To the residents of Ealing North and across our borough,

During the 2024 Parliamentary election, more than 7.3% of voters in Ealing North placed their trust in me and supported our campaign for stronger, independent representation. I remain deeply grateful to everyone who gave me their vote, their time, and their encouragement. That support showed clearly that many people across our community want a different kind of politics, one that puts residents before party interests.

Today I want to speak directly to those supporters, and to residents across Ealing, Southall, Greenford, Acton and the wider borough, about the upcoming local elections.

I am proud to announce my full support for the candidates of the Ealing Community Independents who are standing in these elections. These are local residents who understand the real challenges our communities face and who are committed to standing up for the interests of the people who live here.

For far too long, Ealing Council has been controlled by the Labour Party, and unfortunately the record of this Labour-run council has left many residents deeply disappointed. Despite repeated promises over many years, too many of the basic services and responsibilities that residents rely on have not improved and in some cases have deteriorated.

Residents across the borough continue to raise serious concerns about:

• Housing pressures and planning decisions that many feel are not serving local families while waiting lists continue to grow.
• Poor responsiveness from the council when residents report issues or seek help with local problems.
• Street cleanliness, fly-tipping and waste management, which many residents feel has not been properly addressed.
• Lack of transparency and accountability in council decision-making, where residents often feel their voices are not heard.
• Underinvestment in public facilities and local infrastructure that communities rely on every day.

After years of promises and repeated commitments, many residents are asking a simple question: why should the same leadership continue if the results are not improving for local people?

This is why I strongly support the Ealing Community Independents manifesto, which focuses on practical, community-focused policies that directly address many of the concerns residents have raised.

As outlined in their manifesto, the Ealing Community Independents are committed to improving parks, public spaces and environmental services across the borough. Their proposals include:

• Increasing the number of public toilets by adapting existing council buildings and ensuring access in parks across the borough.
• Creating a new cemetery in Southall, including a woodland section and Garden of Peace, while reviewing burial costs and ensuring burials can take place quickly and respectfully, including at weekends and holidays.
• Expanding and improving existing cemeteries, with better security and longer opening hours for families.

They also propose practical steps to improve the borough’s environment and daily services, including:

• A major initiative to clean up Ealing, improving street cleaning and tackling fly-tipping with better enforcement and infrastructure.
• Free bulky waste collections for residents and better recycling initiatives.
• Expanding recycling facilities and increasing opening hours at recycling centres.

The manifesto also focuses strongly on better management of open spaces and greener neighbourhoods, including:

• Ensuring that all open spaces accessible to the public are properly managed by the council for the benefit of residents rather than private managing agents.
• Improving street design and tree planting so that trees are planted in the right locations and properly maintained.
• Creating stronger tree canopy cover across the borough to help tackle heat and improve urban environments.

On the environmental front, the manifesto also promotes climate justice and a fair green transition, ensuring that environmental policies protect public health while not unfairly penalising low-income residents, small businesses or vulnerable communities.

Another key priority is protecting and enhancing Ealing’s parks, which are essential for both physical and mental wellbeing. The manifesto proposes:

• Protecting parks from overdevelopment.
• Improving tree care and planting programmes.
• Recruiting more park rangers to maintain parks and respond to residents’ concerns.
• Ensuring that parks remain available for residents and not dominated by commercial events.
• Safeguarding green spaces across the borough for future generations.

These are practical, community-focused policies, and they reflect many of the same priorities and values that I campaigned for in the 2024 election better services, stronger accountability, protection of our local environment, and leadership that genuinely listens to residents.

That is why I am proud to fully support the Ealing Community Independents and their manifesto.

If you supported me in the 2024 election, I respectfully ask you to support these independent community candidates in the upcoming local elections wherever they are standing across Ealing North, Southall and Ealing Central & Acton and surrounding areas.

In wards where Ealing Community Independent candidates are not standing, I would encourage residents to consider supporting Green Party candidates as an alternative, particularly for those who want to see a change from the current Labour-run council and are looking for a political alternative that supports environmental responsibility and community accountability.

This election is an opportunity for residents across the borough to send a clear message that Ealing deserves better leadership, better services and a council that truly listens to its communities.

Thank you again to everyone who supported me in 2024 and to all those who continue to believe in independent voices and community-focused leadership in local politics.

Together we can work towards greater accountability, stronger representation and a better future for Ealing.

Sam Habeeb
Former Parliamentary Candidate – Ealing North