hylands and Harrow Lodge Ward: Erin Bush, Erin Hickman, Sami Khan
• Marshalls and Rise Park Ward: Christopher Strange, Rustam Wahab, Tope Olawoyin
• Mawneys Ward: Daniel Nichols, Manon Delaune, Mubasher Khan
• Rainham and Wennington Ward: Erin Mansfield, Hamza Anwar, Mark Yetton
• Rush Green and Crowlands Ward: Angelina Leatherbarrow, Beth Winslow, Kelly-Louise Edwards
• South Hornchurch Ward: Henry Mcaneny, Ruth Kettle-Frisby
• Squirrels Heath Ward: Madhu Devershetty, Mark Whiley, Richard Killip
• St. Albans Ward: Eugene McCarthy, Laurence Solkin
• St. Andrews Ward: Felix Katzenmeier, Keira Gomez, Tia Lancaster
• St. Edwards Ward: Alexandra Betkowska, Kieron Thomson-Turnage, Scott Donovan
• Upminster Ward: Noel Richardson, Riley Rogers, Rowan Elworthy

Notable: Mark Whiley stands in Squirrels Heath. The slate emphasises experience and commitment.

When Are the Havering Council Elections and What’s at Stake?

Polling day is Thursday, May 7th 2026, with every seat contested, confirming Wikipedia and local reports. Havering faces a £77 million budget gap for 2026/27 despite recent savings, per council updates noted in The Havering Daily.

This election unfolds amid volatility: Reform gains via defections, HRA library debates, and financial strains, positioning Greens as change agents. Mark Whiley, also Barking, Dagenham & Havering coordinator, has prior electoral successes like second place in Barking by-elections.

Residents can engage via the Green website or local campaigning, including crowdfunding efforts. The contest promises fierce competition in this east London borough.