Ealing Council’s longest serving Labour councillor vowed to keep tackling the important issues as she marks 32 years serving the South Acton Ward.

Yvonne Johnson received the highest number of votes in the May 3 council elections with 2279, and was the first of three Labour candidates elected on May 4 to represent the traditionally left-leaning ward.

The clean sweep ensured that South Acton maintained its record of never having a Conservative candidate.

On the three key issues she wanted to tackle, Ms Johnson said: “People are quite keen that we have a better air quality, so we want to plant lots of extra trees.

“I’m quite into Education as a retired school teacher.

“We’re concerned about knife crime. We have quite healthy relationships between existing councillors and the police. We meet with them fairly regularly, talk about issues like young people and anti- social behaviour.”

Ms Johnson highlighted the differences between local and national politics, and felt the personal connection helped her to victory.

She added: “I’m the longest-serving councillor on the Labour side on the Council. I’ve seen a lot of redevelopment and regeneration and we have much more of a mixed community now.

“I don’t think local politics is quite the same as national politics. When you’re doing local, people get to know you and they don’t necessarily vote on party lines.”

Ms Johnson’s direct opponent, Conservative candidate Al Sadjady Naiery, admitted he was running in council elections for the first and last time.

Mr. Naiery, a self-made business man in property development, knew his chances of election were slim.

He said: “I was the paper candidate for that area anyway.”

However, Mr Naiery felt he was a different sort of Conservative candidate as his parents are from Iran, and he was born and raised in Britain.

He said: “I’m a Conservative for a reason. I’m fiscally Conservative and socially a Liberal. When it comes to social issues, Conservatives are closer to the middle today than Labour are. Labour is very left.”