Aubrey Crawley Steps Down as Labour Candidate
Not standing in Chiswick Gunnersbury over LGBTQIA+ policy concerns
Aubrey Crawley stressed how impressed he was with local party members
December 9, 2025
Labour’s hopes of gaining ground in Chiswick Gunnersbury have been dealt a blow after Aubrey Crawley, founder of the West London Queer Project, announced he is standing down as a candidate for next May’s local elections.
Having decide to quit last week, Mr. Crawley revealed his decision on Instagram this Monday (8 December), later telling ChiswickW4.com, “I really just want to reiterate how difficult the decision was because the local Labour party is filled with incredible people who I call friends, and that my leaving is not a reflection on them. I’m undecided what I’m going to do just yet, but I am exploring my options.”
He said his withdrawal was prompted by frustration with Labour’s national leadership, which he accused of “backward moving” policies on LGBTQIA+ rights and of refusing to listen to community concerns.
The West London Queer Project has organised a wide range of community initiatives and events in recent years and has received support and funding from Hounslow Council. The group was instrumental in persuading the council to install rainbow crossings near Turnham Green and Chiswick High Road.
Mr Crawley said that in recent years he felt that Labour has made a series of decisions that have harmed or marginalised LGBTQ+ communities, especially trans people.
These include the recently announced decision to exclude trans women from Labour's main women's conference, adopting a biological-sex definition of "woman" in response to the court ruling, limiting protections and positive-action measures for trans women. Losing trans representation, including the resignation of a Labour councillor over the party's treatment of trans people.
In addition he believes Labour has failed to take consistent action against anti-trans rhetoric within its own membership and has backtracked on commitments to improve gender-recognition processes and broader trans rights, reversing earlier pro-LGBTQ positions.
He said, "These are not isolated incidents, they are a pattern. Yeah.
"For me, excluding trans women from the Labour woman’s conference was the final straw. This decision was made on Friday last week."
Mr Crawley is the second candidate that Labour selected for a Chiswick ward to announce he will not be standing. Last month Vickram Grewal revealed that he was not intending to contest the Chiswick Homefields ward and that he was defecting to the Conservatives.
Chiswick Gunnersbury is a three-councillor ward in the borough of Hounslow. In 2022, all three seats were won by Conservatives Joanna Biddolph, Ron Mushiso, and Ranjit Gill. Cllr Gill defected to Labour in May 2025 but will contest Osterley and Spring Grove next year rather than re-stand in Chiswick.
Labour has confirmed Hanif Khan, a former Hounslow Cabinet member, and Maria Saroya as its remaining candidates in Chiswick Gunnersbury. The Conservatives will field Cllrs Biddolph and Mushiso again, with a third candidate yet to be announced.
Senior figures in both Labour and the Conservatives acknowledge that next year’s local elections will be difficult to predict, with traditional party dominance weakened.
A spokesperson for the Labour Party in Hounslow said, "We are sorry to hear that Aubrey no longer wishes to stand as a local candidate. We wish him well for the future.
"We understand that the decision has been difficult and welcome his praise for the local party as hardworking compassionate and community-focused.
"The Labour Party's position reflects the Supreme Court ruling of this year, whereby the definition of sex in the Equality Act 2010 is interpreted as referring to biological sex only. The Labour Party conducted a comprehensive legal review, reflecting the Party's commitment to addressing the under-representation of women in politics and compliance with the law.
"We hope that Aubrey will continue to be a passionate supporter of everything we are trying to achieve here in Chiswick. Through hard work, dedication, and compassion our Party stands for every local resident."
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