New Enfield Green councillor previously campaigned for Labour, Tories and Lib Dems

Enfield Lock councillor Ratip Alsulaiman has been revealed as a prolific political chameleon, reports James Cracknell

Ratip Alsulaiman as a Lib Dem (top), with Labour (bottom), and as a newly-elected Green (centre)

One of the five new Green Party councillors elected in Enfield last week has previously campaigned for three other parties, the Dispatch can reveal.

In just over a decade Ratip Alsulaiman – now elected to represent Enfield Lock ward – switched his party affiliation from Labour, to the Conservatives, to the Liberal Democrats, and finally to the Greens.

This included a failed attempt to become a Tory councillor at the 2018 local election in Enfield.

There is no suggestion of any wrongdoing whatsoever.

A photograph obtained by the Dispatch shows Cllr Alsulaiman campaigning with Labour activists in Edmonton in 2015, alongside Kate Osamor MP, who was standing as a parliamentary candidate for the first time in that year’s general election.

Three years later, public records show that Cllr Alsulaiman stood for election as a Conservative candidate in Jubilee ward, but lost out to Labour after receiving 746 votes.

Shortly afterwards, another photograph obtained by the Dispatch shows Cllr Alsulaiman wearing a yellow Lib Dem rosette alongside the party’s then-MPs, Luciana Berger and Chuka Umunna.

It is very likely this photo was taken in 2019, as this was the year the two ex-Labour and Change UK MPs switched allegiance to the Lib Dems, before losing their seats in the general election held in December that year.

The evidence, taken together, shows that Cllr Alsulaiman has represented four different political parties within eleven years.

While switching parties is a common occurrence in politics at all levels and is not against any rules, the frequency with which Cllr Alsulaiman has changed his political affiliation has raised questions over his loyalty to the Greens.

For this story the Dispatch approached Cllr Alsulaiman via a press spokesperson for Enfield Green Party, asking whether the Enfield Lock councillor is committed to the Green Party’s values.

They declined to comment.

On his personal website where he promotes his campaign to be elected as a Green councillor for Enfield Lock, Cllr Alsulaiman says: “I’m here, I listen, I show up, and I will fight for cleaner streets, safer roads, better housing standards, and a stronger voice for Enfield Lock.”

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