Tories Say Budget Amendment Would Protect Frontline Services

Labour claims they are 'peddling misinformation' on domestic abuse support

Left: Cllr Peter Thompson. Right: Cllr Shantanu Rajawat

February 25, 2026

Hounslow Council will meet on Tuesday 4 March for its annual budget-setting meeting, with both Labour and Conservative councillors preparing for what is expected to be a contentious debate over spending priorities for the year ahead.

The Labour administration has already published its proposed 2026/27 budget, which it says is designed to protect essential services in the face of rising costs and continued pressure on local government finances. Its plans include expanding domestic abuse support across the borough’s Community Hubs, shifting some preventative work for children into Children’s Services, and continuing investment in homelessness prevention, social care, and neighbourhood services. Labour has also proposed increasing revenue from traffic enforcement, which it argues is necessary to maintain road safety and fund wider transport improvements.

The opposition Conservative Group has now tabled a detailed amendment setting out an alternative approach. Proposed by Cllr Peter Thompson and seconded by Cllr Jack Emsley, the amendment rejects what the Conservatives describe as “unacceptable cuts to frontline services” and “unacceptable expansions to an already too large bureaucracy” and instead identifies between £1.4 million and £1.9 million in recurring savings through internal restructuring

Cllr Peter Thompson, Leader of the Conservative Group said: “Hounslow Labour’s priorities are wrong. Our proposed budget makes reductions to political allowances, scales back communications staffing and removes duplicated functions in order to deliver real savings for residents.”

Cllr Jack Emsley, added, “We Conservatives believe it is entirely reasonable for residents to expect discipline in how their money is spent. In the current financial climate, nearly £1 million on communications staffing, duplicated functions across departments, and a substantial leisure subsidy are simply unacceptable.”

Their proposals include abolishing Cabinet Assistant roles, reducing vice-chair allowances, cutting the council’s communications team, restructuring the Community Solutions/Resident Experience service, disposing of the Digital Dock, accelerating reductions in the Lampton Leisure subsidy, and introducing a £1 million corporate efficiency target. The savings would be redirected to domestic violence services, homelessness prevention and a prevention-led fly-tipping strategy using AI-enabled CCTV.

Cllr Peter Thompson, Leader of the Conservative Group said: “Hounslow Labour’s priorities are wrong. Our proposed budget makes reductions to political allowances, scales back communications staffing and removes duplicated functions in order to deliver real savings for residents.”

Labour leader Cllr Shantanu Rajawat said, “Is this it? Is this really all the Conservatives have come up with? The Tories had the chance to present an alternative budget, setting out their vision for the future of our borough. Instead, they will be accepting the vast majority of our budget, with a few half-baked scribbles in the margin.

“An amendment is only ‘fully costed’ if you explain how it will actually happen. Their additional £1 million corporate efficiency target is entirely fanciful unless they explain how they plan to achieve it.

“As for their comments on domestic abuse provision, this is deliberately and irresponsibly misleading. Our work supporting victims of domestic abuse will continue unaffected. What is changing is that we are expanding the domestic abuse service to all our Community Hubs, bringing services closer to where people live. The other change is that the preventative work affecting children will now be delivered by Children’s Services, who already have strong links to the Police, Health, schools and Independent Domestic Violence Advisors. This is part of a long-term piece of work to ensure the continued delivery of the service, with a renewed emphasis on prevention.

“Short on ideas, full of empty promises, and actively peddling misinformation. I would like to congratulate the Tories on staying true to form.”

Councillors will vote on both the administration’s budget and the Conservative amendment at the 4 March meeting, which will determine Hounslow’s spending plans for the coming financial year.