Local elections a close run thing but Chiswick retains 8 Conservative and 3 Lib Dem, councillors

Image above: Amy Croft, Labour candidate elected in Chiswick Riverside

Chiswick has elected its first Labour councillor in 30 years in Chiswick Riverside, returning eight Conservative councillors across the three Hounslow wards and re-electing its three Liberal Democrats in Southfield ward.

The contests were, as expected, very close. In Chiswick Riverside there were just nine votes between Amy and the Conservative candidate who came fourth, Sebastian Wallace. Conservative Gabriella Giles was re-elected alongside Peter Thompson, a former leader of the Conservative group, after three recounts.

In Chiswick Gunnersbury all three Conservative councillors were re-elected, but there were only 23 votes between Conservative Ranjit Gill and the Labour candidate who came fourth, Emma Yates.

Labour’s Hanif Khan, former Cabinet Member for Transport at LB Hounslow, got the least votes of any of the three Labour candidates in Chiswick Gunnersbury. He said afterwards that he had been “personally repeatedly targeted” in campaign leaflets, but even so he polled only 342 fewer votes than Joanna Biddolph, who won most votes in the ward, with 1,552.

In Chiswick Homefields the Conservatives were more comfortably elected, with clear blue water of 469 votes between the highest polling Labour candidate and the lowest polling Conservative, Jack Emsley, standing for election for the first time. John Todd was re-elected with the highest vote of any of his colleagues, with 1,884 votes. Conservative group Leader Gerald McGregor came not far behind with 1,849.

Image above: returning officer and Hounslow CEO Niall Bolger

Turnout for local elections is always very low compared with general elections but turnout in Chiswick was relatively high – above 40% in all three Hounslow wards and in Southfield ward in Ealing.

Liberal Democrat councillors, Andrew Steed, Gary Busutill and Gary Malcolm  were all re-elected in Southfield and the Lib Dems have taken over from the Conservatives as the main opposition party.

Conservative group leader Gregory Stafford resigned at the weekend, saying:

“After 8 years as Conservative Group Leader on Ealing Council, I have decided that it is time to step aside.

“I am immensely proud of the hard work and achievements of the Conservative Group during my time as Leader, from saving local libraries from closure, to successfully stopping tower blocks being built on the green spaces, and helping to remove the unwanted and counterproductive so-called ‘Low Traffic Neighbourhoods’, Conservative councillors have consistently campaigned on the side of residents.”

Chiswick Riverside results

Andrea Black – Green 513

Melvin Collins – Labour 936

Amy Croft – Labour 1,064 elected

Gabriella Giles – Conservative 1,105 elected

Bill Hagerty – Green 362

Elly Lewis-Holmes – Green 455

Charles Rees – Liberal Democrat 485

Peter Thompson – Conservative 1,087 elected

Sebastian Wallace – Conservative 1,055

The number of people who voted was 2,930 out out an electorate of 7,167. Turnout 40.64%.

READ ALSO: First Labour councillor elected in Chiswick for 30 years

Image above: Joanna Biddolph, Ranjit Gill and Ron Mushiso

Chiswick Gunnersbury results

Joanna Biddolph – Conservative 1,552 elected

Helen Cross – Liberal Democrat 803

Will Francis – Liberal Democrat 840

Ranjit Gill – Conservative 1,382 elected

Johanna Guppy – Liberal Democrat 657

Hanif Khan – Labour 1,210

Ron Mushiso – Conservative 1,402 elected

Uday Nagaraju – Labour 1,215

Emma Yates – Labour 1,359

The number of people who voted was 3,645 out out an electorate of 8,927. Turnout 40.83%.

READ ALSO: Conservatives win Chiswick Gunnersbury

Image above: Jack Emsley, John Todd & Gerald McGregor

Chiswick Homefields results

Martin Bleach – Green 600

James Charrington – Liberal Democrat 646

Mark Cripps – Liberal Democrat 627

Leigh Edwards – Liberal Democrat 585

Jonathan Elkon – Green 455

Jack Emsley – Conservative 1,746 elected

Astrid Hilne – Green 488

Saroosh Khan – Labour 1,251

Mukesh Malhotra – Labour 1,213

Gerald McGregor – Conservative 1,849

John Todd – Conservative 1,884

Olivia Uwechue – Labour 1,277

The number of people who voted was 4,301 out out an electorate of 10,060. Turnout 42.75%.

READ ALSO: Conservatives win in Chiswick Homefields

Image above: Ealing’s Liberal Democrat councillors – Southfield councillors are Andrew Steed (left), Gary Malcolm (centre right), and Gary Busuttil (centre left)

Southfield results

Gary Busuttil – Liberal Democrat – 2,552 elected

Sophie Charman-Blower – Labour – 1310

Darryl Li-Ming Coates – Conservative – 854

Crystal Billie Eisinger – Conservative – 916

Anthony William Garrick – Conservative – 883

Chris Green – Labour – 1022

Mike Landon – Green – 886

Gary Malcolm – Liberal Democrat – 2,614

Tamoo Raza Malik – Labour – 967

Andrew Timothy Steed – Liberal Democrat – 2,585

The number of people who voted was 5,065 out out an electorate of 11,466. Turnout 44.17%.

READ ALSO: Liberal Democrats re-elected in Southfield

Read more stories on The Chiswick Calendar

See also: Amy Croft “surprised to have been elected” as Chiswick’s first Labour councillor in 30 years

See also: The frustration of being continually in opposition in LB Hounslow

See all the latest stories: Chiswick Calendar News & Features

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