On the face of it, Harrow Council administration’s decision to launch legal proceedings against the Mayor of London over the planned closure of the borough’s last remaining police front desk seems like a bold defence of local interests. Council leader Paul Osborn has called the move “short-sighted” and “unacceptable,” arguing that closing the Pinner and Harrow front counters will strip residents of vital in-person access to policing. Few would dispute the value of a local police presence – especially for vulnerable residents who rely on face-to-face support.
But look a little closer, and this “legal bid” begins to resemble something else: a rerun of an old political script. It’s hard not to forget the failed ULEZ legal challenge, when Harrow joined four other Tory-led councils in taking Sadiq Khan’s Ultra Low Emission Zone expansion to court – at the taxpayers’ expense. That case, widely seen as a political stunt, was dismissed by the High Court, leaving residents questioning why public funds had been used to wage a fight so many experts warned they couldn’t win.
The fingerprints of that same political strategy are visible again. This time, it’s police counters instead of car emissions, but the target remains the same: London’s Labour Mayor. The move bears the hallmarks of a continuing campaign by key figures in Harrow Conservatives, led by those with long-standing axes to grind against Sadiq Khan. Among them is Cllr Susan Hall, the former leader of the Conservative group and reappointed head of the GLA Conservatives, who has made no secret of her hostility toward Khan – calling him “a disgrace” and contested against him in the 2024 mayoral election, where Londoners decisively rejected her. Her influence within the local Tory group still lingers, and her political playbook – confront Khan, headline first, substance later – appears to live on.
There’s no denying the closure of police counters raises genuine community concerns. Residents want reassurance, not rhetoric. The issue, however, is not whether Harrow deserves accessible policing – it does – but whether another costly courtroom clash is the best way to deliver it. City Hall data shows crime patterns are shifting; knife crime and burglaries are down, while resources are being redirected to frontline patrols. Yet, rather than engage in serious dialogue on how Harrow can adapt, the local Conservatives seem more interested in reviving their anti-Khan crusade.
So, is this really about protecting residents – or protecting political relevance?
Once again, Harrow risks being used as the stage for a bigger political performance. If the council’s motive is truly community safety, it should be seeking solutions, not soundbites. But if this is another chapter in the ULEZ play – a taxpayer-funded act in an ongoing feud – then it’s not justice or safety that’s being served, but political theatre. And Londoners have seen this show before.
But look a little closer, and this “legal bid” begins to resemble something else: a rerun of an old political script. It’s hard not to forget the failed ULEZ legal challenge, when Harrow joined four other Tory-led councils in taking Sadiq Khan’s Ultra Low Emission Zone expansion to court – at the taxpayers’ expense. That case, widely seen as a political stunt, was dismissed by the High Court, leaving residents questioning why public funds had been used to wage a fight so many experts warned they couldn’t win.
The fingerprints of that same political strategy are visible again. This time, it’s police counters instead of car emissions, but the target remains the same: London’s Labour Mayor. The move bears the hallmarks of a continuing campaign by key figures in Harrow Conservatives, led by those with long-standing axes to grind against Sadiq Khan. Among them is Cllr Susan Hall, the former leader of the Conservative group and reappointed head of the GLA Conservatives, who has made no secret of her hostility toward Khan – calling him “a disgrace” and contested against him in the 2024 mayoral election, where Londoners decisively rejected her. Her influence within the local Tory group still lingers, and her political playbook – confront Khan, headline first, substance later – appears to live on.
There’s no denying the closure of police counters raises genuine community concerns. Residents want reassurance, not rhetoric. The issue, however, is not whether Harrow deserves accessible policing – it does – but whether another costly courtroom clash is the best way to deliver it. City Hall data shows crime patterns are shifting; knife crime and burglaries are down, while resources are being redirected to frontline patrols. Yet, rather than engage in serious dialogue on how Harrow can adapt, the local Conservatives seem more interested in reviving their anti-Khan crusade.
So, is this really about protecting residents – or protecting political relevance?
Once again, Harrow risks being used as the stage for a bigger political performance. If the council’s motive is truly community safety, it should be seeking solutions, not soundbites. But if this is another chapter in the ULEZ play – a taxpayer-funded act in an ongoing feud – then it’s not justice or safety that’s being served, but political theatre. And Londoners have seen this show before.
Harrow Monitoring Group 
Surely Susan Hall being allowed to continue to repeatedly & disgracefully Flog a Dead Horse (s) at the Taxpayers expense by misguided characters/followers is an affront to Common-sense & Civilised Society!
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