What we stand for

From Consultation to Shared Decision-Making

We will transform council democracy. We promise to move from top-down consultation to genuine shared decision-making, drawing on best practice from progressive local and community parties across the UK.

We will be a council that listens to residents and acts accordingly to improve everyday life in the borough.

A Needs-Based Budget

We will present a needs-based budget that identifies areas requiring adequate and purposeful funding. We will use reserves efficiently as breathing space to lobby for appropriate government funding and win fair funding for our services.

Meaningful Consultation

We will adhere to the Gunning Principles of consultation. We promise to develop our technologies – including Ealing Council’s website – to make consultation more economical, efficient and transparent.

We will:

• Reverse Ealing Labour’s increase to the required number of signatories for public petitions, so that residents may more easily raise priority areas of concern to be discussed by councillors
• Ensure council-owned land belongs to all Ealing residents – we will not sell public land without clear consultation and majority agreement

Neighbourhood Engagement in Every Ward

We will re-establish neighbourhood engagement in all wards.

We promise to:

• Restore ward forums to formally consult over local budgets, planning priorities and public realm schemes
• Engage with residents regularly via street surgeries, meetings online and in person, newsletters, email and other communications
• Respond to written requests within five days of a resident’s first contact
• Ensure a clear visible presence in every ward, supported by ward teams of Ealing Community Independent members

Transparency and Accountability

We will be a transparent council.

We will publish:

• All major contracts, senior pay and councillor interests in an accessible online format
• Simple bar charts and clear explanations of expenditure
• Plain-language impact assessments for big decisions on housing, care and environment
• Transparency in councillor performance: casework, email responsiveness, hours undertaken
• Quarterly reports of all councillor allowances, expenses and attendance records in accessible formats

We will ensure developers submit statutory reports on time to prevent developer exploitation which puts pressure on the council budget.

Councillor Allowances and Expenses

We believe councillors should be fairly compensated for their work representing residents, whilst ensuring every pound of taxpayer money delivers maximum value.

Our principles:

• Allowances should enable people from all backgrounds – including working-class residents, carers and those with disabilities – to serve without financial hardship
• Compensation should reflect actual workload and responsibility
• All allowances and expenses must be publicly accountable

We will:

Basic Allowances

• Support fair basic allowances that enable working-class people to serve without financial penalty
• Oppose above-inflation increases until we benchmark against comparable London boroughs
• Support annual indexation to prevent real-terms erosion

Special Responsibility Allowances (SRAs)

• Support SRAs for roles with genuine additional workload (Cabinet members, Committee Chairs, Opposition Leaders)
• Cap total SRAs so no more than 25% of councillors receive them
• Reduce or remove lower-tier SRA positions that could be voluntary service
• Target 10-15% reduction in total SRA budget by consolidating unnecessary allowances

Travel and Expenses

• Reimburse public transport, bicycle mileage and disability-related taxi provision for out-of-borough duties
• Prohibit private car mileage claims except in exceptional circumstances (emergency, accessibility needs)
• Require pre-approval for overnight stays and subsistence over £100
• Publish quarterly reports of all travel and subsistence claims over £50

Carers’ Allowance

• Strongly support carers’ allowance at London Living Wage
• Extend eligibility to include informal care arrangements
• Actively promote awareness and uptake
• Cover pre and post-meeting time

Loss of Office Payments

• Oppose loss-of-office payments for elected representatives
• Cabinet members receive substantial SRAs whilst in post – this is adequate compensation
• In a time of service cuts and staff redundancies, severance pay for councillors is unjustifiable

Enhanced Accountability

• Hold annual open meetings where residents can question councillors about allowances
• Publish real-time dashboard of councillor expenses within 30 days of claims
• Require councillors failing to attend 75% of meetings to forfeit basic allowance for that quarter
• Ensure councillors personally respond to constituent correspondence within 14 days

We will deliver savings of approximately 7-11% of the total allowances budget whilst maintaining fair compensation that doesn’t exclude working-class candidates.

Reviewing Governance Systems

We will undertake a review of governance and democracy in Ealing. We will fight the government for the right to hold a local referendum on the system of governance, with a view to moving away from the Cabinet model which has blighted Ealing democracy for so long.

During our tenure, we are committed to a rising share of the council’s discretionary spending going to participatory budgeting – where residents propose and vote on projects such as youth services, park improvements and safety measures.

We will involve residents in a progressive council tax review with a view to providing relief for low-income households.

Ethical and Purposeful Spending

We will ensure council tax income is spent efficiently, ethically and purposefully.

We will:

• Seek pension fund divestment to ensure residents’ taxes do not fund arms companies, weapons systems, illegal wars or occupations
• Invest in ethical organisations, green technologies, renewable industries and other lucrative and ethical forms of investment in the future

We believe in a positive future for Ealing – with a break from Labour’s cronyism, opaque dealings and managed decline of the borough.

An Inclusive Borough

Ealing is an inclusive borough. We will uphold the rights of women, disabled people, migrants, refugees, LGBTQ+ residents and faith communities, ensuring they are represented in decision-making structures.

We will ensure racial equality monitoring and accountability for public figures.

Defending and Rebuilding Our Services

We will defend and rebuild our services. We promise to restore both statutory and discretionary services based on resident needs, oppose outsourcing and privatisation of council services, and bring them back in-house where possible to improve quality, pay and accountability.

Tackling Poverty and Cost-of-Living

We seek to annihilate poverty in the borough and will offer cost-of-living support to help meet this end.

Our local residents need to know we have their back at times of crisis.

We will:

• Provide details and fully communicate resources available such as financial services and support, fair debt collection policies, and advice services so residents can access benefits, housing rights and employment support
• Use council buildings for integrated public service access so that crisis support can be achieved at first contact
• Establish a social fund to help with the cost-of-living crisis

Supporting Community Organisations

We will support community organisations by giving long-term, stable support (grants, low-cost space, technical help) to tenants’ associations, mutual aid groups, co-operatives, social enterprises, welfare hubs and organisations that challenge homelessness – all of which help build local resilience.

Food Security

Food security has become a more pressing issue as a result of government policies.

We will support community kitchens, food co-operatives and school holiday food schemes by responding to requests for support, with a view to moving from emergency food aid to dignified, rights-based approaches.

Libraries: Places of Knowledge and Community

We believe libraries are an important part of our local infrastructure. They provide the ability for people to feel less isolated and socialise with others in person, as well as providing useful tools and resources to enable residents to make contact with other support services. They are places of knowledge, education and development.

We are committed to fully restoring the remaining libraries in Ealing, ensuring access for all.

We will:

• Employ staff to open libraries at weekends for the benefit of all residents
• Review the overall offering to ensure there is enough provision throughout the borough
• Use our libraries to deliver the open transparency, listening and consultation focus that will be the foundation stone of our new council
• Expand digital inclusion by providing access to devices, connectivity and digital skills training through libraries, schools and community hubs
• Ensure free superspeed Wi-Fi and tech resources in libraries along with free skills and development training access

Sports and Leisure Facilities

We will improve our sports and leisure facilities in the borough.

We will:

• Scrap plans for development at Warren Farm and turn the entire area into a haven for wildlife
• Redirect money allocated for Warren Farm entirely into the new leisure and sports centre resource at Gurnell, with completion within three years (to open by the end of 2028)
• Include outdoor sports facilities as well as indoor
• Provide new direct transportation links throughout the borough from Acton to Southall so all residents can use the facilities
• Fund free or low-cost access to sports facilities and other leisure activities everywhere in the borough

Culture, Arts and Harmony

We will actively promote harmony throughout the borough specifically in relation to the characteristics of race, religion, gender, sex, disability and neurodiversity through a programme of culture, arts and heritage.

We will:

• Introduce a “Sanctuary” festival which will bring all communities together
• Back other local community festivals, arts organisations and heritage projects that reflect Ealing’s diverse communities, ensuring access for those on low incomes
• Ensure that cultural activities – including but not limited to theatre, dance, opera, music, film, festival, poetry and prose, and other forms of expression – are fully supported by our council
• Ensure all schoolchildren have an opportunity to see and engage with at least one of the above-mentioned forms before the age of 10
• Initiate education programmes to tackle specific issues (for example, misogyny, racism) aimed at different age ranges

Our Priority: Community Before Profit

We will put “community” back into housing policy. Ealing has suffered from poorly managed developments and developers who put profits before people. We promise to reverse this with truly affordable, high-quality social homes and by resisting speculative overdevelopment.

A Universal Right to Housing

We believe every Ealing resident has a right to decent housing.

We will:

• Build sufficient good-quality, green and innovative social housing at rents working people can afford
• Use every planning tool to maximise new council and housing association homes at social rent levels
• Suspend right-to-buy until sufficient new social housing is built
• Campaign for rent controls to prevent exploitation of tenants
• Freeze rents for council properties
• Clear social housing backlogs within 5 years
• Set a maximum 12-month waiting list for priority families

We promise to publish a full consultative council housing plan within our first year.

Transforming Council Housing

We will enforce minimum standards and deliver real improvements:

• Employ enough council officials to carry out proper inspections and repairs
• Launch a comprehensive insulation programme aligned with Fire Risk Assessments
• Install solar panels across social housing over five years to meet net-zero targets
• Enforce timely statutory reporting in line with best-practice guidelines

These measures will lead to improved health and wellbeing, educational attainment and community cohesion.

Tackling Rogue Landlords

We will enforce decent standards in private housing. We promise to strengthen licensing and enforcement against rogue landlords, including powers to tackle damp, disrepair and illegal evictions.

We will:

• Clamp down on “beds in sheds” whilst acknowledging the housing crisis that creates this market
• Enforce new standards for Houses of Multiple Occupancy (HMOs)
• Specify maximum occupancy as part of planning permission
• Launch an inspection programme for HMOs paid for by landlords
• Drive down rent prices using all available measures

Bringing Empty Properties Back into Use

Empty properties are a wasted resource. We will triple council tax on long-term vacant (12 months) second homes.

We are committed to:

• Purchasing unoccupied private homes at cost for onward sale to local residents
• Compulsory purchasing empty homes for council tenants
• Bringing all unused council properties back into use through repurposing, restoring and repairing

The cost of action is outweighed by the cost of inaction.

Resident-Led Regeneration

We believe residents communally own council properties. We will not sell off public assets.

We promise:

• No demolition of estates without binding ballots
• Full rights of return for all residents
• Like-for-like or better replacement homes
• Developers responsible for impact on community life, putting communities first

We will oppose developer-led planning abuses.

Infrastructure That Serves Communities

All developments will include:

• Public open space maintained by the council
• Sufficient resources: GP surgeries, dentists, community rooms
• Transparent use of developer contributions for local priorities – schools, parks, youth services, sustainable transport

We will enforce developers to use Section 106 money to build infrastructure before commencing the rest of the development.

Ending Homelessness

We will reopen homeless shelters by purchasing non-performing hotels or repossessing empty buildings for refurbishment.

We are committed to supporting existing services and providing safety nets – including temporary accommodation – to end the scandal of homelessness.

A Dedicated Housing Committee

We will establish a distinct Housing Committee – not subsumed into a broader scrutiny committee as is the case currently with Ealing Council.

The committee will:

• Encourage more housing cooperatives and housing associations
• Tighten policies on tall buildings and density, ensuring they are appropriate to location and backed by infrastructure
• Enforce resident input in design
• Consider population density and socioeconomic status in planning
• Find suitable spaces for new communities, cemetery expansion, and new parks and woodland
• Operate with ultimate transparency, consulting residents and community groups

Investment in Public Services, Not Cuts

We stand against austerity and for investment in public services – not cuts, closures or privatisation. We will base our budget on the needs of the borough.

We will tackle health inequalities by supporting mental and physical wellbeing with a holistic approach to services. We will require every major decision on housing, transport, planning and environment to consider its impact on health, wellbeing and disability.

Mental Health and Loneliness

A healthy society functions better.

We will:

• Work with the NHS and voluntary sector to expand early-help mental health support and tackle loneliness, especially among older residents, carers and young people
• Commit to fully funded Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) and reduce waiting lists with meaningful progression
• Ensure anyone accessing mental health services has a first response within weeks rather than months or years
• Provide mandatory training for all council staff in mental health, suicide prevention, domestic violence, abuse and equity
• Embed access to mental health support in youth centres
• Integrate substance abuse support with mental health through outreach services

Adult Social Care

How we support disabled people and older residents is a fundamental reflection of our values as a society.

We will ensure social care meets the needs of all residents requiring support.

For Care Users

We will transform access to social care:

• Speed up the care assessment process to reduce waiting times
• Expand and adequately support a network of Direct Payment users, giving people control over their own care
• Appoint a cross-departmental access group at council level to ensure housing, planning, transport and environmental decisions consider access needs
• Increase supported living options as an alternative to residential care
• Provide adequate and suitable daycare provision across the borough
• Ensure equality and co-production requirements of care users are considered from the outset of all planning decisions

We aspire to social care free at the point of need, following the pioneering example of Hammersmith and Fulham Council, which has provided free home care since 2014.

For Carers

We recognise the vital role of family carers and will provide meaningful support:

• Increase knowledge of and take-up of carer assessments
• Provide benefit advice, financial support and advocacy services
• Extend the provision of respite care
• Examine options for privileging access for carers in Controlled Parking Zones and School Exclusion Zones
• Nominate Ealing as a “Borough for Carers” to show visible commitment to this hidden constituency

For Care Workers

We will ensure fair treatment and professional development for all care workers:

• Guarantee the London Living Wage for ALL care workers – domiciliary, residential and daycare
• Examine privileged access for care workers in Controlled Parking Zones and School Exclusion Zones
• Ensure training, supervision and career progression are considered in all contractual arrangements with care agencies
• Promote fair and stable care using co-operative and not-for-profit care providers
• Make workers’ rights a central tenet of care provision

We will keep open the Michael Flanders Centre in South Acton and use it to help bring the community together.

Supporting Schools and Young People

We will work with schools to improve facilities, mental health support and SEND provision (Special Educational Needs and Disabilities), and challenge the structural inequalities that exist in admissions, exclusions and outcomes.

Universal School Uniform Support

We will implement a universal school uniform support scheme for Years 7 through 11 that caps branded items, provides automatic grants to families and requires schools to offer affordable, non-branded options.

We will introduce an Ealing School Clothing Grant for all Year 7 starters in state-funded schools:

• Minimum of £150 per child entering Year 7, reviewed annually against inflation
• Covers blazer, PE kit, shoes and basic items
• Universal eligibility up to a mid-income threshold
• Automatic payment where possible using existing benefits and council tax reduction data, with simple online and paper applications for others

Children and Early Years Services

Children and early years services are essential foundations of community wellbeing, not optional extras.

We will scrap the Labour policy of closing children’s centres and will keep open all of our current 25 centres, supporting the provision by identifying and promoting the support and services available to parents.

The centres will be upgraded to Sure Start+ standards with a view to the borough becoming a flagship for this type of support.

Youth Services and Youth Voice

Supporting young people is central to building a healthy, confident and cohesive borough.

We will:

• Revive youth services and community investment in youth clubs, youth centres and associated sports activities
• Ensure provision in new developments considers young people, using Section 106 money
• Create a Borough Youth Assembly with direct input into council decisions on housing, safety, education and climate, so that young people can have a say in their future and in how money is spent providing youth services

Prevention, Trust and Equality

We believe community safety is achieved through prevention, trust and addressing inequality as much as enforcement.

Safety must be developed in consultation with the community, ward by ward. We will work with the Safer Ealing Partnership and local groups to create ward-level safety plans focusing on domestic abuse, youth violence and hate crime, with clear accountability for outcomes.

Community Navigators

We will create a Council-employed team of “Navigators” who will report problems, situations and events to the council and police, help residents with everyday issues such as travel information and crime alerts, and act as the “eyes and ears” for council and police enforcement, taking photographic and video evidence as appropriate.

Violence Against Women and Girls

We will prioritise action on violence and harassment against women and girls.

We promise to:

• Support specialist services, safe spaces and education programmes
• Ensure council housing, licensing and public realm policies reflect the realities of women’s safety
• Guarantee refuge access for all women and women with children who are subject to domestic abuse

Youth Services and Crime Prevention

We will focus on prevention of crime by expanding youth services, creating mentoring infrastructure with sports and creative opportunities, especially in areas where young people face the highest risks of exploitation and criminalisation.

An Inclusive and Safe Borough

Ealing is an inclusive borough. We will uphold the rights of all residents with protected characteristics. No resident should be harassed, victimised or intimidated because of the expression of their identity.

We will:

• Support all residents who are victims of domestic abuse, including rehousing
• Recognise that all residents have a right to “gender euphoria”, so long as this right does not restrict others’ rights to the same
• Support residents facing harassment from political or media groups, including help with legal aid, rehousing and protection

Mental Health Crisis Response

We will provide funding to support police-counsellor teams to help de-escalate crises which have the potential to develop into criminality as a result of mental health problems and drug-taking. They will be connected to the police, community officers, wardens and navigators, creating one seamless resource.

Accountable Policing

We will support independent community monitoring of policing and ensure stop-and-search and enforcement powers are used fairly and transparently. We will ensure our law enforcement upholds rights and is accountable to residents.

Community Wealth Building

We will use the council’s economic power to support decent work, small businesses and community wealth building in the borough.

We will ignite community wealth building. We promise to prioritise local, co-operative and not-for-profit suppliers in procurement to keep wealth circulating in Ealing, drawing on emerging good practice in other UK councils.

We will make it explicit that procurement will favour unionised, co-operative, not-for-profit and locally anchored organisations, with a published “progressive procurement” scorecard. We will encourage corporate social responsibility initiatives.

Fair Work and Living Wages

We are committed to supporting the Living Wage and fair work. We will ensure the council and all of its contractors pay at least the London Living Wage and promote trade union recognition and secure contracts.

Reviving Our High Streets

We will revive our high streets.

We promise to:

• Use planning initiatives and business rate reliefs for small independent businesses
• Target support to protect independent shops, markets, cultural venues and community uses in town centres like Southall, Greenford, Acton and Ealing Broadway
• Support “Shop Local” initiatives which provide discount cards for Ealing residents
• Promote our “shop districts” across Ealing and London to ignite current and bring new business into the borough
• Enforce Health and Safety Executive (HSE) policies and environmental protections with fairness and transparency
• Create new market spaces in Acton, Greenford and Southall where street vendors have the space and safety to thrive

Gambling Protections

We recognise the threat of new 24/7 slot machine gambling businesses in creating conditions which could be detrimental to the community. We support and are committed to supporting future changes to the law regarding 24/7 slot machines.

Supporting Start-Ups and Co-operatives

We will support start-ups and co-operatives. We promise to provide affordable workspace and advice for co-operatives, social enterprises and small start-ups, with a focus on underrepresented communities.

Supporting Council Workers

The wellbeing of council workers will be at the heart of our new council.

We will:

• Ensure council and contractors respect union recognition and facility time
• Provide support for local disputes against unsafe conditions, victimisation or wage theft
• Actively oppose privatisation of public services
• Support campaigns against outsourcing in schools, hospitals and other local institutions, not just within the council itself

Climate Justice and Inequality

Our “cleaner and greener” principle appreciates the growing climate emergency whilst ensuring green policies also tackle inequality and public health.

Our local climate justice plan commits to an ambitious but realistic net-zero pathway for council operations and borough-wide emissions. We will prioritise funding for home insulation, cleaner transport and renewable energy on public buildings.

Fair Green Transition

In the transition to carbon-neutral, we must ensure green changes are designed with communities and do not unfairly penalise low-income residents, small businesses or disabled people. We will explore pollution data transparency and traffic control effectiveness for the benefit of all residents.

We will increase biodiversity across the borough by rewilding and using pollinator-friendly plants in areas that could not be used for anything else, particularly road verges, park verges and areas already given back to nature.

Protecting and Enhancing Our Parks

Ealing is well known for its parks and public spaces. They are important to both our physical and mental health.

We will:

• Protect our parks, including restoring Lammas Park from the planned “wetland” into an area that is safe, secure and suitable for all types of recreation
• Look after neglected trees, providing effective tree surgery
• Only plant new trees as part of an ongoing care programme – many new trees are abandoned after planting
• Create a strong canopy in parks to ensure hot weather temperature future-proofing, with remedial work carried out from autumn to spring
• Recruit sufficient park rangers to look after all parks and recreation sites in the borough

Park rangers will listen to community groups and residents to identify problems, help develop a strategy for their park or recreation area, and report appropriately.

We will review the use of parks for festivals where the park is rendered useless to residents for the duration of the festival. We will prioritise free events for residents over paying events for non-borough residents.

We will ensure all green spaces in Ealing remain green spaces, including purchasing any loss-making golf courses or land threatened for development.

Managing All Open Spaces

Many new development open spaces are managed by the development’s managing agent and paid for by leaseholders. We will move for Ealing Council to manage all open spaces that have open access for the benefit of all residents.

We will review the mechanics of street development:

• Remove unnecessary street clutter and improve aesthetics with better materials and lighting
• Remove or reduce trees that have outgrown a street (probably inappropriately planted) and replace with trees that when mature will grow to an appropriate size in an appropriate location
• Some appropriate trees will provide low canopy cover, helping with hot temperatures and future-proofing

Clean Up Ealing

One of our priorities will be to “Clean up Ealing”.

We will:

• Improve street cleaning with at least weekly cleaning of streets in high-priority areas (shopping districts)
• Tackle fly-tipping with better infrastructure and enforcement
• Locate a facility in Southall and in Acton where local people may move items for pick-up
• Scrap charges for pick-up of bulky items for up to three pick-ups per year per council tax account
• Remove the necessity to book a time at the Greenford recycling centre and increase opening hours by two hours each day
• Expand repair, reuse and recycling initiatives, including providing more waste electrical item bins (possibly located at all local supermarkets)

Public Toilets

We will increase the number of public toilets by adapting existing council buildings so there is at least one main public toilet in each town in the borough. We will also ensure there is access to a toilet in every park in the borough.

New Cemeteries and Burial Services

We will create a new cemetery in the town of Southall which will include a woodland section and a Garden of Peace. We will ensure burials can go ahead in this new cemetery at weekends and holidays.

We will:

• Review burial costs
• Review post-mortem procedures and timings to ensure burials can happen within days of death
• Expand current cemeteries
• Increase security and opening hours for the benefit of all residents

Coherent and Fair Transport

Our coherent and fair transport policy will make moving around the borough more efficient, safer, healthier and more affordable whilst respecting local concerns and evidence about what works.

Safer Active Travel

We will make active travel safer for all road users. We recognise we are all users of multiple forms of transport, and we want to help our residents make the most efficient and appropriate choices when considering a journey.

We will:

• Establish and communicate best joined-up routes for walking, cycling and driving through the borough
• Discuss this with residents in advance
• Appraise high-demand crossings and school streets, prioritising collision hotspots and routes to schools and town centres
• Increase funding to educate young people in safer active travel through the TfL Travel for Life programme (formerly known as STARS)
• Focus on and tackle illegally parked cars
• Provide funding to introduce walking buses

Inclusive and Transparent Traffic Management

We will introduce inclusive and transparent approaches to traffic management.

We promise to:

• Consult residents, disability groups and traders on improvements to traffic flow (for example, one-way systems)
• Review existing traffic schemes on a ward-by-ward basis, keeping, altering or removing them based on clear evidence and local views
• Improve pavements and roads, widening or narrowing in high-use areas
• Improve road conditions, fix potholes and make cycle lanes appropriate and fit for purpose
• Initially focus on improving high-use areas of Ealing Broadway junctions and the area around Southall Station

Improving Public Transport

We recognise the success of access to public transport is an important priority to our residents.

We will:

• Work with Transport for London and rail operators to improve reliability and accessibility, particularly to Southall and Acton Main Line station
• Campaign vigorously for the overdue step-free access to all tube stations in the borough that has been long promised
• Listen to residents’ views on the integration between buses, tubes and trains and promote these ideas with Transport for London, the Mayor’s Office and rail operators
• Focus on resolving the problem of electric bike parking and safe storage planning
• Communicate and co-operate with other boroughs with a view to creating a cross-borough electric bike hire plan
• Review the general use of electric bikes to ensure it is efficient and as inexpensive as possible
• Use council staff to monitor its usage

Fair Parking and Enforcement

Our residents want fair parking and enforcement in the borough.

We will:

• Design parking policy and enforcement around safety, equality and local need, with clear communication, fair appeals and residents’ priority over commuter parking
• Introduce borough-wide car permits and standardise existing parking zones where there is resident support
• Increase the availability and make blue badge parking easier and more effective for disabled people
• Re-introduce, where required, stop-and-shop parking spaces with time limits up to an hour
• Remove parking app requirements where not required (for example, stop-and-shop parking)

Parking wardens will be tasked with prioritising illegally parked cars (such as those who park on double yellow lines) and motorists idling (leaving the car running) when parked.