It means that the Labour MP for Barking could be involved in choosing her successor as Enfield Council leader

Enfield Civic Centre and (inset) Nesil Caliskan (credit parliament.uk)

Nesil Caliskan is continuing to serve as a councillor in Enfield despite resigning as council leader last week.

The new Labour MP for Barking had previously said she would resign as Jubilee ward councillor “in due course” – but in a statement issued on Friday (9th) the council said that “Cllr Caliskan will remain as a councillor in Jubilee ward”.

Asked by the Dispatch for some clarification over these contradictory statements, a spokesperson said today (Monday 12th): “Cllr Nesil Caliskan will be resigning as a councillor in due course.”

If Cllr Caliskan does not resign as a councillor before 18th September, she would be able to have a say on who is elected as her successor as council leader.

The Labour group will need to have an internal discussion and vote on who they wish to put forward as their nomination for the job, before the full council meeting next month at which all 63 councillors will get a chance to vote on the appointment.

In both Camden and Redbridge, where borough council leaders were also elected to the House of Commons at the general election, replacements were confirmed and appointed before the end of July. While ex-Camden leader and new Queen’s Park and Maida Vale MP Georgia Gould has also stood down as a councillor, triggering a by-election, ex-Redbridge leader and new Ilford South MP Jas Athwal has – like Cllr Caliskan – decided to continue as a councillor for the time being.

There has been speculation that the two-month delay in choosing someone to take the top job at Enfield Civic Centre could be caused by disagreement within the Labour group over who to appoint, with several different names being mentioned as potential new council leaders.

Cllr Caliskan has previously said that she will not be claiming her councillor allowance following her election as Barking MP.

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