Labour dominance continues in Ealing as Tories slip to third place

Labour maintained their vice-like grip on Ealing Council, claiming 59 of the 70 seats and snatching two off the Conservatives.

Ealing’s Labour council leader Peter Mason said: “That absolutely shows that Labour is on the side of people who know they’re facing a really difficult set of circumstances with the cost of living increase and we’re so pleased to be able to represent people over the next four years, to solve all of those problems.”

For the first time ever, the Liberal Democrats outperformed the Conservatives, winning six seats to the Tories five, meaning they will be official party in opposition in Ealing. 

Councillor Jon Ball, representing the Liberal Democrats in Ealing Common since 2002, confirmed his party’s push in the ward, in the heart of the strong Labour council, saying: “In Ealing Common we found a lot of people are unhappy with the Tories over national issues and disgusted with Boris Johnson but also a lot of people are very unhappy with Labour locally over the general unresponsiveness of the council, dirty streets and so on. 

“People are angry with the Tories nationally and angry with Labour locally, so they’re coming to us from both sides.”

He was certainly proven right to an extent, as he now has a fellow Liberal Democrat at his side in Ealing Common for the first time in 20 years, Connie Hersch. 

The good news for Labour in Ealing reflects the trend across London.

Labour council leader Peter Mason deemed it, “a very good night not just for Labour in Ealing but also right across London. We’ve made gains in Wandsworth, we’ve made gains in Barnet.” 

However, praise for the Labour leader was far from universal. Surfiyan Abdul-Qayum, 20, chose to stand for the first time with the Ealing Independent Network, in Mason’s own ward of Southall Green, citing unresponsiveness to his constituents. 

He said of councillor Mason in particular, “he neglects us, he doesn’t respond to emails, he blocks us on Twitter, he doesn’t answer calls.” 

In what was the biggest test of public opinion for the Conservatives since the 2019 general election, like many a Labour councillor this morning, Mason cast his thoughts to the national level

He said: “Next step is of course a Labour government, which is what we really need if we’re going to be able to solve all the problems that we know people face.”