‘Local people are fed up of paying an ever-increasing Council Tax bill whilst the Council fails on getting the basics right’

Liberal Democrat Leader Cllr Gary Malcolm with supporters on the steps of Ealing Town Hall

Guest blog by Gary Malcolm, Liberal Democrat Ealing leader standing for re-election in Southfield

Currently in Ealing the Liberal Democrats hold the three seats in Southfield ward (covering both Chiswick and Acton). Working with Councillors Gary Busuttil and Andrew Steed the three of us are standing for re-election on May 7th.

We love our roles as Councillors and we are looking to win not just the Southfield seat but also make gains across Ealing against both the Conservatives and the Labour party, who run Ealing Council (badly!)

We are the official opposition on Ealing Council and so have the momentum to do well in the local elections.

Ealing Labour is simply not providing good value for money. They raised your Council Taxes by the maximum for most of the last decade whilst turning down almost £100 million of Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) over 15 years that would have funded many public services.

Labour has failed by not building enough truly affordable housing. They are also failing tenants and neglecting their responsibilities, leaving many of them stuck with damp and mouldy properties.

Local people are fed up of paying an ever-increasing Council Tax bill whilst the Council fails on getting the basics right. Our streets are dirty and unsafe, and the Labour-run Ealing Council wants to close TEN Children’s Centres and two Adult Day Centres that are vital for our borough’s vulnerable residents.

Here are a few of the successes that Liberal Democrats have achieved since becoming Ealing Council’s Official Opposition in 2022:

• Liberal Democrats successfully campaigned for the Council to reverse its decision to dim our streetlights at night.
• Forced the Council to adopt the Liberal Democrat policy to cut garden waste charges by 25% and cut bulky waste charges by 40%.
• Successfully forced Ealing Council to adopt a policy where e-bike companies are fined when their bikes are left blocking the pavements without being removed within two hours.
• Liberal Democrats successfully pushed the Council to hire a Conservation Officer.

Our full manifesto can be read here: https://www.ealinglibdems.org.uk/afreshstartforealing

Some of the key points are listed here:

• We would save all ten Childrens’ Centres at risk.
• Liberal Democrats believe in measures to prevent fly-tipping in the first place rather than dealing with the fly tips afterwards.
• Liberal Democrats have a costed plan to increase the frequency of street cleaning and leaf sweeping and invest extra resources to tackle fly-tipping.
• Re-open Acton Recycling Centre in full.
• Continue to campaign for the Labour Mayor of London to reverse the closure of 24-hour front counter service in Acton Police Station.
• Incentivise the use of our local high streets by providing EV charging points at a lower price point.
• Introduce a new Ealing App for Council services and discounts on parking and shopping.
• Create a Microbusiness Allowance to give local startups small regular sums in the first six months of trading (£100 a week) to enable entrepreneurs to get their business up and running.
• Focus on mid-rise ‘mansion block style’ developments rather than tall towers.
• Trust local residents with decision-making on issues that affect their daily lives by trialling the use of mini referenda to gauge public opinion and avoid bad decision-making, such as LTNs.
• Restore Ward Forums to bring back decision-making power to local residents, rather than a centralised approach.
• Implement genuine consultations that are open and fair by avoiding bias in survey methodology and questions.
• Tackle sport inequality by a focus on greater social inclusion in sports.

In summary I would say that the Lib Dem team work hard in Southfield to prevent or solve many issues. We would like the support to continue our work.

Gary Malcolm is the Leader of the Ealing Liberal Democrats.

See the candidates for all the parties who have announced they are standing in Chiswick for election to Ealing Council.

READ ALSO: 2026 local elections – Who’s standing for Ealing Council in Chiswick

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