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Following the “Hillingdon Decides” digital leadership hustings, the Hillingdon Alliance of Residents’ Associations (HARA) has published this summary of how the event was organised, conducted, and funded.
1. Purpose and Framework
The event was designed as a non-partisan, borough-wide leadership hustings, providing residents with the opportunity to hear directly from parties seeking to lead the Council.
It was organised in line with Electoral Commission guidance for a non-selective hustings, ensuring:
- equal treatment of all qualifying parties
- no promotion of any candidate or party
- a balanced and impartial format
Invitations were issued to parties contesting at least one-third of the borough’s wards and capable of forming a council administration. Four parties accepted and took part, and one declined.
2. Event Format and Delivery
The event was delivered as a Zoom Webinar, ensuring:
- only speakers and the Chair were visible and audible
- attendees could not disrupt proceedings
- access was controlled via individual registration
The two-hour session included:
- opening statements
- pre-submitted themed questions
- a live, audience-driven Q&A
- closing summaries
Each party received equal speaking time throughout.
3. Question Selection Process
Questions were designed to reflect resident concerns across the borough:
- Questions were submitted during registration.
- Submissions were reviewed without names, using only ward data to avoid bias.
- All questions were verified as originating from within Hillingdon.
- Questions were grouped into common themes (e.g., housing, waste, finances, safety).
These themes were shared in advance with all participants. During the event:
- attendees submitted additional questions via Zoom
- questions were prioritised through live audience upvoting
- the second half of the event was driven entirely by the highest-voted questions
This ensured the agenda was shaped directly by residents.
4. Fairness in Delivery
To ensure balance:
- speaking order was rotated across questions
- opening and closing statements were delivered in randomised order
- strict time limits were applied equally to all participants
This ensured no party had a consistent positional advantage.
5. Timing and Publication
The event was scheduled to coincide with the dispatch of postal votes, ensuring residents had the opportunity to hear directly from party representatives at a key point in the election period.
Following the event:
- the full recording was published
- a written summary was made available
- materials were shared with participating parties
6. Funding and Costs
The event was delivered using a modest, non-political and non-partisan budget provided by residents’ associations.
Costs included:
- Zoom Webinar licence: approximately £100
- Facebook advertising budget: £200
Of the advertising budget, approximately two-thirds was used prior to the event to drive registrations, with the remaining one-third used afterwards to promote the recording. This was a limited and targeted effort to ensure residents were aware of the event.
7. Governance and Constitution
Funding was provided by the Ruislip Residents’ Association (RRA).
The RRA is an unincorporated non-profit organisation with no political affiliation, whose purpose is to consider issues affecting the local community. The expenditure was approved through standard committee processes and used solely to support a neutral, public information event.
8. Conclusion
“Hillingdon Decides” was:
- non-partisan and impartial
- organised in line with Electoral Commission guidance
- structured to ensure fairness and equal participation
- funded through modest, non-political and non-partisan resources provided by residents’ associations
The event provided residents with a direct opportunity to hear from those seeking to lead the borough and to engage with the issues that matter most to their communities.
We are proud of the rigorous, impartial work that went into delivering “Hillingdon Decides.” HARA and its member associations extend our sincere thanks to the Green Party, Labour, Liberal Democrats, and Reform UK for their time, preparation, and participation.
Above all, we thank the residents of Hillingdon for submitting thoughtful questions, voting on the agenda, and actively engaging in the democratic process to ensure every voter has the information they need to cast their ballot with confidence.