As Enfield Labour loses power after 16 years, James Cracknell reports on a tumultuous local election count – with thanks to Richard Cubitt and Anna-Louise Adepegba for helping to crunch the numbers and take the pics

The Conservatives fell just one seat short of winning a majority on Enfield Council at the local election count today (Friday 8th) – with the Greens now holding the balance of power.

For much of the day it looked like the Tories might win outright control as they won six seats from Labour in Bowes, Highfield and Southbury, but it was the Greens who caused the biggest shocks by winning councillors in Enfield Lock, Ponders End and New Southgate.

No Green candidates had previously won an election in Enfield.

The Tories and Greens are now set to hold talks over how they can work together to save the borough’s Green Belt, with both vehemently opposed to Labour’s plans for building thousands of homes at Crews Hill and ‘Chase Park’.

However, the Dispatch understands that a formal coalition between the two parties remains unlikely, as does any kind of pact involving Labour.

Instead, the Greens have indicated that they would vote on any policies put forward by a minority Conservative administration “on a case by case basis”.

This is likely to mean that both parties will team up to vote against building on the Green Belt, as well as against Tottenham Hotspur’s plans to build a training centre on Whitewebbs Park – but the Greens could also prove an obstacle to the Tories implementing other manifesto promises such as removing cycle lanes and low-traffic neighbourhoods.

How this all works in practice remains to be seen.

Meanwhile, Reform UK failed to win a single seat in Enfield, as did the left-wing Enfield Community Independents group.

The final tally of seats was 31 for the Conservatives, 27 for Labour and five for the Greens.

After the final ward result came in, Alessandro Georgiou sat down with the Dispatch and said: “It’s mixed emotions but if you look at where we came from to achieve this victory, I am so proud of the people of Enfield and our candidates.

“Of course I would like to have won outright, but this is still a brilliant, brillaint victory for us, given we have not won this borough in 16 years.

“Yes, we are one seat short, but no-one can say this isn’t a victory.”

In a joint statement, Enfield Greens said they were “delighted” to win five councillors and said: “We aim to put the hope back into Enfield, creating a prosperous and affordable green borough.”

Asked directly whether the Greens would now talk to the Conservatives, newly-elected New Southgate councillor Laura Davenport told the Dispatch: “We will look at it on a case by case basis. We won’t work formally [in coalition] but we will talk.”

And what does that mean for protecting the Green Belt?

“I think the Tories have that in common with us,” Cllr Davenport explained. “If we want the best for the borough, we have to work together.”

The Dispatch has crunched the numbers from the election and can reveal that a whopping 77.2% of voters across Enfield backed parties that made “protecting the Green Belt” one of their key pledges.

The only party not to make such a pledge was Enfield Labour.

Speaking following his party’s defeat today, former council leader Ergin Erbil told the Dispatch: “I am extremely grateful to our voters, our supporters, our campaigners. I am grateful that I have been re-elected in Edmonton Green for the next four years where I will continue to serve.”

Asked why he believed Labour had lost eleven seats to the Conservatives and Greens combined, Cllr Erbil said: “There is a national swing against Labour. With the government I understand there are concerns.”

But does Cllr Erbil agree that local concerns over the loss of several hundred hectares of Green Belt in the borough were a key factor in the election?

“No,” he insisted. “The Green Belt hasn’t actually come up that much in the conversations that we’ve had on the doorstep.”

Cllr Georgiou, however, claimed the Green Belt was coming up as an issue in parts of the borough that were “completely remote” from the rural north-west of Enfield, such as in Edmonton, Bowes and Highfield.

“It came up time and time and time again,” he added. “I think they [Labour] are in denial. I think they came in here today thinking they were going to win well, and they obviously haven’t. We have taken six seats from them, the Greens have taken five.

“It is a humiliating defeat for Labour, in a borough they have run for 16 years. They have managed to lose it.”

Cllr Erbil, for his part, said that Enfield Labour would “look at our options” in terms of potentially persuading the Greens to side with them instead of the Conservatives.

However, according to Cllr Georgiou: “The key thing at this moment in time is saving the Green Belt and Crews Hill and that is the biggest thing for us.”

It remains to be seen what will happen next.

Perry Scott, the council’s chief executive, said tonight in a statement: “Discussions will now take place with representatives of political groups with a view to forming an administration. My team will be on hand to provide appropriate support during this process.”

Reflecting on his party’s failure to gain representation at the civic centre, Enfield Community Independents leader Khalid Sadur said: “Whilst the final results left us short of a council seat, we wanted to thank all of our supporters for believing in us and for helping us trying to bring real change to our borough.

“So many came out to vote for ECI and the enthusiasm of having a genuine alternative in Enfield was plain to see. ECI is not just a political party, it is a  wonderful vehicle we have in Enfield to strengthen our community and provide hope to the residents in our borough.”

Stephen Bird, the chair of Reform UK’s Enfield branch, also reflected on his party’s poor performance, which came despite big gains elsewhere in the country. “It didn’t go as well as we would hope,” he said. “I think the Conservatives ran a good campaign – although it was an anti-Reform campaign.

“We worked hard across most of the borough, the other parties that concentrated in some areas did very well.”

Among the more notable new councillors today is Dino Lemonides, a former Labour cabinet member who won election as a Conservative candidate in Bowes.

Cllr Lemonides told the Dispatch: “I can’t believe the result, it was close. I stood [for the Tories] because of the infighting within Labour, I think they put their own self interest first.

“As a new councillor I hope to serve my constituents well.”

Final results

Conservative Party: 31 councillors (+6)
Labour Party: 27 councillors (-11)
Green Party: 5 councillors (+5)

No other party won councillors

Vote share

Conservative Party: 33.3% (-3.5)
Green Party: 22.9% (+16)
Labour Party: 22.8% (-22.6)
Reform UK: 10.9% (+10.9)
Liberal Democrats: 6.2% (-3.3)
Enfield Community Independents/Trade Unionist: 3.2%
Others: 0.6%

These vote share totals have been calculated using only the top-performing candidate for each party within all 25 wards

For full ward-by-ward results visit the council website.

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.  

More information on supporting us monthly or yearly 

More Information about donations