JULIAN Bell has given his final video update as leader of Ealing Council, before being replaced on Tuesday, May 18.

Last Monday, May 10, cllr Bell was ousted as leader by his own Labour councillors and replaced by Peter Mason.

Yesterday, May 14, cllr Bell gave his last video update and talked about coronavirus case numbers in Ealing, and specifically the Indian variant, stating that although the situation isn't as bad as in Bolton, if the situation does worsen, he thinks the government should carry out localised surge vaccinations and testing to suppress the spread of the variant.

He also talked about the impending return of indoor dining from next week and outlined the continued importance of washing our hands, keeping social distancing, and getting tested if we display any symptoms.

He finished his video update by highlighting what an honour it has been for him to serve as leader of the Council for the past 11 years and outlining some of the Council's accomplishments during that time, like stopping the 'biggest ever NHS reorganisation', the PSPO (public space protection order) at the Mattock Lane clinic and 'transforming the Council's waste service into one of the best-performing in London'.

He also referred to sustainable travel and all his work to promote it, but failed to explicitly mention the Low Traffic Neighbourhood (LTN) scheme, which has proved to be one of the most contentious issues during his tenure.