Brent is a borough with huge strengths: vibrant communities, rich diversity and people who care about where they live. Yet after 15 years of Labour in power, too many residents feel that the Council has lost touch with their everyday concerns. Services that people rely on are not good enough, long-standing problems have been allowed to drift and trust in the Council has eroded. Across Brent, residents are clear: they want change, they want competence and they want a Council that listens and acts.
Between 2022 and 2026, Brent’s Liberal Democrat Councillors have shown that a different approach is possible. The Liberal Democrat Group has been effective, persistent and always punched above our weight. We have provided rigorous scrutiny, challenged waste and poor decision-making and consistently held the Labour administration to account. When residents raised concerns about housing conditions, street cleanliness, road safety or service failures we took those concerns into the Civic Centre and demanded answers. We have been a strong voice for residents when it mattered most.
This 26-point plant for 2026 is built around three clear objectives. To create a local authority that is: Fair, Proactive and More Accountable.
A fairer Brent means tackling inequality head-on and making sure everyone has access to decent housing, clean streets, safe neighbourhoods and reliable public services. Housing is the most urgent challenge facing the borough. Too many families are stuck on the growing housing waiting list, while others are living in damp, overcrowded and unsafe homes. We will focus on the delivery of genuinely affordable housing, prioritise the Council homes building programme and reform a failing housing department that has too often let residents down. We will also hold housing associations that operate in our borough to account when they fail to meet their responsibilities to tenants and leaseholders.
Being proactive means fixing problems before they spiral out of control. That applies to the upkeep of our public realm: cleaner streets, better waste collection and roads and pavements that are properly maintained, not endlessly patched up. It means tackling traffic congestion and chaos on local roads by ensuring roadworks are properly planned and coordinated with utility companies, reducing disruption for residents, businesses and the emergency services. It means not imposing traffic measures without honest consultation with residents, that cause mayhem on local roads. It also means protecting Brent’s green open spaces, which are vital for health (both physical and mental), wellbeing and community life.
A more accountable Council is one that is open, transparent and focused on delivery. Residents should not have to fight to get basic services or chase endlessly for responses. We will demand higher standards across all Council services, ensure money is spent wisely, not wasted and make sure decision-makers (elected and officers) are answerable to the people they serve. Accountability is not a slogan, it is about outcomes that residents can see and feel in their daily lives.
After years of neglect, failure and waste, the Brent Liberal Democrats stand ready to provide a new way forward. We believe in a Council that works in partnership with residents, not above them; that listens first and acts decisively; and that measures success by the real improvements made to the lives of people in our borough. This 26-point plan sets out a positive and practical way to get Brent back on track. Together, we can build a borough that is fairer, more responsive and better run and restore pride in the place we all choose to call home.