Former mayor Umesh Chander Sharma joins Conservatives
Former Mayor (1998/99) and Labour councillor (1990-2002), Umesh Chander Sharma, has left the Labour party and joined the Conservatives.
Mr Sharma said that three and a half years of a Conservative Council had demonstrated a sharp contrast with Labour in terms of getting things done for the local community, and he saw the Conservatives as the best party to deliver for Southall and the UK as a whole. Umesh Chander Sharma said:
“I have been really impressed with what a difference the Conservative Council has made to Southall in terms of cleaner streets, serious investment in the town centre, and better value for the Council tax payer. I look forward to working with Cllr Gurcharan Singh and the rest of the Southall Conservative team to ensure we build on these achievements and make Southall an even better place to live.”
Leader of the Council, Cllr Jason Stacey, welcomed Umesh Chander Sharma to the Conservative Party. He said:
“I am delighted that Umesh has come home to the Conservatives and look forward to working with him and the rest of the Southall team to build on our improvements to Southall. The days when Labour could take Southall for granted are well and truly over, and having an experienced and respected former Mayor on board really underlines the fact that Southall residents have a choice.”
However the Labour leader on Ealing Council Julian Bell called Mr Sharma a 'turncoat' and said:
''Umesh Chander Sharma for his own personal agenda seems to have conveniently forgotten that the local Tories have sold off Southall Community Centre and other community assets, broken numerous promises to regenerate Spikesbridge Park, ripped off local people to the tune of millions of pounds in unfair traffic and parking fines and abandoned Southall as they pump money into the more affluent parts of the Borough.”
November 18, 2009