Leader of Ealing Conservative Group Resigns
Party had fallen to third place behind Lib Dems under Gregory Stafford
Cllr Stafford plans to spend more time with his family
The leader of the Conservative Group on Ealing Council, Gregory Stafford, has announced that he his stepping down. His decision comes after his party ended the local elections with the third highest number of seats making the Liberal Democrats the official oppostion.
He will continue as a councillor, having been re-elected for the Hanger Hill ward, but says he will be spending more time with his family and on his work for charity.
The Conservatives lost seats in Northfield, Ealing Common and Hanger Hill where Nigel Sumner failed to get elected after serving on the council for 28 years.
This represented a massive set back for the party which had recently as 2010 had been the largest party on the borough council.
Cllr Stafford’s eight year long leadership of the group had not been without its controversy with some party members unhappy about the way candidates were selected to represent wards after vacancies occurred.
He issued a statement on his resignation saying, “I am immensely proud of the hard work and achievements of the Conservative Group during my time as Leader, from saving local libraries from closure, to successfully stopping tower blocks being built on green spaces, and helping to remove the unwanted and counterproductive so-called ‘Low Traffic Neighbourhoods’, Conservative councillors have consistently campaigned on the side of residents.
“The next four years will be both a challenge and opportunity for the Conservative Group, and whoever takes my place will need to have both the mettle and experience to treat those two imposters just the same; always remembering that everything we do must be for the benefit of residents not the Council.”
The Liberal Democrats had targeted Hanger Hill ward, which had previously been seen as a Tory stronghold, and one of their candidates Athena Zissimos topped the poll.
In Ealing Common, new Lib Dem Councillor Connie Hersch, was elected alongside existing Councillor Jon Ball. In Southfield ward Gary Busuttil, Gary Malcolm and Andrew Steed increased their margin of victory taking half of the vote.
There are now six Liberal Democrats on Ealing Council
Councillor Gary Malcolm, Liberal Democrat Opposition Group Leader, said, “Liberal Democrats have put the Ealing Conservatives, who sided with Boris Johnson’s lies, and taken Ealing residents for granted, have been put now on notice. Liberal Democrats will work as a strong opposition to stand up for residents against Ealing Labour to make Ealing clean and safe. We will serve Ealing with humility and listen to residents over the next four years.”
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May 10, 2022