Following the announcement that the Conservative Councillor in Lancaster Gate had defected to Reform, Lancaster Gate’s two Labour Councillors- Cllr Ellie Ormsby and Cllr Ryan Jude- had this to say to local residents:  

“As your Labour Councillors, we are committed to working hard for the residents of Lancaster Gate on the issues that matter most to you.

While the Conservatives are focussed on in-fighting, the only true voice of residents in Lancaster Gate is now the local Labour Party.

We were disappointed but not surprised to see Cllr Laila Cunningham defect to the Reform Party, whose politics do not reflect that of the residents of Lancaster Gate. The divisive rhetoric and policies of Reform have no place in our wonderful local community in Lancaster Gate, and we will be fiercely opposing them.

As your Labour Councillors, we have fought for our residents since we were elected in 2022, including:

• Supporting Hallfield Estate residents to fight for fairness on their Major Works bills, brought about by the previous Conservative administration’s disastrous decisions, including securing Carbon Offset funding to reduce some of the costs and ensuring repayments could be delayed by a year.
• Securing roaming security patrols on the Hallfield Estate to deter ASB.
• Funded and re-introduced CCTV cameras to reduce crime across Lancaster Gate, after the previous Conservative administration shut down the network.
• Improving Queensway, including setting up the Queensway Task Force to coordinate and set local prioritIes, and ensuring the council’s new High Streets Programme’s initial focus included Queensway.
• Campaigning successfully to secure a new site for the Queensway Post Office.
• Setting up a youth club on the Hallfield Estate.
• Gaining 1,000+ signatures on our petition against tube station closures.
• Securing a 70% reduction in garden access costs for Craven Hill Gardens residents.

And much more.

Meanwhile, this defection shows that the Conservatives are a spent force in Westminster. After losing the council in 2022, their own councillors do not believe they have a chance of winning the council back in 2026.

Conservative Group Leader, Cllr Paul Swaddle, agrees that the only Lancaster Gate Conservative Councillor had not been focused on supporting residents. Cllr Swaddle posted on X: “Cllr Cunningham had become increasingly disengaged – missing meetings, turning up late, and stepping back from local responsibilities.”

It is now clear that if you vote Conservative in Westminster, you will get a disengaged Conservative Councillor, or end up being represented by Reform.

Only the Labour Party in Lancaster Gate is truly working for you. We will continue to fight for an inclusive, Fairer Westminster, focussing on the issues you raise with us on the doorstep. If you would like to contact us, do reach out at eormsby@westminster.gov.uk and rjude@westminster.gov.uk, or attend our surgeries.”