An independent political party has announced their candidate to compete against the current leader of Ealing Council, Labour's Peter Mason, in the ward of Southall for the May 2022 Council elections.

This is the first candidate to represent the Ealing Independents group, set up in February this year by Ealing resident Leslie Bunder.

The group said this will be the first of many to stand across all towns of Ealing including Acton, Ealing, Greenford, Hanwell, Northolt, Perivale, and Southall.

Ealing Independents said their councillors live and are a part of the community of the wards they will represent.

Southall Green resident of 15 years, David Marsden will be running for the Independents in Southall.

He said: "I live with my wife and two young children, who attend school and nursery in Southall.

"I've worked in Southall for the last six years supporting better neighbourhoods in West London, and Southall in particular.

"I've been a leading campaigner in the fight for Clean Air for Southall and Hayes, and I've opposed the unsafe development of the highly toxic old Gasworks site at Council meetings and community protests.

"If elected as an Ealing Independents councillor, I will stand up and make sure that the voices of Southall people are heard in the Council Chamber and elsewhere. I will fight for the rights of Southall people to live, work, learn and play in a cleaner, safer Southall that we can all be proud to call home.

"I will always be open to listen to people's problems, concerns, ideas and suggestions in person, by phone, text, email, WhatsApp, Twitter, Facebook and any other means where possible. I will make sure Southall people's views are represented."

Ealing Independents have promised their candidates will give residents something that they believe national political parties do not offer, by 'putting the interests of residents ahead of their own self-interest or national party interest'.

They are working on creating and delivering a people's manifesto.

For more information on Ealing Independents, email: [email protected] or call 07862 748611.