Harrow Council’s 27 November meeting became the latest stage for a familiar political drama, as the borough’s Conservatives once again used local issues to fuel an anti–Sadiq Khan campaign – likely under growing pressure from Reform UK. During debate on their motion opposing the closure of Pinner Police Station’s volunteer-run front desk, Tory leader Cllr Paul Osborn confirmed that Harrow is preparing legal action against the Mayor of London.
On the surface, this legal threat is framed as a defence of residents’ access to policing. But to many, it looked like a rerun of an old script. Harrow residents remember the failed Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) challenge, when the council joined four other Conservative authorities in a court battle widely dismissed as political theatre. That case collapsed in the High Court at public expense – and now another taxpayer-funded confrontation looms, aimed at the same political target and carrying the same undertones.
The influence of hardline anti-Khan figures within the local Conservative group remains unmistakable: headline first, evidence later. The Pinner Police Station dispute has simply provided a fresh opportunity to reignite that antagonism under the guise of defending local services.
At the same meeting, Labour tabled a motion condemning national Conservative and Reform UK figures for suggesting the deportation of legally settled migrants. In one of London’s most diverse boroughs, such rhetoric cuts directly into residents’ sense of security and belonging. Seen alongside the Conservatives’ motion, a wider pattern emerges. Harrow Tories are increasingly adopting the themes dominating their national party’s struggle with Reform UK – anti-Khan posturing, populist “law and order” messaging, nationalist language and gestures, and escalating talk on immigration. Reform UK’s recent leaflet in Harrow has added further pressure to tack rightward. Meanwhile, new polling from The London Economic suggests the Conservatives could be reduced to just 14 seats in a general election, making their scramble for relevance even more visible.
None of this denies genuine concerns about police accessibility. Residents deserve serious engagement on how front-desk closures will affect vulnerable people. But instead of leading that discussion, the Conservatives group appears intent on replaying the ULEZ saga – another legal stunt with little prospect of delivering results. The question is no longer whether Harrow needs accessible policing, but whether these legal threats are truly about community safety or simply another act in ongoing Tory–Reform political theatre.
Harrow risks becoming collateral in a much larger feud. As Conservatives race rightwards and revive their anti-Khan crusade, residents are left with theatrics instead of solutions. They deserve leadership grounded in their needs – not recycled campaign scripts aimed at scoring points against City Hall.
On the surface, this legal threat is framed as a defence of residents’ access to policing. But to many, it looked like a rerun of an old script. Harrow residents remember the failed Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) challenge, when the council joined four other Conservative authorities in a court battle widely dismissed as political theatre. That case collapsed in the High Court at public expense – and now another taxpayer-funded confrontation looms, aimed at the same political target and carrying the same undertones.
The influence of hardline anti-Khan figures within the local Conservative group remains unmistakable: headline first, evidence later. The Pinner Police Station dispute has simply provided a fresh opportunity to reignite that antagonism under the guise of defending local services.
At the same meeting, Labour tabled a motion condemning national Conservative and Reform UK figures for suggesting the deportation of legally settled migrants. In one of London’s most diverse boroughs, such rhetoric cuts directly into residents’ sense of security and belonging. Seen alongside the Conservatives’ motion, a wider pattern emerges. Harrow Tories are increasingly adopting the themes dominating their national party’s struggle with Reform UK – anti-Khan posturing, populist “law and order” messaging, nationalist language and gestures, and escalating talk on immigration. Reform UK’s recent leaflet in Harrow has added further pressure to tack rightward. Meanwhile, new polling from The London Economic suggests the Conservatives could be reduced to just 14 seats in a general election, making their scramble for relevance even more visible.
None of this denies genuine concerns about police accessibility. Residents deserve serious engagement on how front-desk closures will affect vulnerable people. But instead of leading that discussion, the Conservatives group appears intent on replaying the ULEZ saga – another legal stunt with little prospect of delivering results. The question is no longer whether Harrow needs accessible policing, but whether these legal threats are truly about community safety or simply another act in ongoing Tory–Reform political theatre.
Harrow risks becoming collateral in a much larger feud. As Conservatives race rightwards and revive their anti-Khan crusade, residents are left with theatrics instead of solutions. They deserve leadership grounded in their needs – not recycled campaign scripts aimed at scoring points against City Hall.
Harrow Monitoring Group 