At the Overview & Scrutiny meeting tonight, which was prompted by a Lib Dem call-in about libraries, Labour-run Ealing has allowed five libraries run by voluntary groups without any assessment of the business cases about how the community run libraries might operate.

Lib Dem Councillor Jon Ball voted for the plan to be sent back to Cabinet to be reconsidered.

In a packed meeting with well over hundred residents, Labour-run Ealing Council agreed to have five libraries run by voluntary groups without offering an assurance of what would happen if any of the voluntary groups were not operating in a few years’ time. At the same time many libraries will see reduced hours.

At the meeting Liberal Democrat Leader Councillor Gary Malcolm said: “Liberal Democrats think this is totally wrong. We would not close any libraries and would find money to manage them rather than allowing them to be run by an external company. Education and libraries are crucial. How often is it that we say that we need to educate ourselves and then at the same time we reduce the facilities for people of all ages to study and make use of library facilities?”

Labour’s Ealing Cabinet meeting agreed to close two well-loved Children’s Centres in Wood End and North Ealing.

At the meeting Liberal Democrat Leader Councillor Gary Malcolm said: “Last year a Council Scrutiny Panel heard evidence that intervention at an early age can reduce violent crime. Closing children’s centres will cause a lot of issues for parents and their children. The Council should put their plans on hold and listen properly to what parents are saying.”

This somewhat incomprehensible notice has been posted at the northern end of Bellevue Rd. For a full sized image click here.  You may remember that Bellevue Rd came to our attention because it was suffering from parking issues because of an ill-thought-out Controlled Parking Zone (CPZ) in the south. Now it seems they are to be squeezed from the north by the removal of parking spaces in Perivale gardens .

West Ealing station is being rebuilt for Crossrail. Maybe they will get it finished soon, and when it does this area will become a magnet for commuters who will have fast trains to the West End and City. Hence the rush to develop the area.

Ealing Liberal Democrats have said that Ealing Council should ensure that the organisation that is running the Ealing Half marathon on Sunday 29^th September use edible water pods rather than single use plastics, to reduce the effect on our environment.

During the 2019 London Marathon, organisers arranged for participants to be handed edible pods made of seaweed extracts as they tackled the gruelling 26.2-mile route. The pouches, made by London-based start-up Skipping Rocks Lab, were made using a thin natural seaweed membrane.

Taking into account the recent EU elections where the Liberal Democrats won London and made very large increases in their vote (27%) in Ealing, the Tories (who only got 7%) could be set to lose all their Councillors on Ealing Council.

Looking across the whole borough the Liberal Democrats would end up with 19 Councillors (a gain of 15), the Labour party lose seven seats but retain control of Ealing Council. The Conservatives lose all eight Councillors and would end up with no councillors.

In the EU elections the total of parties who are totally Remain was about 40% which was higher than those who are totally for Brexit. Although the victory was not by a huge margin it shows that people have considered facts over the past three years and many have switched from Leave to Remain.

History was made in Ealing as the Lib Dems not only made it to second place above the Tories for the first time ever in a boroughwide election, but they knocked them into fifth place!

Liberal Democrats also got over twice the Brexit Party vote as Ealing showed everybody that London does not want to see a Brexit.

Councillor Gary Malcolm, Lib Dem Ealing Leader, said: "In London the Liberal Democrats topped the polls, gaining a record three MEPs. In the election Labour lost seats, and the Conservatives failed to gain any MEPs. London has spoken. Stop Brexit!"

On Sunday 12th May, many Liberal Democrat European election candidates and supporters converged on Southfield ward and delivered the whole area as well as speaking to many hundreds of residents to discuss Brexit.

Local Liberal Democrats were told that some residents' companies have moved staff from London to Europe making uncertainties more likely in many sectors. One resident commented about the shortages of some items in shops that used to be present in volume, casting doubts on how the government has dealt with the issue of Brexit.

Following the recent government U-turn which means that both Ealing and Charing Cross hospitals will retain their Accident & Emergency (A&E) wards, Ealing Liberal Democrats want the government to re-open the A&E wards that they closed at Central Middlesex and Hammersmith hospitals.