Hatch Lane and Highams Park North councillor Justin Halabi is the first Reform UK councillor in Waltham Forest, reports Marco Marcelline
The Conservatives are calling for a by-election after Hatch Lane and Highams Park North ward councillor Justin Halabi resigned from the party and joined Reform UK.
The move, first announced last month, means Cllr Halabi is the first Reform UK councillor in Waltham Forest.
In a 5th August post on Facebook, Reform UK’s Romford chair Phillip Hyde welcomed Cllr Halabi to the right-wing populist party led by Nigel Farage.
Stating he was “pleased” to welcome Cllr Halabi, he revealed he would be standing as a Reform UK councillor in Havering next year, where he has recently moved.
He stated: “I have met with Justin on several occasions and had extensive conversations about the future of Havering council. He brings ten years experience and will be a fantastic addition to our growing team.”
Waltham Forest Tory leader Emma Best told the Echo that Cllr Halabi’s resignation from the party came after he was deselected as a local Conservative candidate due to his move out of the borough.
She said: “We wish Jusden (Justin) well and can imagine he has taken a lot of time to consider this decision carefully.
“Jusden resigned on 5th August and was not due to stand for the Conservatives in Waltham Forest at the 2026 local elections due to his move out of the borough and subsequent unsuccessful application to be approved as a candidate here.
“Our belief, as always, remains that if you are democratically elected on a party ticket and no longer wish to serve that party you owe the electorate a say in that matter.
“We believe that Jusden should do the honourable thing and allow the public a say through a by-election.”
Cllr Halabi did not respond to a request for comment. He went to school in Chingford and was first elected as a Conservative councillor for Hatch Lane in 2021, replacing the late Geoff Walker. He was re-elected in 2022 with 1,651 votes.
Cllr Halabi’s mother is the current councillor for Chingford Green ward Kay Isa and his father Nick Halabi served as a Tory councillor in Chingford until 2022.
Meanwhile, Halabi’s ward colleague Marion Fitzgerald is no longer listed as a councillor on the Chingford and Woodford Green Conservative Party website.
The Echo understands Cllr Fitzgerald resigned the Tory whip last week but returned yesterday.
Cllr Fitzgerald declined to comment on her brief resignation. Describing the situation as an “administrative error”, Cllr Best confirmed that she was still under the Conservative Party whip and would reappear on the party website shortly.
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