Lib Dems Announce Candidate Slate for Hanger Hill | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Ward is top target for party at forthcoming local elections
The Liberal Democrats have finalised their candidate selection for the Hanger Hill ward for the forthcoming council elections. The party sees the ward as one of its best opportunities to win more seats on Ealing Council. They have chosen Jonathan Oxley, Mark Sanders and Athena Zissimos as their candidates. Athena Zissimos stood in the by election in the ward in May last year and increased the Lib Dems vote although they finished third behind the Labour candidate. Hanger Hill By-election May 2021
Jonathan Oxley was a Conservative Councillor in 2006 but recently defected to the Liberal Democrats. Athena Zissimos said, “I am very proud to be the Liberal Democrat candidate for Hanger Hill. I hope to be the local voice for my ward, that for too long has been neglected by both the Labour Council and our Tory councillors who have all but forgotten us. It is time for our voices to be heard. Liberal Democrats say that fly-tipping and litter, street drinking and feeling unsafe with the streets shrouded in darkness because of the dimmed lights, are big issues that need to be fixed.” Jonathan Oxley added, “It’s time to replace the ineffectual Conservative councillors who’ve been taking Hanger Hill for granted for too long.” Most observers believe that Labour will comfortably retain overall control of the council and the main issue to be decided on 5 May is who will be the largest opposition party. If the Lib Dems win all three seats in Hanger Hill they would feel confident of having more councillors than the Conservatives. The Conservatives, who currently hold all three seats in the wards have selected the three sitting councillors to contest the seat including NHS GP Fabio Conti who held onto the ward in the 2021 by election, Nigel Sumner who has represented the seat since 1994 and Gregory Stafford who is currently leader of the Conservative Group on the council. A member of the Conservative party who lives locally said, “Perhaps at the height of Partygate this ward might have been in play but I think the Lib Dems are now getting a bit over excited. The by election result was held at the same time as the Mayoral election which boosted turnout and favoured opposition parties. I think we will hang on to all three seats.”
March 9, 2022
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