Who You Can Vote for in Ealing Central & Acton
Eight candidates standing in the local constituency
Hoping to unseat Rupa Huq. From top left clockwise: Stephen Balogh - SDP, Julie Carter - Independent, Dr Kate Crossland - Green, James Windsor-Clive - Consrvative, Alastair Mitton - Lib Dem, Nada Jarche - Workers' Party
June 26, 2024
There are eight candidates seeking to become the MP for Ealing Central and Acton on Thursday (4 July).
The constituency was formed in 2010 and was first held by Angie Bray for the Conservatives. Since 2015 Dr Rupa Huq has been the MP and she is standing again this time.
It is made up of seven wards in the London Borough of Ealing (Ealing Broadway; Ealing Common; East Acton; Hanger Hill; North Acton; South Acton; Southfield) and three from the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham wards mainly in the Shepherd’s Bush area (College Park & Old Oak; Wormholt).
The Candidates
Stephen Balogh – Social Democratic Party (SDP): This is the same party that was founded in the eighties as a breakaway from the Labour party. It describes itself a patriotic, economically left-leaning and culturally traditional party and is standing two candidates in the Ealing area including another in Ealing North. Mr Balogh has worked with large organisations in logistics, retail, and financial services and co-founded a professional services firm. He now gives free advice to non-profit organisations and community-building initiatives, including efforts with his local Catholic parish, Ealing Abbey.
He says, “My late wife and I decided to stay in Ealing after marrying in the mid-1990s as a great London environment in which to put down roots. Our parents, Hungarian refugees and from an East African Asian family respectively, equated welcome into the UK with the responsibility to appreciate the culture they were joining, assimilate and contribute to in every way we could. Following the tragic death of my late wife from cancer, I am now remarried and with our grown-up adopted sons together encompass over half a dozen ethnic groups. I have personal experience of bereavement, including tragically from suicide, and I strongly support initiatives associated with such impacts.”
Julie Carter - independent candidate: A local resident of many years standing she is a public governor for Ealing for Chelsea & Westminster Hospital who previously stood in the seat for UKIP. She wants to see ‘dangerous’ bike lanes scrapped and the removal of 20mph speed limits on dual carriageways. She would also like to see a more transparent Ealing Council, efficient and in person local council wards and an updated phone system to handle resident and business enquiries.
Kate Crossland – Green: Dr Crossland has lived in the Ealing area for two decades and works for the NHS as a doctor as well as being a school governor and chair of a local residents’ association.
She also co-leads the Palliative Care Sustainability Network, exploring ways to provide high quality end of life care with a limited impact on the environment. She says her professional experience in casework and her background in health bring many transferrable skills to political life.
Rupa Huq – The Labour Party: Dr Huq won the seat originally by a narrow margin but, since she has been an MP, her majority has increased to five figures. Born in Hammersmith to Bangladeshi parents, she attended Notting Hill and Ealing High School. She became a politician after a career in academia and has a reputation for being both an active member of parliamentary committees and a diligent constituency MP.
She was suspended from the Labour party because of comments she made about former Chancellor of the Exchequer Kwasi Kwarteng in terms which Keir Starmer described as racist but was readmitted after taking a sensitivity course.
Rupa Huq addresses a recent Ealing Central and Acton hustings at Acton Mosque. Picture: Julie Carter
Nada Jarche - Worker's party of Britain: She is a British Palestinian graduate in Media, who works as an administrator at St Mary’s University, Twickenham.
She says, “I aim to be the representative for those whose voices are often unheard, including those working long hours for minimal pay, those struggling with housing issues, those dealing with anti-social behaviour and students facing the burden of debt repayments.
“My campaign is driven by a commitment to equity, justice, and ensuring that every constituent's voice is heard and valued.”
Alastair Mitton - Liberal Democrats: He lives in Hanwell and has been in the Ealing area for many years. He used to sell jewellery from a unit in the Ealing Broadway Centre as well as trading at Portobello Road and Camden Lock with his silversmith wife Paulette. His campaign is focused on the NHS including the issue of ‘dental deserts’ in the constituency.
Felix Orrell – Reform UK: No public information is available on Mr Orrell and he has not attended any of the election hustings in the constituency.
James Windsor-Clive – Conservative and Unionist Party: Mr Windsor-Clive’s great-great-uncle Hubert Duggan represented the area as an MP after winning the local seat from Labour in 1931. He worked as a management consultant at Deloitte before setting up his own business and then becoming a researcher for Anthony Browne, the MP for South Cambridgeshire.
Following his selection he said, “I will campaign to maintain the essence of Ealing and Acton. Making sure we protect the character of the area while delivering the essential services residents need: affordable housing, more school places, and better access to GP services. It is also vitally important that everyone feels safe and secure in our community, I will take a tough stance on crime and antisocial behaviour.”
The full list of candidates is:
Stephen Balogh – Social Democratic Party
Julie Carter – Independent
Dr Kate Crossland – The Green Party
Dr Rupa Huq – The Labour Party
Nada Jarche – Workers’ Party of Britain
Alastair Mitton – Liberal Democrats
Felix Orrell – Reform UK
James Windsor-Clive - Conservatives
Polling stations
Polling stations will open at 7am and will close at 10pm on polling day.
Voter ID
You will need to show an accepted form of photo ID to vote in a polling station.
Check the list of accepted forms of photo ID (Electoral Commission website).
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