Debate over whether councillors still have confidence in Labour-run administration set to take place on Thursday night, reports Simon Allin, Local Democracy Reporter

A bid to bring down Enfield’s Labour administration could go ahead this week after being postponed following a row over scheduling.

The ‘no-confidence’ motion in the administration tabled by the Conservatives is on the agenda for an extraordinary council meeting set to take place on Thursday at 7pm.

It is one of two key meetings this week, with the annual council – set to see the election of the mayor and cabinet – scheduled for Wednesday evening.

The Conservatives’ bid to topple the Labour administration was originally scheduled for a meeting in March but was subsequently postponed until after the local elections.

Tory group leader Joanne Laban said she had tabled the motion because residents were “upset” with the council and felt their views were being ignored by the ruling Labour group.

But council leader Nesil Caliskan branded the move a “futile stunt” and a “waste of council resources”.

Labour’s majority on Enfield Council has now been reduced to 15, following a by-election defeat on 6th May and another defection from the party this week. It means if all independent and opposition councillors backed the no-confidence motion, eight Labour councillors would need to vote with them in order for it to pass.

The meeting on Thursday also includes motions tabled by members of the Labour group calling for a pay rise for NHS workers and more focus on tackling violence against women.

A motion calling on the council to retain Whitewebbs Park Golf Course for public use is also on the table.

The meetings this week are the first to be held in-person since the start of the pandemic. It has now been confirmed there will be limited space for the public, with around three places likely to be available on a first-come, first-served basis, but livestreaming will also continue for others to watch. Enfield Grammar School is set to be the venue, rather than the civic centre. Links to the webcasts are available from the agendas published online.

For more information about Thursday’s meeting and a link to the livestream:
Visit https://governance.enfield.gov.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=108&MId=13715

No news is bad news

Independent news outlets like ours – reporting for the community without rich backers – are under threat of closure, turning British towns into news deserts.

The audiences they serve know less, understand less, and can do less.

If our coverage has helped you understand our community a little bit better, please consider supporting us with a monthly, yearly or one-off donation.

Choose the news. Don’t lose the news.

Monthly direct debit

Annual direct debit

£5 per month supporters get a digital copy of each month’s paper before anyone else, £10 per month supporters get a digital copy of each month’s paper before anyone else and a print copy posted to them each month. £50 annual supporters get a digital copy of each month's paper before anyone else.