Call for By-election After Another Balraj Sarai No-show
Conservatives say he will go six months without attending a meeting
Cllr Sarai (right) has had a low profile since being elected in May 2022. Picture: X
December 6, 2024
The Conservative opposition on Hounslow Council has called for a by-election to be held in Syon and Brentford Lock ward after a councillor failed to attend a recent Area Forum.
It is being claimed that Cllr Balraj Sarai must forfeit his seat as the Local Government Act stipulates this should take place in the event of an absence from public business of more than six months.
The last time Cllr Sarai is recorded as attending a meeting was on the 23 July and there are no further council meetings until 28 January next year.
Since his election in May 2022, Cllr Sarai has attended three council meetings only and has not appeared at the local Area Forum. In the last six months he was expected to attend six meetings but only turned up for once, giving apologies for one other meeting. In the previous six months he attended three meetings.
Up until now Cllr Sarai has attended enough meetings to continue claiming a basic councillor's allowance which was £12,255 in the last financial year which has since been increased in line with inflation.
The Act does allow councillors to continue even if they are absent for six months or more if special dispensation is given. The Conservatives say that for this to be granted would require an extraordinary meeting of the council to be called this month. Failing this the party says that a by-election must be called in the new year.
Cllr Sarai has previously said that work commitments have made it difficult to attend meetings, but the Conservatives point to him completing just 11 pieces of casework since his election in May 2022 compared to an average of 98 pieces of casework per year for other local councillors.
If a by-election is called this would be the second in a Brentford ward following the resignation of Lara Parizotto in Brentford West. Labour held on to the seat relatively comfortably although it was polling much better nationally at the time.
The Hounslow Conservative Group said, “Hounslow Labour’s councillor in Syon and Brentford Lock has badly let down residents, having been absent from the community and official events ever since he was elected. Cllr Sarai last attended a council meeting in July and his failure to attend this evening’s Area Forum, combined with the fact there are now no official meetings of his committees until January 28th, means he will now have to vacate his seat under Section 85 of the Local Government Act. It’s time to give voters in Syon and Brentford Lock a long awaited by-election, giving them the chance to kick out Hounslow Labour and finally have a councillor who cares about this area.”
A spokesperson for Hounslow Council said, “Cllr Sarai currently remains a member of the Council. He would only forfeit his seat if he does not attend a meeting over a period of six months.”
We have asked Cllr Sarai and the Hounslow Labour Group for comment.
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