Conference Season Ends. Silly Season at Hounslow Just Starting

Chiswick Gunnersbury ward councillor Ron Mushiso reports back

Cllr Ron Mushiso at a policy forum at the Conservative Party conference

October 12, 2026

As I drove up to Birmingham last weekend for the Conservative Party Conference, news was breaking of yet more difficulties for Labour in Hounslow. Another Labour councillor had been charged with fraud, a development that would subsequently see Cllr Athwal lose the Labour whip. Then came further questions surrounding Cllr Sue Sampson, a senior figure in the Labour administration, and her failure to initially declare a directorship and shareholding in a company involved in residential property business.

For someone with such seniority and experience in the council as Cllr Sue Sampson, this raises understandable questions. It is particularly striking given the controversy surrounding Cllr Rehman in the previous Labour Administration over the declaration of interests in companies associated with him. We say it repeatedly about this Labour group; residents deserve transparency and they need to have confidence that the rules governing elected representatives are being followed by experienced councillors. Mistakes can and do happen of course, but declaration of interest as reported in the press seems very black and white to me.

Conference season

With party conference season now behind us, attention turns back to local matters; at least until the Chancellor delivers the Budget on 28 October. And there is certainly no shortage of stories take us into the budget announcements.

The Conservative Party Conference had a renewed feel to it this year, with a real sense of optimism and confidence under Kemi Badenoch’s leadership. There was a clearer sense of what we stand for: limited government, personal responsibility and empowering communities. I thought about the current C9 consultation as I spoke to fellow councillors from across the country. I thought about how a Conservative administration in Hounslow would approach the issue. We need not look far. In Kensington and Chelsea, we have seen a Conservative-led council stand up to Sadiq Khan and put residents’ concerns first. That is the principle we should all follow in Hounslow: power should flow upwards from residents, not downwards from Hounslow House.

Left: Meeting with Alex Burgart -Deputy Leader. Right: Meeting fellow Conservative councillors from Surrey

Labour in a mess. Again

On 21 October, Hounslow Council is due to hold an emergency meeting following the confusion surrounding the council meeting on 15 September. That meeting saw attempts to progress changes to the council’s constitution alongside legally required planning changes, raising serious questions about Labour’s obsession with tinkering with the constitution to tighten their grip on power. This time however, Labour’s plan backfired. It was pointed out by an Independent councillor, that due process was not followed, and that the council came dangerously close to breaking the law. In a stalemate the opposition parties united to ensure that the council acted lawfully, by differing the statutory process to the 21 st October.

Residents should not have to worry about whether their council is following the law. The constitution exists to ensure proper governance, transparency and accountability. They do wish for our local democracy to watered through procedural confusion or political manoeuvring to cling to power. The council members must now work to get this right.

But hold on. It doesn’t end there for Labour, on 27 October, comes Cllr Athwal’s court hearing, followed the very next day by the Chancellor’s Budget. With the possibility of a by-election also on the horizon, the coming weeks could prove significant for both our local and national politics.

These latest developments come against the backdrop of Labour losing its overall majority on Hounslow Council for the first time since returning to power in 2010. An administration that once relied on its numbers to push through decisions must now confront a quite different political reality.

We have previously seen Labour attempts to exert greater political control over our Area Forums, including changes to the appointment of deputy chairs in Chiswick and Heston. Two Green party Councillors we fast tracked to deputy chair roles without the consent of other Area Forum members. These Forums have always been member led (by a majority) and in my 20 years of experience of local democratic process, they have places where the administration has kept clear and not exerted its influence. Until this year, with this Labour Administration. Chiswick Area Forum should belong to Chiswick. As chair I will continue stress the protection of our independence from this Labour Administration.

We are an administration in waiting

While Labour grapples with its own problems, Conservatives are focused on the future and on providing the leadership Hounslow needs. We are the administration in waiting, and we intend to demonstrate that we are ready to give the London Borough of Hounslow a fresh start.

That means getting the basics right, respecting proper procedures, listening, and responding to residents and ensuring that local government works for the people who pay for it. We are not just talking the talk; I hope that the last few months has showed that Conservative councillors across the borough, are walking the walk as the credible alternative.

Cllr Ron Mushiso

ron.mushiso@hounslow.gov.uk

07976 702887

DEMOCRACY: DATES FOR YOUR DIARY

Anyone can attend public meetings of the council. Hounslow House is fully accessible. Hounslow Central tube station is not step-free. The 237 bus stops nearby. Parking in local roads is limited.

Principal meetings are broadcast live on the Council’s YouTube channel

CONSERVATIVE COUNCILLORS CONTACT INFO

Chiswick Gunnersbury ward

Cllr Joanna Biddolph joanna.biddolph@hounslow.gov.uk 07976 703446

Cllr Vickram Grewal vickram.grewal@hounslow.gov.uk 07904 184099

Cllr Ron Mushiso ron.mushiso@hounslow.gov.uk 07976 702887

Chiswick Homefields ward

Cllr Michael Denniss Michael.Denniss@hounslow.gov.uk

Cllr Jack Emsley jack.emsley@hounslow.gov.uk 07977 396017

Cllr Linden Grigg Linden.Grigg@hounslow.gov.uk 07779 436258

Chiswick Riverside ward

Cllr Gabriella Giles gabriella.giles@hounslow.gov.uk 07966 270823