In under two weeks, voters in Harrow will be returning to ballot boxes as the May council and mayoral elections sweep the capital.
The question on everyone’s mind is who will win seats, who will lose seats and in which party’s hands will the borough’s future lie?
Here is our guide to everything you need to know ahead of the election on 7 May…
Where is Harrow?
Situated in outer north west London, Harrow is a leafy, suburban borough bordered by Brent, Barnet, Ealing and Hillingdon.
The 2022 council election saw the Conservatives win a 31-seat majority, making Harrow the only London borough to turn blue.
Conservatives: 31 seats (+3)
Labour: 24 seats (-11)
Who are the candidates?
Earlier this month, a Conservative Party candidate for North Harrow was suspended over racist social media posts.
In 2023, a Labour Party candidate was suspended with no details publicly given and they are now running as Independent.
This year, 23 councilors will be standing across the 55 wards.
Residents will have a choice of candidates from Labour, Conservatives, the Greens, Liberal Democrats, and Reform UK.
Also running for the first time is the Jeremy Corbyn backed local party Arise, which was founded in 2024.
For a full list of candidates standing for election in Harrow, visit the Who Can I Vote For website.
What are the local issues?
In this election the main issues on residents’ minds are cleaner streets, housing, cracking down on homes of multiple occupancy (HMOs), infrastructure, children’s services, care for the vulnerable and crime and rising council tax.
Harrow has experienced a rising population due to several new housing developments, and many residents are concerned about the strain this will put on schools and local hospitals.
Local concerns surrounding family homes being converted into about HMOs are also being addressed in party pledges.
Labour won 48% of London’s votes in the last election, but Harrow defied this trend and is expected to do so again.
According to Pollcheck predictions, Labour may lose seven seats, with the Greens gaining five and Conservatives only gaining one but still retaining a majority.
Prior to the 2022 win, Labour had held their position as council leaders since 2010.
Interesting facts about Harrow
The population of the borough of Harrow is 270,724.
The borough is most well known for the prestigious Harrow School, established in 1572, which has seven Prime Ministers as alumni.
Harrow is also home to one of the largest Hindu populations in the UK.
Feature image: Free to use from Unsplash
Join the discussion