All change for Ealing Lib Dems following election success (Ealing Liberal Democrats)

Ealing Liberal Democrats <info@ealinglibdems.org.uk>

All change for Ealing Lib Dems following election success

May 20, 2010 11:13 AM

The new Ealing Lib Dem Council group (left to right Cllr Jon Ball, Cllr Andrew Steed, Cllr Nigel Bakhai, Cllr Gary Malcolm and Cllr Harvey Rose)

Gary Malcolm has become the new Liberal Democrat Council Group Leader in Ealing this month following the local elections.

The Liberal Democrats made gains in the recent elections winning two more seats including all three in the Southfield ward that Gary Malcolm represents, retaining Jon Ball in Ealing Common and picking up an additional seat in Elthorne ward.

Cllr Malcolm praised the outgoing leader Cllr Harvey Rose saying that he was someone who always gave him sound advice and picked up on the Council's 'failings' in areas such as arts and heritage, as well as making a great contribution to planning policy in Chiswick generally. Cllr Rose had been the Lib Dem Council Group leader for sixteen years and will now take up the mantle of Deputy Group leader in the new expanded council group. Jon Ball remains as the group's Chief Whip, and he is joined in the council chamber by Cllr Andrew Steed representing Southfield ward and Cllr Nigel Bakhai in Elthorne ward.

Cllr. Malcolm said: "I am confident that the Liberal Democrats can continue to make future electoral gains in Ealing because of the hard work we put in between elections."

Cllr Malcolm has committed the Lib Dem group to holding the new Labour administration to account, particularly in the way that it consults residents, ensuring that the council treats residents as customers rather than as an income stream, and in the council's management of its contractors.