Ealing Common Ward Looks Set To Be Key Battleground
All three main parties hoping to win seats there this May
The Lib Dem candidates
The main parties have now selected their candidates for the Ealing Common ward. It is widely expected to be one of the most hotly contested votes in the forthcoming local elections with all three parties believing they have a chance of taking a seat.
Bounded by Popes Lane to the South, South Ealing Road to the west, the train tracks to the east and a small enclave above Uxbridge Road to the north, the ward is predominantly made up of low-rise housing including some of the most expensive housing in the borough in the vicinity of the Common.
Historically, the ward has tended to vote Conservative but in recent elections has returned both Labour and Conservative candidates.
Labour has already started campaigning hard in the ward hoping to re-elect sitting councillor Praveen Anand along with Iram Woolley, who describes herself as a Coach and Facilitator who loves talking about potholes, and Jags Sanghera.
Rupa Huq joins the Labour candidates campaigning in Ealing Common
Winning more seats in a ‘true-blue’ seat like Ealing Common would be a major coup for the party which is hoping that current national polling will be reflected at a local level this May.
| Ealing Common Ward Result - May 2018 | ||
| Candidate | Party | Votes |
| Jon Ball | Liberal Democrats | 1,729 |
| Praveen Anand | Labour | 1,572 |
| Joanna Dabrowska | Conservative | 1,531 |
| Abdi Duale | Labour | 1,368 |
| Sindy Jassal | Labour | 1,356 |
| Craig O'Donnell | Liberal Democrats | 1,345 |
| Timothy Patten | Conservative | 1,331 |
| Barry Hartness | Conservative | 1,292 |
| Mark Sanders | Liberal Democrats | 1,216 |
| Daniel Van Der Spuy | Green | 496 |
| Alex Zychowski | Independent | 385 |
The Liberal Democrats currently hold one of the seats in the ward through long-serving councillor Jon Ball and he will be defending it along with Benedict Cross and Connie Hersch who both live in the ward.
The party is trying to position itself as the main opposition to Labour hoping that Conservative voters, disillusioned over issues such as the parties held at Number 10, Brexit and the Prime Minister’s character, will switch to them. They have recruited a former Conservative councillor in Ealing to run for them in Hanger Hill ward.
Councillor Jon Ball said,“Liberal Democrats say that the saga of the LTN road closures that has caused so much misery to local people showed what happens when Labour-run Ealing Council ignores the wishes of residents.”
Benedict Cross has pledged to tackle fly-tipping and clear up rubbish while Connie Hersh is leading a campaign to reverse the dimming of street lights.
Popular Conservative councillor Joanna Dabrowska will not be standing this May. She hasn’t responded to a request to give reasons for her decision.
The Conservative candidates include Patrick Cusworth who has lived in Ealing for six years and works in policy development. He is an advisor to a charity which supports London’s homeless. He has a special interest in transport and road safety issues. In his spare time, Patrick loves mountain climbing and running triathlons, and has recently competed in the Ealing half-marathon. Also standing for the party is Andrew Macdonald who works in the horticultural sector and is currently studying towards a diploma in garden design. He has been a resident in the ward for over eight years and has been chair of governors, for over four years, at a primary school in the borough. He is a founder Member of Act One, the new arts centre and cinema in Acton.
The Conservative candidates for Ealing Common
The other candidate for the party is Elizabeth Paice who has lived in Ealing with her family since 1977. Since retiring from teaching in an Ealing state secondary school, she has continued to work as a GCSE examiner and a writer of online teaching resources and fiction.
Other candidates standing include Julie Carter who will be representing UKIP.
April 4, 2022