Jack Emsley Elected Hounslow Conservative Leader
Unanimously backed to replace Peter Thompson as head of expanded group
The Conservatives now have 17 councillors on Hounslow Council
May 19, 2026
Jack Emsley, the Chiswick Homefields councillor, has been unanimously elected leader of the Conservative Group on Hounslow Council.
The vote took place on the evening of Monday 18 May and marks a significant moment in Hounslow politics. For years a party whose presence on the council was largely confined to Chiswick's leafy riverside wards, the Conservatives now find themselves in a transformed with representation across the borough
Councillor Gurpreet Sidhu, who represents Cranford ward, was appointed Deputy Leader of the Group, a choice that itself signals the changed geography of Conservative support.
Victories in wards in the west of the borough, places that had not returned Conservative councillors for many years if ever, transformed the arithmetic of the council chamber. Labour, which had governed Hounslow with comfortable majorities in recent years, was left holding on by the slimmest of margins as Reform and the Greens made gains and the Liberal Democrats also taking a seat..
In wards in the west of the borough — areas with large populations of Punjabi heritage residents, owner-occupiers concerned about council tax and local services, and communities that have historically been contested political territory — the Conservative message appears to have cut through in a way it has not for a generation.
Jack Emsley, who has represented Chiswick Homefields, takes on the leadership at what he is framing as a historic inflection point.
"Residents across Hounslow have sent a very simple message at this election — they want to see change in their council," he said. "Labour have been left with a razor-thin majority of one, and they have shown that they have failed to learn any lessons from the seismic election results. We are not just a Conservative Group, or an opposition group. We are an administration in waiting."
With a majority of one, Labour faces a council term in which every vote will matter, every by-election will be watched with intensity, and every act of internal dissent could have real consequences. Rumours persist of splits and feuds among councillors which could leave the leader of the Labour group, Shantanu Rajawat, reliant on support from the Greens and the Lib Dem councillor even though his party notionally has a majority.
The Conservative group also marked the end of an era, paying tribute to outgoing leader Peter Thompson, who served the Conservatives on Hounslow Council over many years — including as leader of the council during the period of Conservative administration — and who played a central role in rebuilding the party's organisation and morale during what had been a difficult period in local politics.
His patient work in maintaining a credible Conservative presence during years of comfortable Labour majorities has, in the eyes of many in the group, laid the foundations for the gains of the past election cycle. His departure from the leadership role comes at the moment of the party's greatest success in Hounslow for many years.
The new Deputy Leader, Councillor Sidhu, offered her own assessment of what had driven the result and what the group now intended to do with it.
"This election showed that residents want councillors who are visible, hardworking, and focused on the issues that affect daily life in Hounslow," she said. "Residents were not getting that with Labour, and we are grateful that so many people placed their trust in us. Our Group has a mix of experienced councillors as well as new voices, and we are united in our plan to stand up for residents across the Borough."
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