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Times
8 hours ago
- Politics
- Times
‘They'd win if it was tomorrow': on the streets of Reform's London
Few people have their finger on the pulse of London politics like Tony Travers, the London School of Economics policy professor, whose crystal ball is unusually sharp in the capital. 'If there was a general election tomorrow, Reform would win [the seat] by a country mile.' He is talking about Hornchurch and Upminster, a parliamentary constituency within the London Borough of Havering that has for decades been a Conservative stronghold. Its demographics are mirrored around the suburban, outer ring of the capital. On the high streets across Havering the signs of change are everywhere. Shuttered shops, overstretched services and a council wrestling with a £74 million budget shortfall have left many residents disillusioned. For them, the promises of mainstream politics ring hollow — and more and more are looking elsewhere for answers. Enter Reform UK. Local memberships have soared, according to two of the party's East London representatives, to almost 3,000 in the last year. With one Reform member already in the London Assembly, support in the capital is growing. • Reform UK would be largest party if general election held today Debbie Darvey had worked all her life before she suffered two strokes. Now she worries about being able to heat her home in winter. The 67-year-old has never lived anywhere but Harold Hill, near Romford. Of her area she says simply: 'It's like all your childhood memories are slowly disappearing. 'Because they're knocking this down, they're knocking that down, building new things. And it's in a way quite sad.' She has no problems with the current council administration, which is led by the Havering Residents Association ('they're polite and they're putting solar panels on my roof'), but she will be voting Reform in both the next local and general elections. 'I'm not sure what they do but then I think they can't do no worse than what Labour's doing.' Nationally the Conservatives have fallen to fourth place in the polls — behind Reform, the Lib Dems and Labour. Another poll, by Find Out Now in May, found Reform were now ahead of the Tories in the capital too. • A year after landslide, poll makes grim reading for Keir Starmer 'This new London polling is strong for Reform and it's before we even get going,' Nigel Farage said. Last July, Julia Lopez, Hornchurch and Upminster's Conservative MP, had her majority slashed from 23,308 to just under 2,000, with Reform taking second place. The nearby constituencies of Barking, Dagenham and Rainham and Erith and Thamesmead also saw Reform become the second party. The area's political history offers a glimpse into the current mood. In the early 2000s the neighbouring borough of Barking and Dagenham saw a surge of support for the British National Party (BNP), which won 12 council seats. While the BNP's influence quickly collapsed, the sentiment it tapped into — frustration with national politics and concerns about immigration — has lingered in the area. 'Many of my constituents have roots in the East End or Essex, and this seat reflects the character of both,' Lopez said. 'They are deeply patriotic, aspirational and hard-working — people who put family and country before all else.' Gary Mitzi, 60, was a lifelong Conservative voter until he voted Reform UK at the general election and is the personification of the demographic the upstart party is on the road to capturing. 'There's too many lies, people have just had enough now,' Mitzi said. 'I've had enough. 'When I walk around the corner and I hear people talking in their own language I go, 'Are you going to talk English or what, mate?' 'They don't speak English and we are living in England. I want to be out of this country, I don't want to live here. I'll put up with it for another eight years, then I'm moving to Malta.' The borough's population grew by 10.5% between 2011 and 2021, reaching approximately 262,100, outpacing both London (7.7%) and England (6.6%), driven by families moving out of inner-city areas in search of more affordable housing. In April a petition was launched to secure a £35 million investment for Queen's Hospital after the trust saw 'record-breaking' numbers of patients in March. While Havering remains one of the safest boroughs in London, residents also raised concerns about an increase in antisocial behaviour. Does Mitzi think Reform can fix it? 'No,' he said. 'No one's going to do it. But we need change.' The local branch of Reform UK is optimistic about its prospects in Havering's next local elections, held in May of next year. 'We're not parodying national politics,' said Philip Hyde, the chairman of the East London Reform UK branch and a former UKIP councillor — he was dismissed from the party following a 'dispute' with its Havering leader. 'People want to know what's going to affect their lives directly here. 'People are writing to us saying, 'What do I need to do to get involved in politics? They feel that for their children and grandchildren they have to take an interest.' • Reform UK: People like to back winners so we'll do well in Scotland Nick Palmer, Reform UK's candidate for Hornchurch and Upminster who beat Labour last July, said even 'school kids want to get involved'. While it remains to be seen how councils like Kent, Durham and Doncaster will perform — some of the ten councils Reform took control of in May — critics argue that the party's rhetoric far outweighs its capacity to deliver. It certainly faces significant challenges in translating its hopes into actionable policies. Ray Morgon, leader of Havering council since 2022 and head of the HRA, is sceptical of the party's promises. 'Reform are making promises of things they will do as a council which they don't have the power to do,' he says. 'They're playing to what people want to hear. But the reality of running the council is very, very different.' Despite this, the rise of Farage's party in places like Havering, Barking and Dagenham, and Bexley — where Reform got 22 per cent of the vote last July — shows they are 'becoming the main opposition to Labour in many outer London boroughs', according to Travers. Reform could also find success in the London borough council elections in Bromley, bordering Kent, and Sutton, where the majority of voters backed Leave in the referendum. 'Reform's focus is clear,' Travers said. 'They'll target areas with a high Leave vote and where traditional party loyalties are breaking down.'
BBC News
19-06-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Fan with cocaine at Southend United game gets football ban
A man has been given a three-year football banning order after he was caught with cocaine at a Millie, 39, of Kenley Gardens, in Hornchurch, east London, was stopped and searched by security staff at a match at Southend United's Roots Hall stadium on 1 February. A packet of white powder was found in his possession, and he admitted possession of a Class A drug on 13 June at Chelmsford Magistrates Court. He was restricted from accessing matches and was fined £484, plus £85 costs and a £184 new legislation, fans who commit Class A drug offences at matches could be banned from games for up to 10 years and also receive a criminal conviction. Southend was playing Kent-based Sittingbourne FC on 1 February. Millie had been spotted by staff going backwards and forwards to the toilets before he was stopped and searched. Essex Police were then called, and the powder was seized and later confirmed as football officer, Keith Baker, said of the force's first match ban order: "Football is known as the 'beautiful game' with people coming week in and week out to support their local team."We know that consumption of drugs fuels disorder at football matches and we are committed to kicking that type of behaviour out of the grounds in our county."We are committed to ensuring football grounds across Essex are places where you can come and cheer on your team, focusing on the players' performance without worrying about the behaviour of other supporters."The football ban means Millie cannot attend any premises where games are held in the United Kingdom and abroad that are regulated by the Football Spectators Act to the Crown Prosecution Service, every police force should have one or more dedicated football officers (formerly football intelligence officers). Follow Essex news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
The Sun
14-06-2025
- Health
- The Sun
I never thought I'd have to worry about Isobel – then she died at 21 after dismissive doctors said ‘just take ibuprofen'
WHEN Isobel Allen cried to her GP about the pain she was experiencing, the teenager was told not to worry. It would be several appointments later - and eventually, after opting to go private - that Isobel would find out that her painful periods were the first sign of the disease that would lead to her death. 13 13 13 Isobel, of Hornchurch, Essex, was a normal 19-year-old girl who liked to go out with her friends and buy new clothes. She worked as an accounts manager at a recruitment company and her parents say they never worried for her future. Something about Isobel's pain didn't sit right with mum, Sarah, but she tried to believe the doctors. But looking back, Sarah realises how Isobel was "let down". Isobel died on April 2, 2025, aged 21 years old. She was told she had incurable sarcoma cancer six months after first seeing a GP. Sarah, a former hairdresser, tells Sun Health: 'The doctors literally thought she was a teenager making a meal out of nothing. 'But I knew she wasn't, I knew that the pain she was in wasn't normal. 'Isobel felt so strongly - and we do as a family - that medics aren't listening to these youngsters. They're being misdiagnosed time and time again. 'She would scream at the TV when she saw one of those NHS adverts saying ' early diagnosis saves lives '. Because we had to pay privately for her diagnosis." Sarah, who is married to Isobel's dad, Christian Allen, 50, who works in the construction industry, adds: 'I know deep down it isn't our fault, but as parents, there have been times when we've doubted ourselves. But you believe the medical professionals. 'Isobel fought with every bone in her body. At her funeral, her dad said, 'I never thought I'd have to worry about Isabel. She was confident, outgoing, and had everything going for her'. 'And it changed so suddenly.' 13 Isobel started having painful periods and spotting - bleeding inbetween - in November 2022. Sarah says they went to the GP 'a few times' before Isobel was given an ultrasound. 'He said it was fibroids [benign growths in the womb] and she started to cry,' Sarah recalls. 'He said, 'Why are you crying?' And she said, 'I'm worried it could be something serious'. He said, 'No, no, it's just fibroids'. 'So we didn't think anything more of it. I have fibroids, a lot of women do.' But Sarah grew concerned because the pain Isobel was experiencing seemed abnormal, with painkillers barely touching the sides. By February, she was experiencing 'really bad belly pain' - which Sarah says doctors recommended ibuprofen for - and in March, the pain spread to her back and legs. They told us Isobel had cancer and it had spread to quite a few places. It wasn't like how you see it on the TV, when they hold your hand. She was told quickly, without compassion. SarahIsobel's mum Sarah took her to A&E at Queen's Hospital in Romford on two occasions in March which conducted more ultrasounds. 'By now, Isobel could hardly walk, she was hanging on to me to walk, and had been signed off work,' she says. 'The only time she was happy or comfortable was if she was in the bath or laying on the settee. 'She was running baths at three o'clock in the morning. I just knew it wasn't normal. 'I've found out since this that youngsters can sleep through pain and if they can't, it's something really bad. Now that's all adding up.' Isobel was also suffering bloating, loss of appetite, night sweats and fatigue - all red flag signs of cancer. She was referred to The London Independent Hospital and was told by a gynaecologist again that she had a fibroid in the womb. An MRI would have a six month-wait because they were 'prioritising cancer patients'. 'IT SHOULD HAVE NEVER GOT THIS FAR' The family had had enough, forking out £500 for a private MRI scan, in April 2023. Two days later, they were seen by a consultant and Sarah "could tell by her face" that it was bad news. Sarah recalls: 'The consultant said, 'This looks nasty, you should prepare yourselves. She also said it should 'never have got this far'." Isobel was then referred to Queen's, which told her to come in with a night bag. But she ended up having a 40-day hospital stay. On Friday May 12, a diagnosis was given to Isobel with her mum and dad there, following a biopsy. The 'fibroid' turned out to be a tumour on Isobel's womb. Sarah says: 'It wasn't like how you see it on the TV, when they hold your hand. She was told quickly, without compassion. 'They told us Isobel had cancer and it had spread to quite a few places.' Tumours were eventually found in her lungs, hip and kidneys. Isobel was blue-lighted to University College London Hospitals (UCLH) because she was so unwell, and a few days later, on Thursday May 18, the family were hit with another devastating blow. 13 13 The symptoms of sarcoma cancer The most common symptom of soft tissue sarcoma is a lump somewhere on the body. But this doesn't necessarily mean cancer - there are all sorts of reasons for lumps and swellings, but it must always be checked by a GP. The lump is usually found deep under the skin and might be felt before it can be seen. The lump is usually solid to the touch, painless and hard to move around under the skin. It will continue to grow and as it does, it can become painful. Other symptoms depend on where in the body the lump is. These can include: Tummy pain and constipation if there is a sarcoma near the tummy A cough that does not go away if there is a sarcoma near the lungs Source: NHS Sarah says: 'They told us it was incurable, and that they would do everything they could to prolong her life. Which, at the age of 19, is not what you want to hear. 'I didn't leave her side after that. I was just too scared, let down, devastated… just looking at her and crying. We all cried. 'She would say, 'Why me? Why couldn't I have gotten another cancer?' To go through that as a family, it was unbearable.' Sarcoma UK say more than 5,100 people are diagnosed with the disease each year. In a recent study, it was shown to take an average of almost seven weeks to diagnose in children. Sarcoma develops in the body's bones and soft tissues, such as muscles, fat, blood vessels, nerves, tendons, and joint linings. There are more than 100 subtypes, the two main ones being soft tissue and bone. 13 13 13 13 Cancer Research UK says: 'Soft tissue sarcoma incidence is unusual compared with most cancers because a sizeable proportion of cases occur in children and younger adults; however, the highest incidence rates are in older people.' Soft tissue sarcoma has a 45 per cent survival rate for 10 or more years. Devastated by the shocking survival statistics of sarcoma, Isobel knew she had to raise money in the hopes it would contribute to better outcomes for future patients. She raised £13,000 for Sarcoma UK at a charity ball, and her brother brother, Josh Allen, 24, has since ran the London Marathon, raising £27,000. Her friends are fundraising for Race For Life in July. FOUGHT 'TIL THE END Isobel started chemotherapy, but it was a means to extend her time with family, living life as normally as she could between the side effects. She returned to her work, even commuting to London two days a week, and her supportive friends would plan meet-ups around her chemotherapy schedule so she'd have the energy to join them. The nurses always laughed that she'd turn up to her chemotherapy in a new outfit, wig and full face of makeup - until she became too weak. Even when they told us about the tumour on her lung, I was sobbing and she said, 'Come on, mummy, it is what it is'. SarahIsobel's mum Eventually, the family got the news that there was nothing more that could be done. It was Christmas 2024, and they were advised to think about end-of-life care. Sarah says: 'We had some tough conversations with the consultant in January, who said it wasn't looking good. So Isobel knew the time was getting nearer. 'In March, she was struggling to breathe and they took her into hospital to drain fluid from her lungs - but it wasn't fluid, it was a tumour. 'That's when they said we need to get her home and make her comfortable. She wanted to be on the sofa, so we got her bedding down, and we actually all slept in the living room. 'She died the next day, on Wednesday at 10 to 3, at home with her family. "I just didn't realise it would be that quick. 'Isobel had protected us all along. She fought so hard to carry on as normal, even though the whole time, she had this deadly disease inside of her. 'Isobel was still talking about trying to go on holiday to Spain, she was ordering clothes two days before her death. She was just trying to live like any normal 19-year-old would. 'She was the one comforting us. Even when they told us about the tumour on her lung, I was sobbing and she said, 'Come on, mummy, it is what it is'.' Speaking of her legacy, Sarah notes a tattoo Isobel got towards the end of her life. It read 'Go Live Life'. 'We've had so many parents and other young girls message us from UCLH to say how she inspired them. 'Even her consultant wrote that she was an 'inspiring young lady'. One girl who rang the bell in December said 'Isobel changed my life'. 'She would light up daycare. She'd tell them not to stop living their life, and they were more than cancer.' A spokesperson for The London Independent Hospital, said: 'While, it would be inappropriate for us to discuss individual cases, we send our deepest condolences to the patient's family at this extremely difficult time. " All patients who are referred to us undergo a comprehensive and meticulous consultation to identify and diagnose their symptoms. Should further tests and scans be required to investigate their condition, then these are booked promptly either at our hospital or a referral is made to another appropriate facility.' Matthew Trainer, Chief Executive, Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust, said: 'I'd like to extend our sincere condolences to Isobel's family. We're extremely sorry for their loss.' 13
South China Morning Post
18-05-2025
- Sport
- South China Morning Post
West Ham goalkeeper eyes first-team boost at Soccer Sevens in Hong Kong
West Ham United goalkeeper Mason Terry said it was impossible to resist the lure of returning to Hong Kong for the HKFC Standard Chartered Soccer Sevens, after last year's edition delivered a career-enhancing learning experience. Advertisement On Saturday, the Premier League team emerged unbeaten from their group to secure a Sunday morning quarter-final meeting with Football Club. Since he was part of the West Ham team knocked out by Fulham at that stage 12 months ago, Terry has spent a successful season on loan with non-league Hornchurch, and agreed a new West Ham contract. Terry said the January appointment of head coach Graham Potter had given everyone a fresh start. 'He is giving opportunities to young players, we want to impress him and have a chance of reaching the first team,' Terry said. The 20-year-old, whose West Ham under-18s thumped an Arsenal side featuring current first-teamers Myles Lewis-Skelly and Ethan Nwaneri 5-1 at Emirates Stadium in the 2023 FA Youth Cup final, has divided playing for Hornchurch with training back at his parent club. Advertisement 'It's the best of both worlds, getting to play men's football, but also training with the first team and being around the under-21s for matches, as a big figure in the dressing room,' Terry said. He acknowledged, nonetheless, that the Soccer Sevens was providing a welcome chance to impress his club's coaches and supporters.
Daily Mail
16-05-2025
- Health
- Daily Mail
My daughter was so desperate to be a mum at 26 that she delayed life-saving cancer treatment. The chemo went well and we were optimistic - until she got these strange symptoms and was given just weeks to live
Sammy-Jo Brandon was so desperate to be a mother that she delayed life-saving cancer treatment, which could have left her infertile, to undergo the first stage of IVF. It's a decision that may have cost Sammy-Jo her life. Her heartbroken mother Kim, 64, a retired office worker from Hornchurch, Essex, here reveals the despair she and husband Matthew, 63, a retired toolmaker, felt at their daughter's choice and the steps they have taken since to use their grief to help others through
