Candidates Announced for North Acton By-election

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New vote needed following Green councillor’s sudden resignation

The candidates in the by election - clockwise from top left: Gareth Shaw (Labour). Abdi Ahmed, (Lib Dem), Sally Gorman (Conservative), Jonathan Notley (Reform), Marijn van de Geer (Green), Craig Smith (Ealing Community Independents)

June 1, 2026

The full list of candidates standing in the North Acton by-election has been confirmed, two weeks after the abrupt resignation of newly elected Green councillor Simon Anthony. The vote will take place on Thursday 25 June.

Cllr Anthony won the seat on 7 May, narrowly beating Labour’s Guneet Singh Malik, but resigned within days, saying he could no longer carry out the role. His departure triggered an unexpected contest in one of Ealing’s most politically competitive wards.

Only one of the candidates — Conservative Sally Gorman — stood in North Acton last month, making this a fresh contest for most of the field.

Labour has selected Gareth Shaw, a former councillor for Walpole ward and the party’s former group whip. Mr Shaw was moved to South Acton for the May elections amid concerns that Walpole could fall — but both wards were ultimately lost, and he finished fifth. Labour has not re-selected Guneet Singh Malik, who came second in North Acton in May.

North Acton ward - 7 May 2026
Candidate	Party	Votes
Blerina HASHANI	Labour	1,356	Elected
Simon ANTHONY	Green	1,298	Elected
Hodan Mohamoud HAILI	Labour	1,296	Elected
Guneet Singh MALIK	Labour	1,186
Maciej PAWLIK	Green	1,051
Nasim NUR	Green	1,001
Sarah BEAMENT	Conservative	592
Sally GORMAN	Conservative	551
Bob BAKER	Reform UK	530
Simon QUINCE	Liberal Democrat	511
Ann LAZAROW	Conservative	502
Caroline FANNERAN	Reform UK	496
Alan WARR	Reform UK	449
Alan WHELAN	Liberal Democrat	396
Patrick SALAUN	Liberal Democrat	386
Kamlesh MEHTA	Rejoin EU	201
David Lawrence HOFMAN	TUSC	83

Turnout: 37.54% · Electorate: 10,964

The Liberal Democrats, who have enjoyed a run of by-election successes across Ealing, are fielding Abdi Ahmed, a parliamentary researcher who previously worked on a £48 million Foreign Office programme supporting greener, more resilient cities. Ahmed, a lifelong Ealing resident and fluent Somali speaker, stood in East Acton in May.

The Green Party has chosen Marijn van de Geer, a community organiser and former Extinction Rebellion activist who stood in East Acton last month. She says she wants to bring “transparency and accountability” to the council and argues that Ealing needs more councillors who are not “career politicians”.

Sally Gorman, the only candidate who appeared on the North Acton ballot in May, returns for the Conservatives. She received 551 votes in the local elections and is campaigning on a platform of a “safer, cleaner and more prosperous Acton”. The party has criticised the cost of the by-election, blaming the Greens for triggering it.

The Ealing Community Independents are standing their leader Craig Smith, a long-time campaigner, trade unionist and founder of the Save Ealing Children’s Centres campaign. He argues that key decisions in the borough should be “shaped with, not done to, residents”.

Jonathan Notley is standing for Reform UK. A finance professional, he previously stood in North Greenford and ran as an independent in the 2015 general election for Ealing Central and Acton.

Full list of candidates

• Abdi Ahmed – Liberal Democrats
• Marijn van de Geer – Green Party
• Sally Gorman – Conservative Party
• Jonathan Notley – Reform UK
• Gareth James Shaw – Labour Party
• Craig Smith – Ealing Community Independents

How to vote

The by-election takes place on Thursday 25 June, with polling stations open from 7am to 10pm. Residents must be registered to vote in the North Acton ward. The deadline to register is midnight on Tuesday 9 June.

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