Best Start grants are delivering £150,000 of funding to Harrow as part of a £12 million national investment, marking what ministers call a transformative step in early education and childcare. The Best Start initiative promises to roll out 30 hours of government-funded childcare for working parents, saving families up to £7,500 per child per year.Continue reading “Best Start Grants: ambitious plans, modest means”
Author Archives: hmgupdated
Riding in the Dark: Harrow’s stations feel safe only on paper
Recent national headlines have underscored a grim reality: reports of sexual assaults and harassment on trains have surged by more than a third over the past decade. A BBC investigation, reported on 14 October 2025, revealed 2,661 incidents last year across England, Scotland and Wales – and one in ten victims was a child, someContinue reading “Riding in the Dark: Harrow’s stations feel safe only on paper”
SEND in Harrow: local reflections of a national crisis
Provision for children and young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) remains one of England’s most persistent education challenges. Despite multiple reforms, the system is still fragmented, under-resourced, and overly bureaucratic, with outcomes for pupils and families falling short of the Government’s ambitions for inclusion and equity.Our recent review, “Special Educational Needs: SupportContinue reading “SEND in Harrow: local reflections of a national crisis”
Local power, national decline: the Harrow Conservative paradox
Harrow’s political landscape presents a striking paradox: enduring Conservative strength at the local level amid national decline. According to YouGov, only 10% of the public believe Kemi Badenoch looks like a prime minister in waiting, and twenty Conservative councillors defected to Reform UK during the party’s own conference. Yet, confidence in the Harrow Conservatives – particularlyContinue reading “Local power, national decline: the Harrow Conservative paradox”
How the London Mayor’s policies are helping Harrow thrive
In Harrow, right-wing voices and political opportunists invoking slogans about ‘restoring pride’ or ‘protecting character’ eagerly exploit nationalist sentiment to attack Sir Sadiq Khan, who is now serving his third term as London’s mayor. Such divisive approach obscures the reality that Harrow has, in fact, benefited significantly from mayoral investment and support in recent years.Continue reading “How the London Mayor’s policies are helping Harrow thrive”
Harrow urged to back Warm Home Discount extension as fuel poverty bites
Elected representatives in Harrow are being urged to support the continuation of the Warm Home Discount Scheme, a flagship government policy that helps low-income and vulnerable households cut energy costs and tackle fuel poverty. The government is currently consulting on the scheme’s future, with existing regulations set to expire on 31 March 2026. Campaigners sayContinue reading “Harrow urged to back Warm Home Discount extension as fuel poverty bites”
Council tax politics: Harrow Conservatives accused of misleading spin on funding fairness
Questions on social media about why council tax is lower in Brent than in Harrow have sparked a political row, with Harrow Conservatives accused of presenting a partial picture of the funding system. Responding to criticism, local Conservatives claimed that “Brent receives far more grant funding from central government and that Harrow has, for manyContinue reading “Council tax politics: Harrow Conservatives accused of misleading spin on funding fairness”
Harrow faces major new duties in domestic abuse response
Harrow Council’s struggling children’s services face fresh pressure after the government unveiled sweeping reforms to strengthen protection for children living with domestic abuse. In its official response this month to the Domestic Abuse Commissioner’s report Victims in Their Own Right, ministers pledged more than £500 million for Family First Partnerships and promised funding until 2029.Continue reading “Harrow faces major new duties in domestic abuse response”
Harrow Conservatives push through symbolic motion on “Illegal Migrants” amid pressure to track right
Harrow Council’s Conservative leadership forced through a motion at the council meeting on 18 September 2025 to block the use of local hotels for so-called “illegal migrant” accommodation – despite there being no hotels in the borough earmarked or suitable for this purpose. The motion, carried by the group’s majority, was tabled by the councilContinue reading “Harrow Conservatives push through symbolic motion on “Illegal Migrants” amid pressure to track right”
Redevelopment of Travellers Rest refused – urban design in a suburban setting
Planning application PL/0378/25, for the redevelopment of the Travellers Rest, 134 Kenton Road, Harrow, into 109 residential units, 103 co-living units, and 62 Build-to-Rent units, was refused by the Planning Committee on 25 September 2025, despite a professional recommendation for approval. The refusal, carefully drafted and formally proposed by the Chairman of Planning, Cllr MarilynContinue reading “Redevelopment of Travellers Rest refused – urban design in a suburban setting”
Harrow Monitoring Group 