Conservative Councillor · Royal Hospital Ward
Delivering for West London. Ready to deliver for Britain.
For eight years I've served the people of Kensington and Chelsea on the Council — in Cabinet, and now as Lead Member for Housing. I'm seeking the Conservative nomination to bring that same record of practical delivery to Parliament: less red tape, safer streets, more homes, and a fair deal for renters, landlords and local businesses alike.
CK
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Who I Am
I'm a natural Conservative who studied Civil Engineering and Business Management at university — a degree that taught me to define a problem clearly, weigh the evidence, and work through to a workable solution rather than retreat to easy answers.
Before joining the council, I built my own property business from the ground up, starting out renovating small bathrooms and growing it, through word of mouth, into a company that now renovates entire houses and manages a portfolio running into the dozens. I managed clients, deadlines and teams to deliver the results I promised. That taught me fiscal discipline and the resilience to see a difficult job through to the end.
Joining the council soon after the Grenfell tragedy, I've now brought both skillsets to eight years on Kensington & Chelsea Council, including Cabinet portfolios across Finance, Housing, Planning, Adult Social Care and Environment — and now as Lead Member for Housing.
Read My Full StoryDelivering for Kensington and Chelsea
A record of practical, local delivery — not just promises. Here's where residents and businesses have felt the difference.
Launched the Council's Fast Track Planning Application Service, giving residents and businesses a faster, more predictable route through planning for straightforward applications — without cutting corners on consultation.
Read the case study →Drove the introduction of outdoor dining across the borough and backed new activity spaces on Sloane Square, helping revive the high street when it needed it most.
Read the case study →As Lead Member for Housing, led the borough's Housing Enforcement Policy 2026, giving tenants and landlords clarity under the new Renters' Rights Act.
Read the case study →Proposed a hotel-to-residential conversion policy with strict viability tests, turning under-used buildings into genuinely needed, family-sized homes.
Read the case study →Restored a derelict, Grade II listed 1910 cabmen's shelter on Chelsea Embankment — one of only 13 left in London — into Café Pier, working with the Heritage of London Trust to bring a piece of taxi driver history back to life.
Read the case study →Co-Chair of Conservative Friends of Turkey, governor of Chelsea Community Hospital School, and a fundraiser for my old school, Westminster.
Read more →"The judgement to think a problem through properly, and the grit to see a difficult course of action through to the end — that's what local government has taught me, and it's what I'd bring to Westminster."
— Cem Kemahli