Julia Lopez MP Re-selected for Hornchurch and Upminster 2026

Key Points

• Julia Lopez MP has been unanimously chosen by the local party members to be the representative of the Conservatives in the Hornchurch and Upminster constituency.
• The selection took place at the Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the local Conservative Association that was held at Upminster Windmill.
• Some of the key successes of Lopez during her term since 2017 include winning the £17 million St George’s Health Hub project and £57 million for Gallows Corner repairs.
• Campaign issues in the constituency are still focused on stopping the closure of the Hornchurch Police Station, avoiding the use of local housing for illegal immigrants, and opposing TfL (Transport for London).
• The chairman of the Hornchurch and Upminster Conservatives Adam Baker supported Julia Lopez, mentioning her local success and the general goals of the party concerning business rates abolition and taxes reduction.

Hornchurch (East London Times) September 2, 2026 – Julia Lopez MP has been formally re-selected as the Conservative parliamentary candidate for Hornchurch and Upminster, ensuring she will contest the constituency she has represented since her initial election in 2017. The re-selection was confirmed during the local Conservative Association’s Annual General Meeting, which was hosted at the historic Upminster Windmill.

Why was Julia Lopez MP re-selected for Hornchurch and Upminster?

The decision by the local Conservative Association to re-select Julia Lopez reflects strong internal support for her parliamentary and constituency record over the past nine years. Since securing the seat in 2017, Lopez has been involved in several high-profile local infrastructure and public service campaigns across the London Borough of Havering.

Addressing party members following the vote, Julia Lopez expressed her gratitude for the continued backing from the local party membership:

“It was a tremendous honour to be re-selected as the Conservative candidate for Hornchurch & Upminster at our Association’s AGM, held in the beautiful setting of Upminster Windmill,” Lopez stated.

“I am grateful to local members for placing their trust in me once again, and to everyone who has campaigned, contributed and organised events over the past year. Our local Conservative family is a welcoming and committed team, united by a determination to secure the best for the community we serve.”

Lopez further noted her commitment to future constituency work:

“I am proud of what we have achieved together since 2017 but there is always much more to do. I will continue working hard for residents, standing up for our town centres and championing the aspirational values, enterprise, pride in nation and community spirit that make Hornchurch & Upminster constituency such a special place.”

What key achievements were highlighted during the re-selection?

During her tenure as Member of Parliament, Lopez has campaigned on healthcare infrastructure, community policing, housing policies, and transport links within Havering.

Among the principal developments cited during the re-selection process was the delivery of the £17 million St George’s Health Hub. The facility was established to provide integrated health and social care services locally, currently delivering over 30,000 additional patient appointments annually.

In relation to public safety and policing, campaign efforts have focused on halting the proposed sale of Hornchurch Police Station by the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan. The ongoing campaign aims to retain local policing bases while supporting the deployment of 254 additional police officers across Havering.

On local housing and border policies, documentation provided by the local association highlighted measures taken to ensure that no illegal immigrants are housed within local hotel infrastructure, including the Palm Hotel, or elsewhere within the Hornchurch and Upminster constituency boundaries.

Regarding local transport infrastructure, funding of £57 million was secured for structural repairs and safety improvements at the Gallows Corner complex. Lopez has also maintained a public position demanding transparency and financial compensation from Transport for London (TfL) regarding operational disruptions affecting local commuters.

How did the local Conservative Association respond to the decision?

Adam Baker, Chairman of the Hornchurch and Upminster Conservatives, delivered a strong endorsement of Lopez, emphasizing her work rate in comparison to regional political peers.

“We are delighted to have Julia Lopez as our candidate and MP,” Baker stated.

“She has achieved more than other MPs have in the borough and in half of the time!”

Baker also outlined the overarching platform that local Conservatives intend to champion alongside Lopez, focusing on commercial support, property taxation, energy costs, and public order:

“We are united in bringing about a strong Conservative Plan for Britain,”

Baker explained. He detailed key economic and legislative pledges, including:

• Business Rates: The proposed abolition of business rates for hospitality, retail, and leisure sectors, which party officials estimate would impact over 300 local businesses in Hornchurch and Upminster.
• Property Taxation: Plans to scrap Stamp Duty, calculated to provide an average saving of £7,250 for home purchasers in the constituency.
• Energy Policy: Implementation of a ‘Cheap Power Plan’ designed to cut household costs by £200 through the removal of the Carbon Tax, green subsidies, and VAT—a measure local figures estimate could save Havering residents £54 million annually.
• Border Control and Legal Frameworks: Proposals under the ‘BORDERS’ initiative aimed at ending channel crossings, leaving the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR), and deporting foreign national offenders.
• Law and Order: Strengthening law enforcement with 10,000 additional police officers nationwide, expanding stop-and-search powers, and bolstering neighborhood policing units.
• Economic Governance: Reducing administrative regulation, supporting domestic manufacturing, and maintaining a strict economic rule committing half of all identified efficiency savings toward national deficit reduction.

“This is all possible with our golden economic rule which commits to half of all the billions of pounds in savings found to reduce Labour’s deficit,”

Baker added.

“Together, the Conservatives will get Britain working again, and we hope Julia will be leading on that.”

Background of the development

Julia Lopez was first elected to the House of Commons as the Member of Parliament for Hornchurch and Upminster at the 2017 General Election, succeeding Dame Angela Watkinson. The constituency, situated in the outer eastern section of Greater London within the Royal Borough of Havering, has historically been a robust seat for the Conservative Party.

Throughout her parliamentary career, Lopez has held various government positions, including roles as Parliamentary Secretary to the Cabinet Office and Minister of State at the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) and the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT). Her local tenure has been heavily characterized by debates surrounding suburban outer-London infrastructure, outer-borough policing allocations, and resistance to the expansion of London-wide motoring schemes such as the Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) into Havering. Her formal re-selection establishes her as the candidate to lead the local Conservative organization into the next electoral cycle.

Prediction: How this development can affect local residents and business owners

The re-selection of Julia Lopez MP guarantees policy continuity for the residents and business community of Hornchurch and Upminster.

For local taxpayers and business proprietors, her continued candidacies maintain pressure on regional authorities regarding business rates and infrastructure funding. If the proposed commercial policies—such as the complete abolition of business rates for retail and leisure enterprises—are advanced nationally, more than 300 local high-street businesses across Hornchurch, Upminster, and Harold Wood could see significant reductions in overhead costs.

For local homeowners and commuters, Lopez’s sustained focus on Gallows Corner guarantees that transport infrastructure will remain a prominent issue on the local political agenda. Furthermore, her established opposition to Mayor of London initiatives and her campaign to protect Hornchurch Police Station ensure that local policing allocation, public transport performance, and suburban infrastructure autonomy will remain central themes in local policy debates affecting the broader Havering population.