Accusations fly in run up to Slough elections

Tories drop two candidates and councillor clashes with leader

Tensions ran high this week as political rows heated up. Two candidates were dropped by Slough Conservatives and the Labour leader faced claims of bullying in a petition.

Tensions ran high this week as political rows heated up in the run-up to the Slough local elections.

A fraught week saw father and son Iftakhar Ahmed and Adil Iftakhar, who were prospective Conservative candidates for the May elections, dropped by the party.

It followed separate allegations from Slough’s Labour Group, which criticised Mr Iftakhar’s role in a dispute over the demolition of Tower and Ashbourne House and drew attention to a previous conviction Mr Ahmed had from 1989.

Mr Iftakhar has denied the allegations against him, while Mr Ahmed has said Labour is engaging in a ‘smear campaign’.

This week has also seen a war of words continue between council leader James Swindlehurst and independent councillor Madhuri Bedi, who left the Labour Group in early March in a row over the council’s 4.99 per cent rise in council tax bills.

A petition has since been launched calling for Cllr Swindlehurst’s resignation in protest at Cllr Bedi’s treatment.

Cllr Swindlehurst has stood by his comments, while Cllr Bedi has refuted claims residents in her Foxborough ward are ‘disappointed’ she left Labour.

Two candidates from the Slough Conservatives have been dropped by the party ahead of the upcoming local elections.

Adil Iftakhar had been due to contest a council seat in Langley St Mary’s ward in May.

But he faced calls to resign his Tory candidacy from the Slough Labour Group over claims he is trying to hold out for a ‘seven figure sum’ for a flat on the soon-to-be demolished Ashbourne House.

Labour councillors said the council had offered Mr Iftakhar nearly double the flat’s market value of £270,000 but this offer was rejected, meaning the council had to secure a compulsory purchase order for the property.

Mr Iftakhar denied he has requested a sevenfigure sum for the property and told the Express that the scheme proposed is not in the public interest.

He added he has refused all offers as he does not want to move away from his home and accused the council of ‘making life difficult’ for him due to the stand-off.

His father, Iftakhar Ahmed, had been due to stand for the Slough Conservatives in Wexham Lea ward.

Councillor Wayne Strutton told the Express his candidacy has been withdrawn for failing to disclose all necessary information during the application process to stand in Slough.

Earlier this week, Mr Ahmed had come under fire from the Labour Group, which put out a statement drawing attention to a conviction he received for conspiracy to commit violent disorder and possession of an offensive weapon in 1989.

In response, Mr Ahmed hit out at the Labour Group for bringing up the conviction. He said he was ‘no longer the same person that I was back then’ and pointed to numerous roles he has since held with voluntary organisations, statutory bodies and within the Labour Group.

He added: “I have served the community and will continue to do so without any intimidation, bullying and fear from the Labour Party’s smear campaign.”

Mherunisa Hussain, chairman of the Slough Conservatives, said in a statement: “Following notification of the allegations made by the Slough Labour Party, regarding Adil Iftakhar, as chairman of the Slough Conservative Association I launched a comprehensive investigation to ascertain the full facts of the investigation.

“As is required under procedure, this matter was subsequently referred to Slough Conservatives Approvals Committee, which voted to remove Adil Iftakhar and Iftakhar Ahmed

(Wexham Lea) as prospective candidates for the upcoming elections on Thursday, May 6.”

‘I am no longer the same person that I was back then’