The Tories have selected Gurcharan Singh as the Conservative candidate to fight for the Ealing Southall seat at the next General Election.

At a meeting on Saturday 6th December 2008, the Tories met to elect their candidate for Southall.

They chose Councillor Gurcharan Singh to represent them for Ealing Southall in the general election, which is expected to take place next year.

Councillor Singh has been Mayor of Ealing and was one of five councillors who defected from Labour to the Tories during the July 2007 by-election.

The by-election was held due to the death of the former MP Piara Khabra.

Tony Lit the Conservatives candidate came third and lost to Labour’s Virendra Sharma by 7,000 votes.

Councillor Gurcharan Singh was selected despite only defecting to the party from Labour last July.

The former Mayor of Ealing is an advisor to Conservative party leader David Cameron on race relations.

The Lady Margaret ward representative, who has been a councillor since 1982, said "I am humbled to have been selected as the Conservative Party PPC. I will do everything I can to serve the residents of the constituency."

Chairman of the Ealing Southall Conservative Association, Cllr Manjit Singh said "The people of Ealing Southall are fed up with Labour and want an MP who can make a difference."

Is it the councillors or the MP who make the difference?