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A West London councillor who suddenly resigned from his party has broken his silence amid calls for him to resign. In an almost 1,500 word statement, the now ex-Tory councillor, Kaushik Banerjee, tears into the new leadership of Hillingdon Council, which he describes as lacking a “sufficiently clear or credible long-term strategy for addressing the financial and structural challenges now facing Hillingdon.”
The council has been under new leadership since the local elections when Cllr Ian Edwards stood down as leader, to be replaced by Cllr Steve Tuckwell. Cllr Banerjee resigned last week without any public statement, and according to the Hillingdon Conservatives, without any warning. Since then, the Conservatives have called on him to resign, arguing that he lacks a mandate to represent his ward as an independent.
On running as a Conservative less than three weeks ago, Cllr Banerjee said: "Election victories alone do not remove the responsibility to govern honestly and prepare seriously for the challenges ahead. In my view, much of that success was built upon the reputation and record established by previous Conservative administrations over many years. Residents voted for sound financial management, strong local services, and competent long-term leadership.
"My concern is not about the mandate the administration received. It is whether the current leadership has a credible and detailed plan for sustaining those standards over the next four years in what will be an increasingly difficult financial environment.”
Later in the statement, he accuses the new Tuckwell-led administration of “looking back to previous leadership figures” such as Sir Ray Puddifoot, which he says raises questions about preparedness and direction.
He then says that the administration views scrutiny "as an inconvenience rather than a necessity..." adding: "There appears to be a belief that controlling the narrative can substitute for confronting the underlying issues themselves.
A spokesperson for the Hillingdon Conservative Group told the Local Democracy Reporting Service [LDRS]: “We are surprised and disappointed by Councillor Banerjee’s comments, particularly given he sat on the select committee responsible for scrutinising the council’s finances and never raised any of these concerns publicly, privately, or with the leadership of the Conservative Group.
"Having been elected under the Conservative banner only weeks ago, these sudden claims appear deeply opportunistic and raise serious questions for the residents of Ickenham and South Harefield. If Councillor Banerjee genuinely believes what he is now saying, the honest course of action would be to resign immediately and allow residents to decide his future in a by-election.”
Cllr Banerjee goes on to accuse the Leader of the Council of having ambitions to be the next MP for Uxbridge and South Ruislip, a position he held between 2023-2024. He added: “Political ambition in itself is not wrong. However, leading a council through a period of financial difficulty while simultaneously pursuing parliamentary ambitions in a politically sensitive constituency inevitably raises legitimate questions about priorities and decision-making.”
In an interview with the LDRS, Cllr Tuckwell stated his intention was to lead the council throughout this next term which concludes in 2030 - one year after the latest possible point for a general election - seeming to put to bed assumptions about a potential run for Parliament - until 2030 anyway.
Cllr Banerjee later added that he could not in good conscience remain under the Conservative whip that “would have implied support for an approach to governance that I no longer believe is sustainable, transparent, or ultimately fair to the people of this borough.”
Reacting to the scathing statement published over the bank holiday weekend, Cllr Tuckwell said: "Like many colleagues, I was disappointed to receive Councillor Banerjee’s email resigning the Conservative whip. Despite the claims made in his statement, he never once raised any concerns with me personally regarding finances, leadership, or any other matters.
"It is very difficult to address issues that are never brought forward. My style of leadership has always been open and accessible.
"My door has always been open to colleagues, including Councillor Banerjee, but he never chose to walk through it. A number of colleagues have expressed the view that the timing of this decision appears to be calculated, and I understand why they feel that way."
Appearing to reject calls for a by-election, Cllr Banerjee concludes: “As an independent councillor, I will continue to serve every resident of Ickenham & South Harefield with the same commitment and determination that I always have. I will continue to speak openly, challenge poor decisions where necessary, and advocate for transparent, responsible and accountable local government."
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