August can be a sleepy month in local government, but it’s also a time of important milestones, and troubling decisions. From exam success to electoral contests, Hounslow has plenty happening under the surface, even if the council would rather you just read the headlines it writes itself.
Cranford by-election: Use your vote
Firstly, a word on the by-election in Cranford today (21/08). By-elections are often overlooked, but they matter, especially in a borough where the balance of power is so heavily skewed. This is a real opportunity for residents to hold Labour to account for the decisions they’ve made, including the ones they don’t advertise. This is your chance to tell Labour you are not happy with them.
Our Conservative candidate, Gurpreet Singh Sidhu in Cranford is committed, hardworking, ready to listen and importantly, from the area unlike some other candidates. We need fresh voices at the table, people who will scrutinise decisions like the e-bike contract, question council tax rises, and stand up for the underrepresented corners of this borough. If you live in Cranford, please don’t stay home on polling day. Your vote is your voice, and this is your chance to use it meaningfully.
Celebrating student success
On a positive note. Congratulations to the young people across Hounslow who recently received their A-level and GCSE results. Despite the disruptions of recent years, students in our borough have shown real resilience and determination. Teachers, families and support staff all deserve credit too. It’s a reminder that good outcomes often come from stable support systems, not just central directives or media campaigns.
It’s worth noting that success in education isn’t just about percentages. It’s about aspiration. And as councillors, we should be doing everything we can to ensure that ambition is matched by opportunity, whether through access to post-16 training, university pathways, or skilled employment in local industries. We must champion real, long-term investment in education, not just quick wins for political press releases.
The great Lime bike swap
While students have been focused on the future, the Labour administration has been busy looking at the bottom line. You may have seen the recent City AM article highlighting Hounslow Council’s decision to quietly drop Lime Bikes from its e-bike operations in favour of Forest, a move that raises serious questions.
According to the report, Forest scored poorly on key operational criteria, including parking management and safety features, yet won the contract by offering the council significantly more revenue, around five times higher than expected. In short, it appears to have been a ‘cash-first’ decision.
Let’s be clear: a council should not be running a transport strategy like a hedge fund. Residents deserve sustainable, well-managed services, not companies cutting corners to meet inflated payment promises. Industry experts have warned that such deals are often unsustainable, leading to renegotiation or service collapse down the line. If this contract was awarded for financial gain over public interest, it will come back to bite us.
In Chiswick, Lime Bikes were heavily used. The decision to swap providers has been politically spun as ‘listening to residents’ but in practice, it’s just replacing one dockless scheme with another, without fixing the original problems. A genuine consultation would have focused on better infrastructure, no bikes on pavements or running red lights, clearer parking bays, no underage cyclists and scooterists, and overall improved accountability from the operator and council alike, not a shiny new logo.
Final thought
While Labour focus on PR and internal promotions, we in the Conservative Group will continue to focus on what matters: education, transparency, and proper governance. There is a better way of running this borough, and it starts with honest conversations, not self-congratulation.
Enjoy the rest of your summer, and if you’re in Cranford, we’ll look forward to seeing you at the polling station ready for your vote at the ballot box.
