Councillor Karamat Malik, who represents Heston West, explains the reasons behind his decision to leave the Labour Party and join the Conservative Group on Hounslow Council.
Politics should always come back to one simple question: are we actually improving people’s day-to-day lives?
Since being elected in 2022, my focus as a councillor for Heston West has been exactly that. Residents contact us when things go wrong, when they are frustrated, or when they feel ignored. Over the past three years, I have worked through hundreds of individual casework issues dealing with everything from housing problems and environmental concerns to anti-social behaviour and basic service failures. In most cases, those issues have been resolved properly, with residents kept informed and treated with respect.
Alongside this, I have raised and followed up hundreds of FixMyStreet reports, pushing for improvements to lighting, pavements, roads, and public spaces. These things might sound small in the grand scheme of politics, but they matter enormously to residents. Clean, well-lit streets and responsive services are not luxuries. They are the basics of a council doing its job.
It is precisely because I care about those basics that I have taken the difficult decision to leave Labour and join the Conservative Group on Hounslow Council.
Locally, Labour has become increasingly distracted by internal scandals and financial mismanagement. Instead of focusing on residents, too much time has been spent defending the indefensible. The ongoing problems around council-owned companies, the lack of transparency, and repeated budget failures have all contributed to a growing sense that priorities are misplaced. Nationally, the Labour government’s direction of travel has only reinforced those concerns.
I did not stand for election to get caught up in factional arguments or to watch standards slip. I stood to serve my community.
In contrast, what has impressed me about the local Conservatives is their relentless focus on outcomes. Whether it is standing up for residents against excessive fines, challenging wasteful spending, or successfully pushing back on plans to dim street lighting across the borough, their approach has been practical and resident-focused. Keeping streets properly lit is not just about saving money on paper. It is about safety, confidence, and quality of life. On that issue and many others, Conservatives have been willing to do the hard work and ask the awkward questions.
That approach aligns with my own values. Doing what matters means delivering essential services properly, keeping neighbourhoods safe and clean, and respecting the fact that every pound of public money comes from residents who expect value for it.
I have also been encouraged by the renewal of the Conservative Party nationally under Kemi Badenoch, and locally by colleagues who work quietly but consistently for their wards. Like Vickram Grewal, whose recent decision to join the Conservatives prompted serious reflection, I believe this is now the political home best placed to deliver for Hounslow.
This decision was not taken lightly. But I am confident it is the right one for my residents. I remain committed to being accessible, responsive, and focused on results. That is what people expect from their councillor, and that is what I intend to continue delivering as part of the Conservative team.