Prince served as a councillor on Havering London Borough Council from 1990 to 1994, representing Gidea Park ward, before being defeated by the Residents Association and then being elected as a councillor in Redbridge London Borough Council for the Barkingside ward from 2003 until 2018, serving as leader of the council between 2009 and 2014,[1] in coalition with the Liberal Democrats after May 2010.[2] In 2014 Labour won control of Redbridge Council[3] which consigned Prince to the backbenches.
In 2016, Prince stood to become the Conservative candidate for the London Assembly seat of Havering and Redbridge, after the retirement of the incumbent Assembly Member Roger Evans.[4] Prince was subsequently elected as the Assembly Member in May 2016 with a majority of 1,438.
In 2017, Prince was involved in a heated row with a fellow passenger on a train, on his daily commute to work on the Southeastern train service from Dartford to London.[5] The confrontation was filmed and received attention on social media and in print and broadcast media. Prince subsequently released a statement, stating that “I’d like to apologise to my fellow commuters for the disturbance our initial disagreement caused."[6]
In 2022, Prince was elected as a councillor on Havering Council for the Squirrels Heath ward with a majority of 1,207. In May 2023 he was elected as Leader of the Havering Conservatives.[7]
On 12 May 2023 Keith Prince was re-selected[8] as the Conservative candidate for the Havering & Redbridge constituency for the 2024 London elections.
Conservative Mayoral Candidacy 2023
In May 2023 Prince was announced as official running mate for Samuel Kasumu in a bid for London's Mayoralty; if Kasumu were to be elected as Mayor, Prince would take up a role as Deputy Mayor.
On Prince's website it said "Keith Prince was selected by Kasumu as a running mate following internal modelling which has shown that the East of London will be vital if the Conservatives are to be successful in next year’s mayoral election."[9]
Prince then supported Mozammel Hossain KC to become the Conservative Party Candidate.[10]
References
^ abPrince, Keith. "Keith Prince". Keith Prince. Retrieved 19 September 2017.