Jagdish was first elected as a Councillor in May 1974 and has held various senior positions of responsibility since, including cabinet member, chief whip and Deputy Leader, Opposition Leader from 2006 to 2010 and Leader of the Council from 2010 to 2014.

Born and educated in India, Jagdish gained Masters in Economics from Punjab University.  He came to the UK in 1965, where following other work and training he became a teacher and later Head of Maths at a school in Ealing, followed by Deputy Head and later Headteacher.

Jagdish was the first Asian to be elected Mayor in 1979. After his successful mayoral term he was elected as Vice Chair of the Education Committee and then Chair of Leisure Services followed by other committees in future years. He was also appointed Justice of the Peace in 1975 and General Commissioner of Taxes in 1984.

In his various roles as a Councillor, Jagdish has achieved a great deal for the people of Hounslow, from introducing London Living Wage for Council employees to working with Ealing and Slough Councils to oppose Boris Johnson’s attempt as Mayor of London to move Heathrow to the Thames Estuary, thus saving many local residents’ jobs. During his four-year term as Leader, he began a house building programme that not only met but exceeded targets. In recent years he has worked to improve the standards of local parks, pavements and roads, and has helped boost trade for local businesses by introducing half an hour free parking in Hounslow West shopping parade.