The Liberal Democrat candidate for Ealing Central and Acton thinks the unpopularity of Jeremy Corbyn is so great in Ealing that those who voted Labour in the 2015 election won’t do so again.

Jon Ball, 49, lives with his Swedish partner and has one child. He has been a councillor in Ealing Common ward since 2002 and opposed the closure of The Solace Centre - a mental health facility.

Mr Ball says that this election is all about Brexit and, as such, the Lib Dems are offering a second referendum on Brexit should they be voted in.

Mr Ball said: “Ealing voted very heavily to remain and had a large turnout. A lot of people are still very upset that the vote went the way it did.

“It was a close three-way marginal in 2010 with all three parties within 5000 votes.

“So I think just looking at the 2015 result where we were suffering from post-coalition unpopularity doesn’t give you a true position of what the dynamics of the seat is.”

In a wide ranging interview Mr Ball expressed his thoughts on cannabis legalisation, education and Brexit.

The Lib Dems have said they hope to legalise and then regulate the sale cannabis, proposing that £1bn can be raised from it.  

He said: “Cannabis would be available through licensed outlets.

“The idea of the policy is to take cannabis out of illegal drug dealers and getting it into a situation where it can be regulated and the strength can be controlled and it can be taxed.”

Mr Ball said the policy was not a gimmick to lure young people back after their U-turn on tuition fees saying they had motions established before 2010.

“It is something which we have been working on for years and have gradually moved to this point,” said Mr Ball.

Cannabis is part of three-pronged plan to encourage young voters back into the fold, including a two thirds discount bus pass for under-21 year olds and green initiatives they think will prove popular.

Mr Ball says there is a moral incentive to respect the rights of EU citizens in Ealing, which total 13,000.

He said: “There needs to be a guarantee that all EU citizens living here have the right to stay if Brexit happens and its outrageous that the Tory’s are using EU citizens as bargaining chips.”

You can follow Jon Ball at @JonBall