New cabinet addition – Around Ealing

Ealing Council has a new cabinet member as part of a reshuffle after the recent London Assembly elections saw an old member resign to take up a new role.

Councilor Blerina Hashani will take up the cabinet member portfolio for thriving communities.

She is believed to be the first cabinet member of Kosovar heritage. Councilor Hashani was elected to represent the North Acton ward in 2022. She is a public policy professional and has previously worked in Parliament and for a national cultural institution.

Council leader Peter Mason said: “Councillor Blerina Hashani joins cabinet to take responsibility for key projects such as our new state-of-the-art leisure center at Gurnell, launching our new plan for cultural infrastructure and venues such as and our progress towards becoming a Borough of Sanctuary.

“Like many families in our neighborhood who have had to endure and experience the injustice of fleeing war and as a refugee, Councilor Hashani’s own experience of asylum from the 1999 Kosovo War will be invaluable to the council as we continue to build a welcoming, fair space. and London equal.”

Proud to serve

Councilor Hashani said: “I am delighted to be appointed as the new cabinet member for thriving communities.

“This exciting portfolio is focused on bringing people together and I look forward to working with colleagues to continue to deliver on our manifesto commitments.

“My focus remains on putting the power of community that already exists at the heart of each of our 7 cities in everything we do, as we do through our Your Voice Your Town initiative. I also look forward to delivering on our commitment to well-loved community facilities, including a new leisure center at Gurnell.

“I am especially proud to support our work as a Borough of Sanctuary. We will build on the work that has already been done to ensure that refugees and asylum seekers are welcomed and supported when they arrive in our neighbourhood.”

Our new member of the London Assembly

Councilor Hashani’s appointment follows the election of Councilor Bassam Mahfouz to the London Assembly for the Ealing and Hillingdon constituency. He was elected in the London election on 4th May, so he will stand down from his current position on Ealing Council as cabinet member for safe and truly affordable housing after 2 years in the role – and many years in other cabinet roles before this. .

However, Councilor Mahfouz will remain a ward councilor for Northolt West End.

Councilor Mason said: “I want to thank Councilor Mahfouz from the bottom of my heart for his dedication and service to the borough. Whether he guided the council’s finances through the worst years of government-imposed austerity; ensuring the smooth introduction of the neighborhood’s trash cans; or, most recently, leading the charge to secure 10,000 new decent jobs; Bassam’s impact will continue well beyond his time in cabinet.

“As a new member of the London Assembly, I wish him every success in supporting the needs of both Ealing and Hillingdon at City Hall.”

Cabinet reshuffle

Following the departure of councilor Mahfouz, the positions in the cabinet were reshuffled as follows:

• Councilor Louise Brett takes up the mantle of Cabinet Member for Safe and Truly Affordable Housing with Councilor Kamaljit Nagpal, former Cabinet Member for Fairer Starts, taking over from Councilor Brett’s former Cabinet post for Decent Living Income
• Councilor Josh Blacker now takes responsibility for a fairer start to moving from adult social care and public health
• Councilor Polly Knewstub moves from thriving communities to a newly titled portfolio called Healthy Equal Lives, covering adult social care, public health and equality

The entire cabinet is now:

• The leader of the council Councilor Peter Mason
• Deputy Leader and Climate Action Councilor Deirdre Costigan
• Tackling crime and anti-social behaviour counsel Jasbir Anand
• The inclusive economy Councilor Steve Donnelly
• Good growth and new homes councilor Shital Manro
• Decent living income counsel Kamaljit Nagpal
• A fairer start Councilor Josh Blacker
• Safe and truly affordable homes Councilor Louise Brett
• Healthy, equal lives Councilor Polly Knewstub
• Thriving communities counselor Blerina Hashani
• Councilor Gareth Shaw continues to sit in cabinet as the council’s chief executive

The new portfolios and cabinet portfolios will come into effect following the annual full council meeting on Tuesday 21 May.