From July the Enfield Council leader will also be leading LGA’s Labour group after being elected unopposed to the role

Enfield Council leader Nesil Caliskan has been elected unopposed to lead the Labour group on the Local Government Association (LGA).

Cllr Caliskan will now become one of the most senior Labour politicians in local government as the role involves promoting the interests of Labour councillors across the country and representing the party on the national stage.

The LGA is the national membership body for local authorities in England and Wales and its membership is made up of 317 English councils and the 22 Welsh councils.

After her election was confirmed on Monday (22nd) Cllr Caliskan said: “It’s a huge privilege to be trusted to serve in the national role as the leader of LGA Labour, representing Labour in local government. I look forward to working so that Labour continues to build on the outstanding gains in the recent local elections, showcasing the great work of Labour councillors across the country.

“Labour councils are the best examples of Labour in power. I want to make sure they are ready to be working with the next Labour government led by Keir Starmer to deliver positive change for communities across the country.”

The Labour Party became the largest party in local government following the local elections held earlier this month, with Labour now in control of 71 councils compared with 33 under the control of the Conservatives. The result also appears to have put Labour on course to win the next general election.

Cllr Caliskan will formally take up her new role at the LGA annual conference in July. She will be the first woman to do so. She added: “I’m looking forward to taking on this role alongside my work as leader of Enfield Council.

“It will be a fantastic opportunity to promote the great work of Labour councils and councillors around the country, especially everything the administration is doing in Enfield.”

Last week, the LGA published a report assessing the effectiveness of Enfield Council’s leadership, which concluded it was “highly regarded”.

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