A by-election has been announced in West London following the death of a councillor.
The death of Cllr Sukhbir Dhaliwal was announced by Hounslow Council on June 19.
The by-election for the Cranford ward, in Hounslow, will take place on August 21, with polling booths open from 7am until 10pm. Voters will require a photo ID in order to vote.
No candidates have yet been announced as party nominations open from July 17, and close on July 25. The last day residents can register to vote is on Tuesday, August 5.
If you are on your summer holiday on the day of the election, you can apply for a postal vote until Wednesday, August 6. Or, if you prefer to vote by proxy, you can apply for this until Wednesday, August 13.
The ward was previously held by the Labour Party prior to the death of Cllr Sukhbir Dhaliwal.
After being a resident for over 50 years, he was first elected councillor for Cranford in 1994. He served his first term until 2002, and was re-elected in 2016.
Cllr Dhaliwal was also a bus driver and conductor throughout his life. During this time he was also an active member of the Transport and General Workers’ Union. He was described as being “dedicated to improving his local environment and supported major tree-planting efforts to improve Cranford’s parks and streets”.
Leading the tributes for Cllr Dhaliwal following his death, Hounslow Council Leader, Cllr Shantanu Rajawat, shared a touching message online. He said: “On a personal level, Cllr Dhaliwal was always a joy to work with, he was a part of the generation of councillors who understood that new talent needed to be nurtured so the council could succeed and would always be around to offer guidance and support when asked.
“He was perceptive and thoughtful and able to explain things in a way that made sense. He was a trade unionist through and through and was respected by those who worked with him.
“He had an exceptional memory, a career on the buses meant he could direct you across London one bus at a time (and we often tested him on that!). He was a man of Cranford and Hounslow, and loved by all who knew him.
“The pride he felt for his local area, the passion he showed for protecting public services and standing up for the community, and the warmth and generosity of spirit that defined his years of public service, should be a model to us all.”
Philip is a Local Democracy Reporter covering Ealing, Hillingdon and Hounslow, with a focus on council decisions, housing, planning, licensing and community stories across west London.
