Unnamed Hounslow Councillor Facing Fraud Allegations
Whistleblower accuses Cabinet Member of acting for financial gain
Council whistleblowers can make reports through the Safecall system
November 3, 2026
A Hounslow Cabinet Member either past or present is currently under investigation by the council over allegations of fraudulent activity and financial gain.
A whistleblowing report published ahead of the council’s Audit and Governance Committee taking place on Tuesday (November 3) details an allegation made by a council employee whistleblowing about a Cabinet Member at the Labour-led council. It is unclear which Cabinet Member this refers to.
The whistleblower made the report in May 2026, the month that the local elections were held, and the investigation remains “ongoing.” The council has not determined any wrongdoing at this stage.
The Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) asked Hounslow Council who the Cabinet Member referenced in the report is. A council spokesperson said: “As per usual practice, the council does not comment on whether a complaint has or has not been received.”
Following the local elections in May, Councillor Shantanu Rajawat, Leader of the Council, appointed a new Cabinet. It is unclear whether the whistleblowing allegation relates to a member of his previous Cabinet or the new one.
Cllr Jack Emsley, the Leader of the Hounslow Conservatives, said: “This is yet another potentially serious allegation against a Hounslow Labour Cabinet Member. The report suggests this issue has been ongoing for over six months, which raises questions over process and transparency.
“Residents in our borough need to be able to have confidence in those who are in charge of our borough’s services.”
A spokesperson for Hounslow Labour said: “Whistleblowing is by its very nature an allegation made with legal protections for those making the allegation. There is an internal team who are responsible for investigating these. The Labour Group are not aware of the allegations, and it is right that the internal process is allowed to be completed. Cllr Emsley knows this and should know better than to seek to cast aspersions.”
In total, the council received 17 reports made by council employees through the Safecall system between August 1, 2025, and July 31, 2026. Staff can report through Safecall, an independent external service, using an online form or a 24-hour telephone hotline.
These reports may be made openly, anonymously or semi-anonymously. Safecall forwards each report within 24 hours to two named senior council officers, who assess the concern and determine the appropriate response, including whether an investigation is required.
The council says that this arrangement is “intended to support prompt, consistent action and more effective monitoring.” The 17 reports represent an increase from the previous year, when only three were received – an increase of nearly 500 per cent.
The council report attributes the increase “partly to multiple disclosures concerning the same issue and to more bullying-related reports being submitted through Safecall.” However, even without cases relating to the same issue, there would still have been an increase, by 233 per cent.
Most concluded cases were either unsubstantiated or handled through the council’s Resolution Framework. Three cases, including that of the unnamed Cabinet Member, remained ongoing or awaiting further information at the reporting date.
Philip James Lynch - Local Democracy Reporter
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