Shantanu Rajawat Selected As New Leader of Hounslow Council
Promises a better borough and a 'listening Council'
Cllr Shantanu Rajawat. Picture: Hounslow Labour
The next leader of Hounslow Council is set to be Shantanu Rajawat after he was selected by the local Labour Party at its AGM this Monday evening (9 May).
The former borough finance chief had widely been expected to take over from Steve Curran even before the party maintained its control of the council in the recent election. He won the vote ahead of six other candidates for the leadership.
He has lived in the borough all his life and represents the Heston West constituency where he works in the gem and precious stone industry. Cllr Rajawat graduated from the University of Kent at Canterbury in Politics and International Relations and obtained a Graduate Diploma in Law from BPP University.
The selection will need to be confirmed at a full meeting of Hounslow Council.
After the vote he said, “I am honoured and humbled the Labour Group has elected me as their new leader and I am very grateful for the support of my colleagues.
“I want to thank Steve Curran, our outgoing leader, for all his hard work and fantastic achievements over the last eight years. Under his last administration, in which I proudly served, we built over 1,000 council homes, were independently recognised as having the best roads and among the best parks in London, and we won Council of the Year.
“I am committed to building on the best work of the last administration, working to tackle climate change and air pollution, improve our estates and communities, and build social housing.
“But I also want us to forge out in new directions to build an even better borough. Fundamentally, residents and businesses want a listening Council.
“I want to work across the borough for cleaner streets and more opportunities for young people in Hounslow. I want to give local people every chance for their voices to be heard on local decisions so that everyone in Hounslow, from Chiswick to Cranford has a seat at the table.”
His deputy will be Katherine Dunne who was formerly Cabinet Member for Communities and Climate Emergency.
No major change of policy direction is anticipated from the new leadership team with many of the former Cabinet expected to remain although portfolio responsibilities may shift.
The outgoing leader Steve Curran, who is currently undergoing treatment for cancer said on social media, “Thank you to the people of #Hounslow, the community groups, businesses, voluntary organisations, police, health workers & many others for your commitment to making Hounslow an outstanding borough.”
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May 10, 2022