After securing a second term as Labour councillor for Greenford Green ward at the local elections on May 3, Aysha Raza called on central government to provide 'realistic' help to local councils.

Ms Raza's Greenford Green ward was Conservative-held until 2014.

The ward had two stabbing incidents between March and April, and Ms Raza said that this is down to central government’s changes to local governments’ budgets.

After her re-election, she said: “Currently the ‘squeeze’, and the rate at which we’re being attacked from Central Government, is horrific. 

“They’re taking away budget. They’re taking away resource. For example, police cuts and youth services cut. It’s not been slightly cut - it’s been cut by a lot.

“Local government is the first line of defence against central government.

"We are literally holding the breach before the whole thing caves in, to try and protect our most vulnerable people.”

Ms Raza said she did not recall any crime occurring in the area when she was growing up, and believed that the cuts have led to dis-unity in the local community.

She said: “The problems that we’re having with anti-social drinking and anti-social problems with drugs - these things have become rife because we have policing issues.

“They’re all interlinked – we need to rebuild community because at the moment, problems are what we’ve got. That’s going to be my first priority in my role.

“Central government need to provide realistic financial and people resources - cutting our police and expecting us to sort out stabbing and violence on our streets is not deliverable. 

“Lets be realistic about what we can do and stop pushing the blame onto local government.”

Ms Raza attributed her second win to listening to the community and people being aware of what is going on in their community.

She said: “We won because of hard work for four years, listening to the community and being there. I think the message of being here ‘for the many’ is resonating. 

“The public isn’t blind and they’re seeing that we’re actually trying to defend our communities to the best of our capabilities.”