Nesil Caliskan backed by Labour colleagues to lead Enfield Council for sixth year

Labour councillors vote to keep Cllr Caliskan at the helm of Enfield Civic Centre, reports Simon Allin, Local Democracy Reporter

Running Enfield Civic Centre for another year will be leader Nesil Caliskan (top left) and deputy leader Ergin Erbil (bottom right)

Nesil Caliskan is set to lead Enfield Council for a sixth year after being re-elected by members of the borough’s ruling Labour group.

Cllr Caliskan said her administration would “continue investing in Enfield” after winning the support of her Labour colleagues during the group’s annual general meeting (AGM) on Monday.

Ergin Erbil remains deputy leader, while all of the current cabinet members were also re-elected and will have their positions confirmed at next month’s council AGM.

First becoming leader after the 2018 local election, Cllr Caliskan led the Labour group to a fourth-straight victory at last year’s election –despite the party losing eight seats to the opposition Conservatives.

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A by-election held in Bullsmoor ward earlier this month also saw Labour’s candidate triumph with an increased vote share, but the Conservatives again managed to narrow the gap between the parties.

Cllr Caliskan said: “I am delighted that the Labour group has once again endorsed my leadership. Together, cabinet will deliver Enfield Labour’s ambitious agenda to make our borough cleaner, greener and safer.

“We have achieved much over the past year and we will continue to deliver the Enfield Labour manifesto we were elected on last year.

“Enfield’s Labour councillors are focused on supporting all our residents who are being forgotten by the Conservative government as they face the cost-of-living crisis.

“Our administration will continue investing in Enfield, creating a lifetime of opportunities for residents and protecting the key public services that we all rely on.”

The borough’s Conservative group also held its AGM this month, which saw Alessandro Georgiou re-elected as leader for a second year. Cllr Georgiou first became Tory group leader last May following the party’s local election defeat.

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