Ealing Community Independents (ECI) have chosen party leader Craig Smith as their candidate for the North Acton ward by-election on 25 June 2026.
Mr Smith becomes the fifth candidate to be announced for the by-election, which was triggered after newly-elected Green Party councillor Simon Anthony resigned shortly after this month’s local elections citing health reasons.
The ECI leader previously stood as the party’s candidate in Northfield ward at the 7 May elections.
Mr Smith, who has lived in Ealing for 28 years is a founder of the Save Ealing Children’s Centres campaign as well as being an officer of Ealing Trades Union Council and works as a marketing director in the technology sector.
He said his campaign would focus on the impact of redevelopment in North Acton, arguing that local residents are not benefiting sufficiently from the major changes taking place around the area.
He said: “North Acton is changing fast, but local residents are not getting a fair deal. People see cranes everywhere, luxury towers going up, roads clogged by construction traffic and thousands of new homes being built, yet many residents still struggle with rising rents, dirty streets, anti-social behaviour and overstretched local services.”
Labour has selected former councillor Gareth Shaw as its candidate for the by-election. The Liberal Democrats have chosen parliamentary researcher Abdi Ahmed, while the Conservatives have selected Sally Gorman and the Green Party has nominated Marijn van de Geer.
 have chosen party leader Craig Smith as their candidate for the North Acton by-election on 25 June 2026.){kind=link}