A NEW grassroots group has been set up in Ealing, set on contesting next year's council elections.

Ealing Independents was officially launched last week by Leslie Bunder who lives in Acton.

Bunder told Nub News: "For months now I had been flirting with the idea of starting a new organisation that would try and change local politics in Ealing and now we have officially launched.

"I've been feeling very disillusioned for years with the local parties and my family encouraged me to 'go out and do something about it', so I did."

"The current Labour council has been in power for 11 years now and before that it was the Conservatives, we feel like a change is needed, people who don't have ties to any national parties and are willing to put Ealing's needs first.

"The existing parties don't seem to represent what's needed for Ealing."

Although the Independents aren't a party at present, they intend to field candidates for each of the 69 council seats in all 23 wards.

Bunder said: "We want to represent residents and business across the borough, in Acton, Ealing, Greenford, Hanwell, Northolt, Perivale and Southall.

"We're looking for anyone who's interested in making a change in Ealing's politics to join us, no matter their background.

"Our priority is to listen to the people of Ealing and create a manifesto that is based on their needs, therefore we don't necessarily strictly align with just one side of the political spectrum.

"The only way to succeed is by listening and understanding what locals want."

Bunder has spent most of his life in Ealing, having gone to school in Ealing Broadway and continues to live in the area.

"I'm very passionate about what Ealing stands for and everything that makes this area of London great.

"We need to do more to showcase that to the outside world, we currently don't have a council that celebrates our achievements, just look at the situation with the lack of a cinema.

"We have the oldest operational film studios in the world (Ealing Studios), yet we don't have a cinema, how is that possible?"

Despite such an overwhelming Labour majority in the council with 57 seats, Bunder still thinks it's possible for the Independents to succeed in the upcoming elections.

"We're in it for the long term, if we don't start somewhere, we won't have an independent council.

"If other councils around the country can have independent councillors, then why not Ealing."

To find out more about the Ealing Independents and what they stand for, click HERE.