Ealing Council’s debt has risen by more than 72% over the past decade to almost £842 million, according to new research by the TaxPayers’ Alliance.
At the end of the 2025-26 financial year, Labour-run Ealing Council had debt of £841.9 million. While this was 2.3% lower than a year earlier, it remains almost 28% higher than five years ago and 72% above the level recorded in 2015-16.
Among neighbouring councils, only Brent recorded higher borrowing, at £1.07 billion. Ealing’s total was higher than Hillingdon (£657.5 million), Hounslow (£664.4 million) and Harrow (£455.7 million).
The figures form part of a wider TaxPayers’ Alliance report, which found local authority debt across the UK reached a record £154.6 billion in 2025-26.
Ealing Council’s debt stood at £489.4 million at the end of the 2015-16 financial year before rising to £658.5 million by the end of 2020-21. It later peaked at £877.5 million in 2022-23 before falling to £861.9 million in 2024-25 and £841.9 million in the latest figures.
Speaking to EALING.NEWS, TaxPayers’ Alliance chief executive John O’Connell said: “Ealing’s £842 million debt pile should set alarm bells ringing for local taxpayers. Only Brent owes more among its neighbouring boroughs, while Ealing’s debt is hundreds of millions higher than Harrow’s and well above Hillingdon’s and Hounslow’s.
“Councillors must get borrowing under control, cut waste and ensure residents are not left paying the price through higher council tax and poorer services.”
Ealing Liberal Democrats leader Gary Malcolm told EALING.NEWS: “Liberal Democrats say the much higher debt in recent years is because local authorities are not getting enough money from central government. Given Labour runs the government, the London mayoralty and Ealing Council, we know they are responsible.”
Councillor Malcolm added: “I want to see councils funded properly so they can help as many people as possible. If the new Prime Minister does what we believe, we might see even higher council tax levels than we would like or more cuts to frontline services.”
Responding to the report, Ealing Conservatives leader Julian Gallant told EALING.NEWS: “Ealing has debt, not on the scale of Croydon and other councils that played fast and loose with taxpayers’ money. But underlying the relatively benign results, clever management and central government largesse are significant overspends in adult social care and children’s services.
“More worryingly, Ealing is outspending the dedicated schools grant. We could have done without avoidable errors like the £6m price tag for winding up Broadway Living, to be paid down over 50 years. Hope and procrastination are not going to address these problems.”
EALING.NEWS has contacted Ealing Council for comment and will update this story when a response is received.
