Labour's Candidate List for Brentford Wards Starts to Emerge

Some changes in party's representatives for next May's elections

Labour's trio of candidates for Syon and Brentford Lock. Picture: Katherine Dunne

October 17, 2025

Labour’s prospective candidate list for the May 2026 local elections in the Brentford wards of Hounslow is beginning to take shape, with early indications emerging from social media profiles and local party activity—even as formal announcements remain pending.

Sitting councillors Katherine Dunne and Dan Bowring are expected to defend their seats in Syon and Brentford Lock, joined by Jennifer Prain, who narrowly lost a by-election in the ward earlier this year. Prain, a businesswoman in the home textiles industry, was defeated by just 12 votes by independent candidate Theo Dennison in March 2025.
Described by Labour as a “prominent campaigner on issues impacting women and girls across Brentford and Isleworth,” her return to the ballot signals the party’s intent to reclaim the lost seat from a councillor who used to serve in a Labour cabinet.

In Brentford East, Marina Sharma—a well-regarded councillor for the ward since 2022 and current chair of the Brentford Area Forum—will not be standing for re-election in the ward. Although raised in Brentford, Sharma resides elsewhere in the borough and has been reassigned to Cranford, one of Labour’s safest seats, by Council Leader Shantanu Rajawat.

Max Mosley, who successfully defended the other Brentford East seat for Labour in a by-election earlier this year following the resignation of Rhys Williams for personal reasons, is expected to stand again in 2026.

Neither of the two Labour councillors elected for Brentford West in 2022 still represent the party in the ward. Guy Lambert, expelled from Labour for what was described as “uncomradely conduct,” now sits as an independent and has confirmed he will stand again.

Labour has selected Craig Owen, a local campaigner and communications professional, as one of its candidates. Mr Owen, who has lived in Brentford since 2013, lists his interests as politics, planes and pumping iron on his social media bio and is active in community groups such as Brentford Voice and The Friends of Gunnersbury Park & Museum. A long-time Labour member and trade unionist, he describes himself as a “working-class boy” and the first in his family to attend university.

“I love living in Brentford,” he writes. “Brentford is almost unique in retaining that close-knit community feel and distinct identity, despite being part of a conurbation of 9 million people.”

Craig Owen (right) campaigning with Ruth Cadbury MP at a previous election. Picture: Craig Owen

The ward’s other Labour seat is currently held by Emma Yates, who won a by-election in May 2024 following the resignation of Lara Parizotto. It is not yet confirmed whether she will stand again in 2026.

The next London local elections will take place on Thursday, 7 May 2026. All 32 London boroughs—including Hounslow—will elect their full councils on this date.

Labour currently has 50 councillors out of 62 seats but national polls suggest it will see this number reduced next year. A senior member of the local party said, “The current situation is both fluid and complex and I think there will be a lot of surprise outcomes which could even include us doing better than expected in certain areas. The Brentford wards are very important but the slate of candidates announced so far is strong and I am confident we will have at least as many councillors from the area as we started with.”