On Thursday, September 10, there were by-elections held in three borough wards in Ealing following the general election in July. These elections were held because the councillors had become MPs. The Hanger Hill race was different this time because the councillor who successfully ran for parliament was a Conservative named Greg Stafford. He was elected for the new constituency of Farnham & Bordon with a narrow majority of 1,349 votes over the Liberal Democrats. Interestingly, Stafford’s brother Alexander Stafford, another former Ealing councillor, was defeated by Labour in Rother Valley by 998 votes.
Over the past decade, there has been a significant amount of electoral change, making both Farnham & Bordon and Rother Valley considered marginal seats. Hanger Hill, which was previously a safe Conservative area in Ealing, saw a shift in the 2022 borough elections. The Liberal Democrat candidate, Athena Zissimos, topped the poll, with the Tories taking two seats and Stafford finishing in third place. Labour was not far behind.
Hanger Hill is located in the northern part of a block of mainly middle-class suburbia near Ealing Broadway. It includes avenues on either side of the busy Hanger Lane, part of the North Circular Road. The area also features the Hanger Hill estate, an interwar Tudorbethan extravaganza served by two Tube stations. The population of the ward is predominantly white with a significant Asian presence, and most residents are homeowners.
In the recent by-election, the Liberal Democrats secured a victory in Hanger Hill. Their candidate, Jonathan Oxley, a former interim chief executive at Ofcom, won the seat with 1,655 votes. The Lib Dem share increased by 19 points from the previous election, mainly at the expense of Labour, whose share decreased significantly.
In addition to Hanger Hill, two other vacancies in Ealing resulted from Labour victories in July. Deirdre Costigan from Northolt Mandeville ward became the MP for Ealing Southall, while Callum Anderson won the new Bletchley & Buckingham seat. The Northolt Mandeville ward has a history of being marginal, with Labour winning seats in recent years.
The campaign issues in Northolt Mandeville were similar to those in Hanger Hill, focusing on crime, traffic, fly-tipping, and local development. Despite Labour’s recent poor performances in council by-elections, they managed to secure a win in Northolt Mandeville, with the Conservatives making gains as well.
South Acton ward, another area in Ealing, has a different social composition compared to Hanger Hill and Northolt Mandeville. It is a more urban ward with a large council estate and a higher percentage of rented properties. Labour has traditionally been strong in South Acton, and in the recent by-election, their candidate, Katie Douglas, was returned without much opposition.
Overall, Labour’s results in Ealing were better than in other areas, showcasing their strength in the borough despite challenges faced in other parts of the country. The party’s performance in local elections reflects the difficulties that come with being in power nationally, but Ealing remains a stronghold for Labour.