On 7 May 2026, residents in the Walpole 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 Carl Russell, standing for Ealing Community Independents in Walpole, has to say:
Tell us a bit about yourself, your priorities for the ward and why you want to be councillor for Walpole?
I’m Carl, I’m 27 years old, born September 1998, and I’m a socialist candidate who has lived and worked across West London for most of my life. I originally grew up on White City Estate and grew up in a very working-class household where housing was never secure, and I genuinely can’t remember all, or maybe even most, of the houses I lived in as a child. However, my mother was always very focused on education and made sure I was focused on school and able to go to university, graduate, get a good job, buy a house and start a family.
The first part of that went well. I went to university and graduated during the Covid-19 pandemic, I found a partner, moved back to London, but unfortunately the last step of starting a family and having somewhere to settle down has eluded me and many in my situation. Wages have been suppressed for years, the cost of living is skyrocketing, and there’s a whole generation of people like me that have been squeezed out. I want to stand up and fight for a better life for us and everyone else who has been marginalised by 15 years of austerity.
What motivates you?
Fixing things, solving problems. I’ve always had an issue with seeing problems and seeing them unsolved, and in today’s politics, sometimes it feels like politicians are only interested in point scoring against political rivals. What I’m interested in is direct action and making a visible difference.
Unfortunately, finding those issues becomes easier every day as we struggle with the ‘enshittification’ of our society. With the level of technological growth and abundant wealth in our society, we shouldn’t have people sleeping on the streets, we shouldn’t have 20% of the population literally living in poverty. It should be unthinkable, and the worst part of it is, the solutions aren’t hard to find. We’ve just had successive Tory, Liberal and Labour governments that have absolutely no interest in solving these issues or making life better for the working class, and that infuriates me, but also, that’s what motivates me to get out of bed every morning… well, that and my day job.
What is your own personal connection to either Walpole or any other part of the borough?
I’ve lived across much of West London. I’m originally from Shepherd’s Bush but have spent time living in various places from Richmond to Harlesden, so West London as a whole is very special to me and I think it’s the best part of the best city in the world.
Ealing has always been a major part of that story, from the historic Ealing Studios, which helped shape British cinema, to the busy heart of Ealing Broadway, and the green spaces like Walpole Park that give the area its character. Personally, I have very fond memories of going to Sunrise Cafe in Acton as a child, and my mother made it a point to take me to Hanwell Zoo, just as my grandmother had done with her.
When I was looking for somewhere to move to during my last flat search, Ealing just made sense, it already felt like home. And now I’m here, I want to make that home an even better place for everyone who lives in it.
What do you consider to be your 3 top political, work or personal achievements and what impact have they had?
Firstly, I would say being accepted into the most selective sixth form in the country as a 16-year-old. It displayed to me that I did have the talent and capabilities that many had told me I had, but I didn’t quite believe I had. As a young working-class person of colour, you aren’t ‘supposed’ to be a success story of our education system, but I was one and I’m extremely proud of that.
Secondly, I would say in my current role working with a guarantor company, I’ve been able to assist hundreds of working-class families move into a home where they otherwise could have been left homeless. Council-house waiting lists should be considered a crime, with the unaffordability of house building for first-time buyers. The private rental market is the only place for many people, and I’m glad to be able to give renters a leg up.
Lastly, it would have to be assisting my mother in the birth of my youngest sibling. My family is very important to me, and to be there for my mother in a time like that is something I’ll never forget.
What do you consider to be the top 3 challenges Walpole faces and how will you as a councillor address them?
Firstly, as mentioned earlier, the price of rent is far too high and tenants are still fighting an uphill battle. While it isn’t within the remit of a ward councillor to set rent, I will do everything in my power to push the council to identify long-term empty properties and push EDMOs to increase the housing stock. I’ll also push for more advice services for renters and campaign more widely for rent stabilisation in London. We need to think big, and rent controls should be back in the national conversation, but that campaign will need to start locally.
Second is the vandalism of Lammas Park. Green spaces and fields for children to play on are a vital part of any community, and the Labour Party have absolutely gutted our local park. It’s a disgrace. The park is a real beacon of our community, and the horrific sight of those black pipes pumping in dirty water to turn our land into a swamp. And not just any swamp, but an E. coli-infested swamp. What’s more shocking is that the Green Party, who are supposed to be champions of the environment, are supportive of their plan. We will restore Lammas Park to its previous state as a matter of priority.
Lastly is homelessness. Whenever I visit the Lidl or the Tesco on the high street, I never fail to see someone that’s struggling and living on the streets, and it reflects poorly on us as a society to have people suffering like that given the wealth in our country. We saw during Covid that ending homelessness is possible, and we will make that happen across all of Ealing as laid out in our manifesto, by buying non-performing hotels and repossessing and repurposing empty buildings.
What do you love about Walpole and the borough of Ealing?
What I love most about Walpole? Honestly, when I first moved to the area and started to take evening strolls to explore, I absolutely fell in love with some of the road designs and quaint architecture, especially as I walked down Princes Road just tucked off Broomfield Road. The way the street lamps lit up the road had me feeling like I was in a book or old TV drama.
How accessible will you be to 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?
Firstly, as a young person who grew up with technology, I of course will be available across all major social media (Facebook: Vote Carl for Walpole – Ealing Community Independents; Instagram: VoteCarlForWalpole; X: @CarlforWalpole). I’ll also have a dedicated WhatsApp and facebook messenger channels for updates.
However, I’m not just planning to represent you online.
Our policy team have formulated a manifesto that puts transparency and communication with residents at the forefront of what we are trying to achieve. We will restore ward forums, host street surgeries, and post regular email and newsletter updates for the ward. I, and the other ECI candidates, also have a team of people around us committed to assisting us in this during our term. I’m proud to have both Julie Agha and Ryan Leonard working with me, both of whom are fantastic communicators and hard working campaigners who have been by my side throughout this campaign.
Click here for all Walpole candidates standing.
Full coverage of the 2026 Ealing Council local elections and candidates standing can be found here.
