Hounslow Councillor Resigns Whip Amid Declaration Probe

Hounslow councillor Satwant Kaur has resigned the Conservative whip and will sit as an independent pending the outcome of an investigation into undeclared directorships. Cllr Kaur, who represents Heston West, failed to declare her directorship of Sanjam Properties Ltd and Mobile Touch Working Ltd on the council's register of interests.

Undeclared Directorships

Sanjam Properties Ltd is listed as an active company with assets and accounts, which would constitute a disclosable pecuniary interest. Cllr Kaur also failed to declare her directorship of Mobile Touch Working Ltd until July 2026. She stated that the directorship is part of her main business, which she believes has been declared in full. However, she has referred the issue to the monitoring officer at Hounslow Council for further guidance.

Accusations of Hypocrisy

Hounslow Labour has accused the Conservatives of hypocrisy, citing the ongoing investigation into Labour councillor Sue Sampson. Cllr Sampson, the Cabinet Member for Housing, is under investigation for failing to declare her directorship of a property firm under a different name. A spokesperson for Hounslow Labour stated that councillors are legally required to declare disclosable pecuniary interests, which are business interests from which a councillor might gain financially. They added that failure to do so is a serious breach of the Members Code of Conduct.

The Hounslow Conservative Group responded by stating that Cllr Kaur's action of referring herself to the monitoring officer and resigning the whip contrasts with Hounslow Labour's inaction regarding Cllr Sampson. They argue that Cllr Kaur has been asked to resign the Conservative whip pending advice, a move they describe as being in stark contrast to the Hounslow Labour Group's refusal to take action against Cllr Sampson.

Next Steps

Cllr Kaur will sit as an independent councillor while the monitoring officer provides guidance. Cllr Sampson maintains that her arrangements are not recent and there has been no attempt to conceal the connection between her names, noting that her election records in 2018 acknowledge she is known as Sue Sampson.