A West London councillor has been suspended by the Labour Party after a court ruled earlier this year that she had employed a worker who did not have the right to work in the UK.
Former Deputy Mayor of Hounslow, Councillor Hina Mir, was issued with a £40,000 civil penalty in January. She appealed the penalty at the City of London County Court, but the appeal was rejected and she was ordered to pay the fine and £3,620 in court costs.
Cllr Mir remained a Labour councillor following the ruling and was re-selected for the 2026 elections. She was also made Chair of the Housing and Environment Scrutiny Panel in May.
Conservative Councillor Jack Emsley criticised the handling of the situation. He said: “She should’ve been suspended when the ruling was made in January, it is a serious offence and she should have been suspended pending an investigation.
“It beggars belief that she was then re-selected for the elections. They knew that she had [a judgement made against her] in January, and in May this year they put her forward for Chair of the Environment and Scrutiny Panel…
“So knowing what they did about what she’d [had a judgement against her] in January, put aside the fact they’ve only now suspended her, had they re-selected her and put her forward for such a serious scrutiny position? I think Hounslow Labour has a lot of questions to answer.”
The case follows other recent scrutiny of Hounslow Labour councillors. Two weeks ago, Cllr Mir was seen parked in a disabled bay at the council offices without a blue badge. She has not responded to requests for comment. Hounslow Labour previously said it was looking into the matter.
In November, Cllr Farhaan Rehman apologised after parking in a disabled bay without a blue badge. He resigned from one of his roles and offered to make a donation to charity.
Questions have also been raised about whether Cllr Rehman should have declared directorships he previously held while Chair of the Licensing Panel. Hounslow Labour said he did not need to declare them. Hounslow Council is understood to be considering an official complaint.
The Local Democracy Reporting Service asked Hounslow Labour why Cllr Mir had remained a Labour councillor after the January judgment. A spokesperson said: “Cllr Hina Mir has been suspended by the Labour Party. We do not comment on any internal investigations.”
Cllr Mir’s suspension relates only to her Labour Party membership. She continues to serve as a councillor.
Hounslow Council and Cllr Mir were contacted for comment but had not responded at the time of publication.
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.
