On 10 October 2024, residents in the Hanger Hill ward will take part in a by-election to vote for a new ward councillor.
EALING.NEWS has asked all candidates standing 7 questions about who they are, what they hope to deliver and why they want residents to vote for them.
Jonathan Oxley standing for the Liberal Democrats in Hanger Hill answers the 7 questions:
Tell us a bit about yourself, your priorities for the ward and why you want to be councillor for Hanger Hill?
I am a Londoner who has lived and raised a family in Ealing, moving into my first property more than 25 years ago. I bring a wealth of private and public sector experience which can be put to work as a councillor. I was a main board director and interim chief executive at Ofcom – the UK’s telecoms, postal and media regulator – where I was responsible for competition policy and enforcement. In that role I met the Prime Minister. Prior to that I was a partner at PwC where I led international teams delivering projects for global companies in the technology and telecoms sectors.
I am committed to making Ealing the best Borough in London for everyone in our community.
As a Liberal Democrat my priorities for Hanger Hill are:
• Making Hanger Hill Safe – with action on crime especially car crime in particularly is growing scourge which needs additional police patrols.
• Cleaning up the Hanger Hill streets including a focus on dealing with fly-tipping hotspots.
• Listening to residents and business – Liberal Democrat demand proper representation and whilst working hard for residents all year round and standing
up for issues, we care about including opposing tall towers and protecting our beautiful parks and open spaces.
What motivates you?
Ealing remains a wonderful, leafy borough but in recent years it has been increasingly blighted by organised car crime, tall building developments, and rubbish strewn, overgrown and pot holed streets. I want my children to grow up in a clean and safe neighbourhood.
Liberal Democrats are the official opposition to the Labour-run Ealing Council after the failure of the Ealing Conservatives to hold them to account. I was a Conservative councillor over ten years ago but was appalled by the direction they took our country under Boris Johnson and Liz Truss. Our communities and country desperately need the competency and decency that characterises the Liberal Democrats, and it is this that motivated me to join them.
What is your own personal connection to either Hanger Hill or any other part of the borough?
I am a Londoner who has been living in Ealing for more than 25 years. I come from an Ealing family on my Father’s side who have lived in Ealing for more the 100 years!
My children go to school in Ealing. I like playing tennis and regularly play at The Brentham Club and West Middlesex Lawn Tennis (where I am a member).
My family are regulars at Ealing Cricket Club on Corfton Road, Hanger Hill where my children play for the U11 and U15s. I play golf at Brent Valley Golf Course and played at Perivale before the Labour Council closed it. I am a friend of the fantastic Questors Theatre on Mattock Lane.
For the past three years I have dedicated time to successfully campaigning for the Liberal Democrats in the Hanger Hill ward alongside the successful and hardworking Councillor Athena Zissimos. Our efforts were rewarded with the election of Athena at the last local elections, with the Lib Dems replacing the Conservatives as the Official Opposition to the Labour Council.
What do you consider to be your 3 top political, work or personal achievements and what impact have they had?
Political – Breaking the Conservative’s hold in Hanger Hill by getting the brilliant Athena Zissimos elected as a Liberal Democrat Councillor and replacing the Conservatives as the official opposition to the Labour Council.
Personal – Raising two wonderfully bright and talented girls … but then I’m biased!
Work – Making Partner at PricewaterhouseCoopers and getting on to the Board of Ofcom where I helped recast the UK’s telecoms infrastructure policy to encourage investment in Ultrafast fibre optic networks, which are flourishing as a result.
What do you consider to be the top 3 challenges Hanger Hill faces and how will you as a councillor address them?
Crime – car crime in particularly is growing scourge which needs additional police patrols.
Dirty and unsafe streets – we need a focus on dealing with fly-tipping hotspots and overhauling our streets and pavements, which have become overgrown and potholed.
Proper representation – we need harder working Councillors for residents to stand up for issues they care about including opposing tall towers and protecting our beautiful parks and open spaces.
What do you love about Hanger Hill and the borough of Ealing?
I love walking my dog in Pitshanger Park and enjoying the other parks and open spaces for which Ealing is justly famous, but I also love the cultural diversity of the Borough from the South Asian communities in Southall to the Japanese community in Hanger Hill. Who doesn’t love Momo restaurant on Ashbourne Parade!
We have some fantastic schools, theatres and sports amenities in the Borough and despite the awful traffic jams, Ealing is still well connected in terms of public transport including the transformative Elizabeth Line.
How accessible will you be to Hanger Hill residents and how can they get in contact with you now and if elected how will you ensure you are accessible to them in the future?
If elected I will make myself accessible to residents at ward surgeries, by email and, of course, in person. I’m committed to being a local Liberal Democrat champion for the residents of Hanger Hill.
