Battle to keep Bromley in London after Nigel Farage suggests three boroughs may leave capital

A campaign for Bromley to remain in London has been launched after Nigel Farage suggested that the borough may leave the city.

The Reform UK leader predicted that there could be a referendum in coming years on carving away the Outer London borough from the capital.

Mr Farage’s party also raised the prospect that Havering, as well as Barking and Dagenham, could quit the city.

In response, Beckenham and Penge Labour MP Liam Conlon has started the campaign to oppose the move in Bromley.

He believes the calls for Bromley to splinter away from London, and the campaign against it, will escalate into a “divisive and heated” debate.

“Just like Brexit, another campaign led by Farage, it would be a disaster for residents in Beckenham and Penge and across Bromley in every sense,” Mr Conlon said.

“Bromley belongs in London.”

He stressed that if Bromley left the Greater London Authority, it would deprive local residents of:

* Access to the Older Persons Freedom Pass, enabling free bus and train travel for elderly residents

* Funding for facilities like the new Crystal Palace National Sports Centre

* Oyster Zip Passes, offering free and discounted travel for children

* Free school meals for all primary school pupils

* Inter-Bromley bus services like the 358 and 227

The Labour MP added: “In the weeks and months ahead, I am looking forward to going out on the campaign trail to engage with residents, local businesses and community groups, to make the case for staying in London.”

He stressed: “This is an incredibly important campaign.

“It is one that will be divisive and heated, It is one that will do more than anything to define the future of our borough for the next decade.”

He has set up a petition on keeping Bromley in London which he will present to Parliament.

Mr Farage recently raised the idea of a referendum on Bromley leaving London when out with Reform campaigners at the Bird in Hand pub in Bromley Common.

"Sitting in here now with all these blokes in the pub, does this feel like London? Not to me it doesn't,” said the Reform leader who was born in Farnborough, in the borough of Bromley.

"Go further out to where I was born in TN16 3AA, it's sheep farms. How is Sadiq Khan the Mayor of that?

“There was this massive land grab that happened in '65 and I think there are some really serious reconsiderations of it."

Pressed on whether Laila Cunningham would move to allow boroughs to leave the capital if she becomes London mayor, he added: "I won't predict what she's going to say.

“But I think there is a possibility of the outer London boroughs at some point in the next few years having a referendum on deciding on what they want their future to be.

"If she beats Khan, they might feel differently here.

“But I repeat the point, this does not feel like London, it never did and the same goes for Havering and Dagenham.”

Some of Sir Sadiq Khan’s policies have proved divisive in Outer London, including the Ulez ultra low emission zone given that residents in these boroughs tend to drive more than those living in the city centre where air pollution is a bigger issue.

Romford MP Andrew Rosindell, who defected from the Tories to Mr Farage’s party, has said Havering borough would get an “independence” vote on remaining part of the capital under a Reform UK government.

He stressed that local residents would get a choice to remain Londoners or rejoin Essex as a “self-governing unitary authority” if Mr Farage were Prime Minister.

Polls suggest that Reform may gain control of Havering council at the May local elections, and could challenge strongly in Bexley, Bromley, and Barking and Dagenham.

Mr Farage has set his party the goal of winning councils in London at the elections in three weeks’ times.

Reform has seen the number of its councillors in London rise to 14 including three in each of the Bromley, Havering and Waltham Forest boroughs.