I've met Minni Dogra who is standing in Southall Green ward - she seems pretty committed to improving Southall. I'd choose her than Peter Mason any day. The following article might be helpful: The truth has become impossible to ignore: Southall’s local politics have become a theatre of broken promises and empty gestures. The same parties return every election cycle with the same tired script; activists appear on doorsteps and at places of worship, offering handshakes, smiles, and assurances that they have little or no intention of keeping. They are simply playing politics, their performance designed to secure votes while delivering very little in return. This long-standing betrayal has given rise to the Ealing Community Independents, a group formed by local residents determined to fight for real and meaningful change. Established parties continue to treat Southall as an afterthought: vital services have been cut, community assets sold off, and residents systematically excluded from decisions that shape their lives. The result is a town left to decline while elected councillors look the other way. The Evidence of Failure A walk through Southall reveals what the group describes as unmistakable failures: a housing crisis forcing families into overcrowded and substandard accommodation while developers profit; rising crime left unchecked; drug dealers operating openly; traffic gridlocked on crumbling roads; and infrastructure visibly deteriorating. These are not isolated issues, the Independents argue, they are the predictable outcome of years of neglect by parties more interested in retaining power than using it responsibly to improve residents quality of life. Crisis in Representation The problems run deeper than policy failures alone. Serious questions have been raised about the calibre of councillors sent to represent Southall in the council chamber. Observers ask whether councillors who struggle with basic English or lack elementary IT skills can effectively advocate for their communities. While a small number are acknowledged to work hard for their wards, too many, critics say, arrive unprepared, contribute little in meetings, and reinforce Southall’s status as Ealing’s neglected corner. The Independents place responsibility squarely with Labour and the Conservatives. Both parties, they argue, have abandoned any pretence of maintaining standards. Candidate selection prioritises party loyalty over competence and electoral calculation over capability. The message is clear: in Southall, any warm body willing to wear the right rosette will suffice. The truth, say the Community Independents, is that this is more than just incompetence, it is contempt. The parties that claim to serve Southall have instead presided over its managed decline, turning what should be a vibrant community into a cautionary tale of what happens when power matters more than service. A Different Approach The Ealing Community Independents present themselves as a rejection of this corrupt bargain. Their members are not career politicians seeking the next rung on the ladder, but residents who live with the consequences of poor decisions and answer only to the communities they are part of. The Ealing Community Independents’ platform is built on a clear set of principles. They treat housing as a fundamental right, not a commodity, and commit to fighting for genuinely affordable social housing. The Group rejects developer-led schemes that are falsely branded “affordable” while remaining unaffordable for most local families. They oppose all austerity measures, insisting that cuts, closures, privatisations, and service reductions are political choices, not economic necessities, and vow to resist them outright. Progressive values, anti-racism, and authentic public service are non-negotiable foundations for every council decision. Their environmental policy links climate action directly to community wellbeing, prioritising economic justice, cleaner air, and accessible green spaces over abstract targets. They also demand ethical governance, including cutting council ties with companies complicit in breaches of international law, in Palestine and elsewhere. Time for Change Supporters of the Independents argue that Southall’s established parties have had decades of opportunities but have failed comprehensively. Voting for Labour or Conservative candidates while hoping for different outcomes this time fits the classic definition of insanity: repeating the same action and expecting a different result. The case for independent representation is straightforward: dedicated, capable councillors who owe nothing to party machines and everything to the people who elected them may be Southall’s only realistic path to change. The group recognises that old voting habits die hard. Yet Southall’s population is changing, and frustration with the status quo has reached breaking point. The question is no longer whether change will come, but whether residents will seize the chance to shape their future, or hand power back to those who have already proven they cannot be trusted with it. https://southall.substack.com/p/southall-deserves-better

Entire Thread

Topic	Date Posted	Posted By
Ealing Community Independents	09/04/26 13:46:00	Sukh Sagar
Re:Ealing Community Independents	09/04/26 13:48:00	Sukh Sagar
Re:Re:Ealing Community Independents	09/04/26 15:13:00	N V Brooks
Re:Re:Re:Ealing Community Independents	09/04/26 15:36:00	Rosco White
Re:Re:Re:Re:Ealing Community Independents	09/04/26 17:45:00	Sukh Sagar
Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Ealing Community Independents	09/04/26 20:22:00	Anthony Hawran

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