The Romford Conservative Association is pleased to announce the new Team 23 candidates to contest the Havering Council Elections in May 2026, following the completion of their two-month long selection process.
This time, a big change is taking place, with more than half of the candidates (twelve) being completely new and the rest (eleven) being current councillors who were elected for the Conservatives in Romford last time. Here is a full list of candidates, all of whom were approved, voted for by members and ratified by the Association Executive Council on Saturday 29th March 2025, under the leadership of R.C.A. Chairman, Cllr. Viddy Persaud.
Havering-atte-Bower: Ashley Kissin, Della Morton and Tom Vickery
Hylands & Harrow Lodge: Ayo Oladele, Maggie Themistocli and Henry Williams
Marshalls & Rise Park: Robert Benham, Bailey Nash-Gardner and Nisha Patel
Mawneys: Jason Frost, Dilip Patel and Carol Smith
Rush Green & Crowlands: Viddy Persaud, Tim Ryan and Michael Slaughter
St. Alban’s: Martin Firmstone and Judith Holt
St. Edward’s: Wendy Brice-Thompson, Roy Choudhury and Erwin Luzac
Squirrels Heath: Keith Prince, Christine Vickery and Michael White
Amongst the new members of the team are former councillors hoping to return to the Town Hall, Wendy Brice-Thompson (St. Edward’s and Romford Town 1998-2018) who is running for St. Edward’s and Maggie Themistocli (Hylands 2018-2022), now selected for Hylands and Harrow Lodge.
A number of up-and-coming young candidates have been chosen to stand, including Erwin Luzac a former Gidea Park School pupil who grew up in Romford, who is standing for St. Edward’s, and Bailey Nash-Gardner who was the M.P.’s Campaign Manager at the General Election, and has been selected for Marshalls & Rise Park. Others include Young Conservative members, Ayo Oladele and Henry Williams who are both standing for Hylands and Harrow Lodge.
In Havering-atte-Bower, there are three new candidates, including former Mayor or Redbridge, Ashley Kissin, retired WH Smith worker, Della Morton, along with Tom Vickery, husband of former Deputy Mayor, Cllr. Christine Vickery.
Crow Lane Neighbourhood Watch co-ordinator, Michael Slaughter, has been chosen for Rush Green & Crowlands, Roy Choudhury, a leading member of Romford’s Hindu community has been chosen as the third candidate for St. Edward’s, and the final new member of the team is Martin Firmstone, a local government officer, who is standing for St. Alban’s, where the Conservatives are hoping to knock out Labour’s only councillor in the constituency.
Changing wards this time are former Collier Row News shopkeeper, Cllr. Nisha Patel who is moving from St. Edward’s to stand for Marshalls and Rise Park, along with Cllr. Robert Benham who has been councillor for twenty years, representing Brooklands and now Rush Green and Crowlands, who is also moving to Marshalls & Rise Park, where he now lives with his wife and baby daughter
Re-selected for the current wards are Cllr. Christine Vickery, Cllr. Michael White and Cllr. Keith Prince A.M. for Squirrels Heath; Cllr. Judith Holt for St. Alban’s; Cllr. Dilip Patel, Cllr. Jason Frost and Cllr. Carol Smith for Mawneys and; Cllr. Tim Ryan and Cllr. Viddy Persaud for Rush Green and Crowlands.
Andrew Rosindell M.P. has welcomed the selection of the new “Romford Team 23” and has pledged to give them his full support as the local party builds on the success of the General Election last year and aims to win all twenty-three seats in the Romford constituency.
The M.P. said:
“I am pleased that in Romford, we now have a united and loyal team of Conservative candidates, who will work with me to secure victory next year. We need to restore Conservative control of our Town Hall and have a new set of councillors who will fight hard to make this happen. I am delighted with the choice of candidates that the Romford Conservative Association has made and they can count on me to support them all the way up to 7th May 2026!”
Following the final selection meeting, Association Chairman, Cllr. Viddy Persaud said:
“This is a fresh start for the Romford Conservative Association as we prepare to fight and win the local elections next year. We needed a new team to restore unity and purpose after a difficult few years and this has now been achieved. I am confident that with our new Romford Team 23, we can win in every ward, but we must work around the clock to win back the trust of local people and under my leadership as Chairman of the Association, that is exactly what I will ensure happens. Romford will lead the way in making Havering Conservative again!”
