Hounslow Council Cabinet Nominations Confirmed
Council leader reveals who he intends to put in each role
The proposed Hounslow Council Cabinet. Left to right: Lily Bath; Max Mosley; Madeeha Asim; Shantanu Rajawat; Tom Bruce; Samia Choudhary; Amy Croft; Ajmer Grewal; Salman Shaheen; Sue Sampson. Picture: Hounslow Labour Party
May 23, 2026
Hounslow Council leader Cllr Shantanu Rajawat has unveiled his proposed new Cabinet following Labour’s razor-thin victory in the local elections. Three councillors — Amy Croft, Max Mosley and Madeeha Asim — are set to join the top table for the first time, while long-serving environment lead Katherine Dunne has been removed after more than a decade in senior roles.
The Cabinet slate, announced at Labour Group nominations on Friday (22 May), will go before the full Borough Council for ratification on 26 May. With Labour holding only a one-seat majority, the margin for error is exceptionally narrow: a single Labour councillor voting against, or two abstaining or absent, could block potentially the appointments.
One of the most striking changes is that Cllr Rajawat will no longer retain the finance brief, a portfolio he has held since becoming leader. In many councils, the leader holding finance is seen as a sign of consolidated authority.
The role is expected to go to Cllr Max Mosley, one of the three newcomers. Cllr Mosley, who represents Brentford East, is a Senior Economist at the New Economics Foundation.
Cllr Tom Bruce remains Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Assets, Regeneration and Development.
Isleworth councillor, Salman Shaheen is given the Environment, Transport and Public Realm portfolio which was formerly held by Katherine Dunne. Like her, he is expected to be an enthusiastic proponent of active travel measures in the borough. He had previously been responsible for Culture, Leisure and Public Spaces,
Cllr Amy Croft, the Chiswick Riverside councillor has been given the Infrastructure, Enforcement and Recycling portfolio. This means that issues arising from the borough’s controversial policy on issuing large fines for relatively minor littering offences will cross her desk.
Cllr Madeeha Asim, representing Feltham West, also joins the Cabinet for the first time, and will oversea Children and Young Futures.
Together, the three new members will fill the gaps left by the departure of Shivraj Grewal, who lost his seat in Heston Central, and the removal of Katherine Dunne.
Cllr Samia Choudhary, whose support is believed to be key in Cllr Rajawat’s continued leadership of the group has been give the Transformation and Customer Experience job.
Cllr Lily Bath has been re-nominated as Cabinet Member for Health, Wellbeing and Adult Social Care.Cllr Sue Sampson, as expected, retains the housing portfolio.
Cllr Ajmer Grewal has been nominated as Cabinet Member for Communities, Culture & Safety at Hounslow Council. Cllr Grewal previously held the Cabinet Member post in Community Safety & Communities.
Cllr Dunne was expected to launch a leadership challenge after the disappointing election result, but she was taken ill at the key meeting and Cllr Rajawat was re-elected unopposed. She has since been elected Chair of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee, a role that gives her and cross-party backbenchers significant power to examine and call in Cabinet decisions.
The reshuffle has exposed tensions within the Labour Group. Brentford TV reported that Cllr Samia Choudhary threatened to resign the whip if removed from Cabinet, with four allies prepared to follow. Her inclusion in the final list suggests that confrontation has been avoided — at least for now.
Separately, there is speculation that three Labour councillors may be considering defecting to the Conservatives, amid frustration over Cabinet appointments and the forthcoming nominations for Mayor and Deputy Mayor.
For those ceremonial roles, Sahibaa Hussein is tipped for Deputy Mayor, while former Chiswick Conservative councillor Ranjit Gill is seen as a likely candidate for Mayor.
The new Cabinet line-up also highlights the scale of Special Responsibility Allowances within the Labour Group. With the proposed appointments, all but five Labour councillors will receive an additional payment on top of their basic allowance — in some cases worth up to £30,000 per year.
The formal Cabinet responsibilities will be finalised at the 26 May Borough Council meeting when the appointments are voted on by the full council including opposition members.
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