More Elections and Then the Next Area Forum
Chiswick Gunnersbury councillor Ron Mushiso reports back
Cllr Ron Mushiso
June 29, 2024
Twelve months ago, I was honoured to be selected as the Greater London Authority (GLA) candidate for Southwest London. It was a tremendous privilege to have been chosen by members of the Conservative Party across three boroughs, including the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames, the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, and the London Borough of Hounslow.
What followed was a rigorous and enlightening ten-month campaign spanning seven parliamentary constituencies. Despite having a small team of councillors and activists, we managed to cover significant ground. However, we found ourselves contending with a challenging political climate in London. Our opponents effectively framed their campaign as a referendum on the serving Conservative government rather than a vote on London's governance and the selection of the best advocate for South West London at City Hall. Ultimately, the electorate chose to retain Sadiq Khan as Mayor and elected Gareth Roberts AM from the Liberal Democrats as their representative for Southwest London. I wished them both well, as they settle into their first 100 days in a new municipal administration.
Snap General Election has meant no time to rest and recover
June and July should have marked the end of my campaigning season for at least three or four months thereafter. However, the calling of a snap election less than three weeks after the London Election caught us all by surprise.
This development compelled me to return to the campaign trail. Although I had aspired to stand as a Parliamentarian in the General Elections, the timing prevented me from targeting a constituency and presenting my case as prospective parliamentarian. Nonetheless, with hundreds of colleagues seeking selection, I decided to take on a supportive role this time around.
Laura Blumenthal and Andrew Dinsmore on 4th July
One such colleague is Laura Blumenthal who is standing locally as the Conservative Candidate for Brentford and Isleworth. Her family hails from Chiswick, and she works in the City, where she promotes support for small businesses. Laura served as a councillor for ten years, during which she led the launch of an anti-poverty strategy, thus gaining substantial experience in campaigning for residents. Laura advocates for prioritising infrastructure in new housing developments to ensure the quality of life for existing residents is enhanced rather than diminished. She supports the Government’s plans for 8,000 new police officers and the new childcare offer of 30 hours of free childcare per week for working parents of children aged nine months to five years, starting in September 2025. Additionally, she welcomes our outer London Conservatives' pledge to roll back the ULEZ expansion. Laura aims to foster greater pride in the local area, recognising our rich heritage, culture, and significant contribution this borough has given to the UK economy. She is committed to championing more investment along the Great West corridor, improving green spaces and waterways, and supporting small businesses through growth-promoting policies.
Another colleague is Councillor Andrew Dinsmore from the Hammersmith and Fulham Council. Councillor Dinsmore made headlines earlier this year by presenting an online petition with over 140,000 signatures to the Home Office, which directly led to the inclusion of machetes in the ban on the sale of so-called 'zombie' knives in the UK. Following the redrawing of parliamentary boundaries, the three Chiswick wards now form part of a new seat called Hammersmith and Chiswick.
Chairing the Chiswick Area Forum - 24th September 2024
The Chiswick Area Forum was postponed this month due to the brief election campaign period that followed the snap election announcement in May. In a way, I am pleased with the rescheduled date, as it affords me more time to develop an agenda by consulting more of residents and various groups that make Chiswick special. The Area Forum meeting that follows the borough council AGM (Election of new mayor for Hounslow) in May of each year, can be tricky to organise. As Chiswick Councillors, we have tended to announce our rotation for charring Chiswick area Forum at these meetings. Given the quick turnaround between Council AGM and the June Area Forums that follow, the new chair is limited somewhat in setting the agenda. The postponement therefore is a blessing as it gives me sufficient time to consult residents and plan a full agenda.
Cllr Mushiso at an Area Forum
I will be taking the reins for only the second time after an eventful 2022, where we sought solutions for issues such as Cycleway 9 (C9), Low Traffic Neighbourhoods (LTNs), and antisocial behaviour (ASB). Unfortunately, these issues persist, and we will continue to work with all stakeholders to make Chiswick a better place.
Therefore, I am excited about chairing the Area Forum once more. It is a platform that helps to initiate conversations and debates to improve Chiswick. I urge you to get in touch and suggest topics that you feel the council and its officers need to address to enhance our community. The next Area Forum will be held on 24th September 2024.
Cllr Ron Mushiso
ron.mushiso@hounslow.gov.uk
07976 702887
CONSERVATIVE COUNCILLOR SURGERIES
Chiswick: Every Saturday from 9.30am to 10.30am at Chiswick Library (the eight Conservative councillors take this surgery in turn).
Gunnersbury: First Saturday of the month from 10am to 11am at The Gunnersbury Triangle Club, Triangle Way, off The Ridgeway, W3 8LU (at least one of the Chiswick Gunnersbury ward councillors takes this surgery).
CONSERVATIVE COUNCILLORS and CONTACTS
Chiswick Gunnersbury (was Turnham Green) ward
Cllr Ranjit Gill ranjit.gill@hounslow.gov.uk 07976 702956
Cllr Ron Mushiso ron.mushiso@hounslow.gov.uk 07976 702887
Chiswick Homefields ward
Cllr Jack Emsley jack.emsley@hounslow.gov.uk 07977 396017
Cllr Gerald McGregor gerald.mcgregor@hounslow.gov.uk 07866 784821
Cllr John Todd john.todd@hounslow.gov.uk 07866 784651
Chiswick Riverside ward
Cllr Gabriella Giles gabriella.giles@hounslow.gov.uk 07966 270823
Cllr Peter Thompson peter.thompson@hounslow.gov.uk 07977 395810
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