Hounslow Citizens to Question Local Election Candidates
Issues to be raised include low pay, housing and community space
Picture: St. Mary's Church, Spring Grove
April 15, 2026
A major pre-election roundtable, where candidates for the borough’s leadership will be asked to commit to tackling low pay, insecure work, poor housing conditions and the shortage of community space is to take place on Tuesday 21 April. The event, hosted by Hounslow Citizens, takes place from 6–8pm at St Mary’s Church, Spring Grove, and will bring together around 50 representatives from faith groups, charities and civic organisations.
Hounslow Citizens — the local chapter of Citizens UK — has spent the past six months conducting a borough-wide listening campaign across its diverse member institutions. The priorities emerging from that process now form the basis of the agenda that will be put directly to the three invited candidates: Shantanu Rajawat (Labour), Peter Thompson (Conservative) and Guy Lambert (Green).
At the heart of the discussion is a call for the next council administration to work with Hounslow Citizens to double the number of accredited Living Wage employers in the borough and to take concrete steps towards making Hounslow a Living Hours borough. Leaders will also urge the council to introduce a borough-wide Selective Licensing scheme to raise standards in the private rented sector, alongside a community-based information campaign to ensure tenants understand their rights.
Another key issue is the availability of community space. Hounslow Citizens is asking the next council leader to support officers in the borough’s assets and community development team as they work with Paniym City Church, one of the alliance’s member institutions, to secure a suitable long-term home for their growing congregation and community programmes.
Speakers from across the alliance will set out why these issues matter to residents. Bernadette O’Shea of Brentford & Isleworth Quakers said the roundtable reflects the shared commitment of local groups to building “a more equal, sustainable and peaceful world,” adding that the priorities being presented to candidates come directly from the concerns raised by neighbours during months of listening.
For Flint N McIlister of Paniym City Church, the event is a practical expression of the church’s mission of community transformation. “The roundtable is vital because it centres local priorities, builds constructive relationships with candidates, and supports a healthier, more accountable local democracy,” he said.
The roundtable continues a long tradition of community organising in West London. Citizens UK has secured major wins nationally and locally — from the Living Wage campaigns at Heathrow Airport and NHS Trusts to neighbourhood-level improvements across the boroughs. Hounslow Citizens’ member institutions include Brentford & Isleworth Quakers, ILAYS, Paniym City Church, St Mary’s Spring Grove and Refugees Welcome Hounslow.
With local elections approaching in May, the event offers residents an opportunity to see candidates respond directly to the concerns of the people they hope to represent. Organisers say they will continue to hold elected leaders to account on the commitments made on the night.
The election takes place on Thursday 7 May 2026.. Photo ID is required to vote. The deadline to register to vote is midnight on 20 April 2026, and the deadline for postal vote applications is 21 April 2026. For more information, visit hounslow.gov.uk/elections.
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