Leader survives no-confidence vote

A BID to suspend the trials of Low Traffic Neighbourhoods in Ealing and oust the council leader was defeated at an extraordinary meeting on Tuesday October 20.

After two and a half hours of debate thrashed out between councillors across the political spectrum, the ruling Labour group voted as a majority against both challenges, while the Lib Dem and Conservative groups voted in favour.

Speaking on the impact of Low Traffic Neighbourhoods, petition organiser Lorna O’Driscoll made a plea to councillors to listen to the near-10,000 residents that had signed her petition against the LTNs.

She said the opposition was anything but “nimbyism or antiprogress” and the issues they describe are impacting real people’s lives.

She said: “Put aside your political allegiances... think about the elderly and the disabled, the protected characteristics of all those that should have been taken into account and consulted before their lives were turned upside down and do the right thing.”

Both the Conservative and Liberal Democrat groups revealed they had conducted their own consultation of residents over the LTNs schemes, showing it would have been possible for the council to collect views quickly before rolling out the changes in the summer.

The Conservatives said their survey received 1,000 responses in 10 days with 93 per cent of people against the plans.

Lib Dem leader Cllr Gary Malcolm also relayed a survey that his party did in Southfields, which had more than 1,200 responses. He said 90 per cent wished they had consultation before the changes, and three-quarters or more were against the scheme.

He added: “Many people had suggestions on how to avoid problems with the scheme such as there being a number of accidents... huge congestion on the roads, problems with air quality...

“When you read some of the comments from those who are disabled, it tugs at the heart strings when one gentleman says a five-minute journey now takes him over an hour, and he had to return home on two occasions given he was in such pain.”

Due to ongoing legal proceedings against the council, council leader Julian Bell and cabinet member Mik Sabiers read prepared statements in defence of the schemes.

Cllr Bell said that the council will “robustly defend” against the legal claims received.

He said: “We know people have strong views both for and against, what we promise is their views are being heard. We want children to be able to play and travel more independently, and older people to be active and mobile.”

Labour councillor Miriam Rice also urged colleagues to give LTNs a chance: “There was opposition to the introduction of wheelie bins, the ban of smoking in pubs and the mandatory seat belts in the front – in all these examples there was later acceptance.”

The motion was defeated by Labour councillors voting against, while Lib Dems and Conservatives voted in favour.

Secondly, a vote of no confidence in leader Cllr Bell was brought forward by the Conservative group, after an attempt in September within the Labour party to remove him as leader.

However, a number of Labour councillors and cabinet members defended their leader for a strong record in schools, saving Ealing hospital, welcoming child refugees from Calais, strong leadership against Covid-19 and more.

The Conservatives were also accused of “pointless political point-scoring”.

Despite Labour’s internal row, all Labour councillors present continued to support cllr Bell in his position as leader at the meeting. The motion was defeated.