On 7 May 2026, residents in the Wapole 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 William Francis, standing for Ealing Liberal Democrats 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 currently work in sales at a HGV driving school and freelance as a news media analyst. I have been activate in politics for almost 10 years, having taken to it following the Brexit referendum and the (first) election of Donald Trump. These calamitous events inspired me to actively be the change I want to see in the world and ensure nobody feels isolated and disheartened by politics. This combined with my passion for local government is why I want to stand as a councillor.
What motivates you?
I want to have lasting positive impact on my local community and restore people’s trust in politics. Too many people feel powerless and alienated in our democracy and I wish to empower them. I aim to do this by following the example of many of Ealing’s hard working Liberal Democrat councillors, but also the successful liberal administrations in Sutton, Richmond, Kingston, Eastleigh, Watford, Chelmsford, and South Cambridgeshire.
What is your own personal connection to either Walpole or any other part of the borough?
I moved to Ealing in 2024, and I was in part motivated to do so the wonderful experiences I had visiting the borough as a child. As I grew up in Chiswick I would often visit Ealing high street, learned about Ealing from my grandmother who grew up on Primula Street.
What do you consider to be your 3 top political, work or personal achievements and what impact have they had?
I used to work as a media monitoring analyst, where one of the most significant impacts I had was drafting a newsletter on news relating to forever chemicals, which was seen by scores of PR and Communications professionals. The skills I developed writing these newsletters helped me to draft a letter that was published in the Financial Times, in which I argued that economic growth was a key driving force for social mobility. I have also created the board gaming club which has brough joy, community, and new experiences to dozens of people.
What do you consider to be the top 3 challenges Walpole faces and how will you as a councillor address them?
As a young person in politics the housing crisis is major concern for me. Too many of my friends are forced to pay vast portions of their income on cramped bedrooms in flat shares. My solution is to build support for new developments by ensuring vital social infrastructure is built through the newly introduced Community Infrastructure Levy, and ensuring that new developments have a decent percentage of affordable units.
I am concerned about crime and anti-social behaviour, which prevents people from geeting the most from our public spaces, especially the most vulnerable. As such, I am to link up exisitng crime reporting networks with Met Engage so that more crime and anti-social behaviour can be acted upon. Both these challenges are part of a larger overarching problem; a lack of trust in politics. I aim to resolve this by being visible and active within Walpole, from organising regular surgeries to holding Ealing Council to account.
What do you love about Walpole and the borough of Ealing?
I love the many green spaces and parks in Walpole. From Walpole and Lamas Park to the underrated five roads community gardens. These wonderful places fundamentally show how Ealing become to be known as the Queen of the suburbs. I also appreciate the diverse range of shops in Walpole. There seems to be always somewhere new explore!
How accessible will you be to Walpole 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?
Like many other Liberal Democrat colleagues I aim to hold regularly monthly surgeries. I will also be accessible through Young Liberals events in the borough, and I will be attending many local events. If you not able to meet me in person feel free to email me!
Click here for all Walpole candidates standing.
Full coverage of the 2026 Ealing Council local elections and candidates standing can be found here.
