Lib Dem First to Declare Candidacy in General Election

Jon Ball says he will campaign in Ealing Central and Acton

rupa and steve pound

Rupa Huq celebrates her 2015 win with Steve Pound

Related links

Ruth Cadbury Wins for Labour in Brentford and Isleworth

Ealing Tories Claim Rupa Huq Involved in 'Political Stunt'

Ed Miliband Applauds Local Candidates on Visit to Area

Participate

Sign up for an email newsletter from: ActonW3.com, BrentfordTW8.com, ChiswickW4.com, EalingToday.co.uk

Within minutes of Theresa May announcing a snap General Election, Jon Ball has announced that he will be standing for the Ealing Central and Acton constituency on behalf of the Liberal Democrats.

He said: ''"This election provides Ealing and Acton residents with a chance to stop Theresa May's damaging policy of hard Brexit. The only way to deprive May of a majority in this election is for the Liberal Democrats to gain seats from both the Conservatives and Labour. Ealing and Acton residents voted to remain in last year's referendum. You now have a chance to stop a hard Brexit by voting Liberal Democrat in June."

The move seems to rule out any pro-Remain alliance in the seat which voted strongly against leaving the European Union in last year's referendum. There had been some suggestions earlier that the Liberal Democrats would not contest marginal seats with Labour MPs who had voted in Parliament against Brexit.

Jon Ball
Jon Ball

Labour have won the Ealing Central and Acton seat in 2015 with a small majority. The MP for the constituency is currently Dr Rupa Huq who beat the incumbent Conservative, Angie Bray with a majority of just 274 votes.

It is understood that planned boundary changes will not be put into effect in time for the election and that it will be contested using the previous boundaries. This means that plans to incorporate the part of Chiswick which lies in the constituency into a new Brentford and Chiswick seat will not be implemented before the vote.

Rupa Huq said: '' The Prime Minister has put the interests of party before those of the country. Theresa May who stated on 7 separate occasions she wouldn’t call a snap election has performed a monumental u- turn and this shows how she and her government simply can’t be trusted.

''I will be fighting this election on my record of opposing the Tory government, which all polls indicate and its hard Brexit, disastrous plans for the NHS, cuts in local school budgets in Ealing, Acton and Chiswick and austerity Britain. Labour remains to best hope for this this, other spoiler parties would only hand the seat to the Tories.

''It has been the greatest honour of my life to serve my home community and represent the streets I grew up in as MP and I look forward to continuing doing so.''

 

Ealing Central and Acton - May 2015

Candidate

Party

Votes % Change

Huq, Rupa

Labour Party

22,000
43.2
+13.1

Bray, Angie

Conservative

21,728
42.7
+4.7

Ball, Jon

Liberal Democrat

3,106
6.1
-21.5

Florence, Peter

UK Independence Party

1,926
3.8
+2.2

Sharman, Tom

Green Party

1,841
3.6
+2.1

Notley, Jonathan

Independent

126
0.2
+0.2
Dore, Scott Workers' Revolutionary Party
73
0.1
+0.1
Rygielski, Andrzej Europeans Party
64
0.1
+0.1

Rendle, Tammy

Above and Beyond

39
0.1
+0.1
Majority
274
0.0
 
Turnout
71.4
0.5
 

In 2010, Angie Bray won the newly created seat with a majority of 3,716, representing a swing from Labour to the Conservatives of 5%.

Result From May 2010

Candidate

Party

Votes % Change*

Bray, Angie

Conservative

17,944
38.0
+6.8

Mahfouz, Bassam

Labour Party

14,228
30.1
-3.2

Ball, Jon

Liberal Democrat

13,041
27.6
-3.0

Carter, Julie

UK Independence Party

765
1.6
+1.6

Edwards, Sarah

Green Party

737
1.6
-3.3

Fernandes, Suzanne

Christian Party

295
0.6
+0.6

Akaki, Sam

Independent

190
0.4
+0.4
Majority
3716
7.9
 
Turnout
47,200
74.3
 

* Change is based on notional constituency assuming boundary changes applied in 2005

We await to hear which other candidates will be standing.

April 19 2017 (updated)

Bookmark and Share