On 7 May 2026, residents in the North Hanwell ward will vote to choose who represents them at Ealing Council.
EALING.NEWS has asked all candidates standing to become a councillor, 7 questions about who they are, what they hope to deliver and why they want residents to vote for them.
Here’s what Tony Gill, standing for Trade Unionist & Socialist Coalition (TUSC) in North Hanwell has to say:
Tell us a bit about yourself, your priorities for the ward, and why you want to be a councillor for North Hanwell?
Well, I have lived in Ealing all my life, and in Hanwell Broadway since 1982 onwards. I grew up here, and am a proud Hanwellian. My professional background is in the rail industry, I am also a member of the RMT Union, and was a local health & safety rep for my workplace for seven years.
I am a family man, and am a dad of two teenage children. The last 20 years, I have been a member of the Socialist Party, who are part of the Trade Unionist & Socialist Coalition/TUSC.
My main priorities for the ward is now where Ealing Labour Council has approved a 4.99% rise in council tax. Now, where is the money going? And yet our services are chronically underfunded, and the cost of living and austerity continue to affect the lives of our residents!
Local residents across the whole of Ealing borough, including this very North Hanwell ward are still faced with continuous onslaught of vicious austerity cuts since the last 16 years, tearing down our public sector services, and dismantling the fabric of our community structure.
What’s the point of a Labour Government and a Labour Council, if they continue the same continuous onslaught of Tory style Austerity Cuts, directly attacking the working class communities? Every council service has faced cuts, job losses and Austerity! Since 2010, under the Tory Rule, Ealing Council has lost 56% of its funding in real terms. Now, Labour are in power in both the Council & Government, but nothing seems to have changed!
In 2024, Labour promised change, but all we got was the same old cruel Tory Policies. They all say “better our cuts than their cuts” and continue to make us all pay for the system’s crisis! Fight back against austerity We need real anti austerity councillors, who will fight back against austerity cuts and to stand up to Starmer’s Labour government, and vote for no – cuts needs budgets and campaign within our communities and trade unions to win back the millions stolen from our borough.
No more council tax hikes! Don’t make us pay to make up for the loss of central government funding.
Just how many more politicians will vote for more devastating cuts and council tax increase to make up for the loss of central Government fundings?
It is deeply disgusting and vile to know the fact that through its pension fund – paid for by your council tax – Labour led Ealing Council invests over £112 million in arms companies complicit in the genocide in Gaza! We at Ealing TUSC stand with the council workforce in the fight for a pension scheme which meets the needs of all, while also opposing war!
What motivates you?
Well, I have always had the tendency to question the system, always longing for equality and social justice. I just can’t keep quiet about it. Always up for gathering advice and support, sharing and exchanging ideas with others through an open approach. Engaging with people on these issues and matters arising, and supporting grass roots campaigns and organisations. My professional life involves working closely with the public, so do meet people from all walks of life.
What is your personal connection to (North Hanwell), or to any other borough?
As mentioned before, I have lived in Hanwell since 1982 onwards. Although, I’ve lived in Hanwell Broadway, but North Hanwell is close to my heart, since it is within my walking distance. I am very familiar with it, having walked its streets all my life, and getting to know the ins and outs of it. I love it for its strong sense of a close-knit & a vibrant working class community spirit. I like it for its diverse atmosphere. Growing up, watching The Historical Hanwell Carnival Parade starting from Hanwell Community Centre and marching through Hanwell Broadway, and then Ending in Elthorne Park, and that strong sense of unity between the 2 neighbouring wards, the positive vibes that came with it.
What do you consider to be your 3 main political, professional or personal achievements, and what impact have they had?
I am proud to be affiliated and be part of TUSC. Where TUSC in its origins was founded back in 2010 as late RMT Leader Bob Crow collaborated with Socialist Party. TUSC was founded in its origins as a key principle to build a New Mass Worker’s Party, where Labour had long betrayed its “working class historic roots” under Blair & Brown days, and calling for all like minded socialists and trade unionists to disaffiliate from Labour. We have always emphasised the fact that it is vital for like-minded socialists and trade unionists to be at the forefront of the creation of a new mass worker’s party, and given the fact that trade union movements are historically associated with granting the working class a genuine political voice in society.
Now both locally and nationally, where Starmer’s Labour are attacking our class and no longer represent our interests. Under this current economical crisis, Starmer’s failures have unfortunately contributed to a section of our class and disillusioned people turning in desperation to the far right, who are no different to the likes of other mainstream parties, in terms of representing the interests of the billionaire owned establishment.
We were the first to warn people against Starmer led Labour prior to 2024 General Elections, and now two years later, judging by the colossal failure of this two party system that has long held this country at ransom for decades, we have proved to be correct.
As a Socialist and Trade Unionist, I argue for a new mass worker’s party based on the working class. A party that will take on the establishment parties and put forward a socialist alternative to war and austerity. TUSC is an alliance of working class fighters prepared to stand up to establishment politicians and give working – class people a genuine political voice.
What do you consider to be the 3 biggest challenges facing North Hanwell Ward, and how would you address them as a councillor?
Insecure Housing, Lack of Youth Services and Lack of Social Care Provisions and Facilites (including NHS Provisions, and domestic abuse services).
Many homes across North Hanwell are being turned into cramped HMO houses for private landlords to exploit many low paid workers and vulnerable tenants as possible. While there are currently more than 7,500 live applications on the Ealing C\ouncil housing register. The waiting time for a 3 bedroom house is 12 years! No more gentrification! Ealing Labour is more for giving contracts to private property developers, selling off our public land rather than implementing a mass programme of council house building and introducing rent controls. We need environmentally friendly council housing, caps on private rent and service charges. Landlord and Housing Associations must be held accountable, so that everyone can afford a safe home in which to live comfortably.
Unfortunately, a lot of these HMOs are housing vulnerable people. There is a lack of domestic abuse services, a contributing factor to the rise of domestic violence especially in those HMOs. Certain individuals have serious mental health and drug related problems, and sadly it has coincided with a rise in anti social behaviour. They have been left to fend for themselves. Unfortunately, they are being deprived of the adequate social care and mental health support to help rehabilitate them back into society, so to lead normal lives. Unfortunately, it all coincides with a lack of social care facilties, and mental health services have also long been crippled with Austerity Cuts. Considering the size of North Hanwell population, there is a significant lack of NHS provisions and facilties for youth services. The last 16 year of Austerity is the biggest contributing factor in all this.
Restore youth services, and restore domestic abuse services.
Since 2010 until 2024, Ealing Labour had slashed on 70% of youth services, as they passed on endless Tory led austerity cuts without any resistance. What’s their excuse now under a Starmer led Labour government? Instead, they have planned the closure of 10 children’s centres across the borough! They have failed to reopen Gurnell Leisure Centre, which had been closed for refurbishment during the pandemic. Six years later, it still remains closed, and has been put on the back burner.
Fight the government to restore the money stolen from Ealing. Councils can fight cuts to twist the government’s arm into paying up.
What do you love about (North Hanwell) and the borough of Ealing?
Please refer to my answer for question 3.
How accessible will you be to North Hanwell 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?
Well, I will ensure that people have my email and phone number. As a workplace union rep for seven years, I always had the golden rule of responding back to emails and SMS messages within 48 hours, unless it was a matter of serious urgency, a high priority case, then I would respond back at an even earlier available opportunity. I will try and hold surgeries regularly, and even set up a Whatsapp group.
North Hanwell has a good selection of family owned cafes, and with the running of my schedule, I can always arrange for face to face meetings with concerned residents in a good cafe, and at much the same time, help support our local family-run businesses in this way. If I am unavailable because of unforeseen circumstances, I can try and see if it can possibly be arranged for residents to meet up with one of my fellow comrades, who will be acting on my behalf.
Click here for all North Hanwell candidates standing.
Full coverage of the 2026 Ealing Council local elections and candidates standing can be found here.
