Hillingdon Council Leader, Cllr Ian Edwards, has today (Friday 8 May) announced his decision not to seek re-election as Leader of Hillingdon Conservative Group at their Annual General Meeting on Saturday 9 May.
He said: “Being Leader of this council has been the privilege of my life.
“The next four years will likely be every bit as challenging as the last and this will require renewed energy and time.
“That is why I have decided, whatever the result of the local elections, it is the right moment for a new Leader to take the helm.”
Cllr Edwards has been the council’s Leader for five years, after being appointed to the position in January 2021, and has accumulated 50 years of public service.
A former police borough commander and council chief officer, he brought extensive experience of managing a large and complex public service and a wealth of local government insight into his tenure.
Under his leadership, the council has continued to prioritise residents by protecting and modernising front line services, while maintaining a relentless focus on delivering value for money and keeping council tax lower than neighbouring authorities, despite some of the toughest financial pressures local government has faced in decades.
Protecting residents has been a key commitment – from successfully lobbying for fairer funding for Hillingdon following a decade of underfunding and continuing to raise awareness of ongoing funding pressures due to asylum costs, to challenging the Mayor of London’s expansion of the Ultra Low Emission Zone and introducing a range of measures to tackle HMOs and unsafe, unlicensed properties.
At the same time, a wealth of new facilities have been delivered for residents including the state-of-the-art Platinum Jubilee Leisure Centre in West Drayton, the relocated Uxbridge Library and Museum and Archives Service, new homes, family hubs, children’s homes and school amenities, while services have consistently been judged high quality, with Children’s Services being rated ‘Outstanding’, Adult Social Care ‘Good’ and housing services securing a C2 grading.
Cllr Edwards, who has been a Hillingdon councillor for 12 years, is looking forward to continuing to serve as a ward member for Eastcote if re-elected.
The new Leader of the Council will be appointed at the council’s Annual General Meeting on Thursday 14 May.