Key By-election to Take Place in Summer Holidays
Opposition says delay caused by internal Labour power struggle
Left: Cllr Samia Chaudhary. Right: Council leader Cllr Shantanu Rajawat. Picture: X
July 4, 2025
This Thursday (3 July) Hounslow Council finally published the Notice of Vacancy for the Cranford ward following the death of the sitting councillor Sukhbir Singh Dhaliwal last month.
As normally this occurs with in 7-14 days of the notification of a death, speculation had begun about the reasons for the delay. Date of publication now means that the by-election must take place before Thursday, 7 August. The winning councillor will have to defend their seat again on 4 May 2026 when elections are held across all London boroughs.
Sources within the local Labour party suggested that consideration had been given to delaying publication for a few weeks more, so that the by-election wouldn’t be held during the summer holidays. However, others claim that there was an internal dispute about candidate selection for what ought to be a safe seat despite Labour losing a by-election in Syon and Brentford Lock three months ago.
It has been suggested that council leader Shantanu Rajawat wanted Hira Dhillon to be the party’s candidate while Cllr Samia Chaudhary want someone else. There is widespread speculation about a leadership challenge either before or after next May’s Local Council elections and Cllr Rajawat depends on Cllr Chaudhary’s support but she, and other councillors, are believed by some to have ambitions to take over the leadership. Council candidates in the borough are currently not selected by local members but are chosen by members of an NEC Panel.
It is understood the Notice of Vacancy has been published after agreement was reached on the candidate which is thought to be Hira Dhillon.
The leader of the Conservative opposition, Cllr Peter Thompson said, “The Cranford by-election, triggered by the death of long-serving and much-respected Cllr Sukhbir Singh Dhaliwal on 19 June, is being held up by a power struggle between Labour councillors. By contrast, Conservatives believe in local democracy. Our candidates are chosen by local members, not imposed by party bosses. We welcome open discussion, independent thinking and a diversity of views rooted in a shared commitment to public service. The people of Cranford deserve better than a delayed by-election caused by Labour’s internal bickering and control-freakery. Voters should be given the chance to choose their next councillor in a timely, open and democratic election, not be handed a candidate selected behind closed doors by warring Labour factions.”
We have asked Hounslow Labour party for a comment.
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