The Conservatives name two parliamentary contenders while a left-wing independent also declares for Enfield North

Tory candidates Eric Sukumaran (left) and Chris Dey (right)

Editor’s note: The full, confirmed list of Enfield candidates can now be found here: enfielddispatch.co.uk/who-is-standing-for-parliament

The Conservative Party has revealed two of their three Enfield borough candidates in the upcoming general election.

Grange Park councillor and Enfield Civic Centre’s opposition group whip Chris Dey will be contesting Enfield North for the Tories, while the party has picked entrepreneur Eric Sukumaran to fight for election in the newly-created Southgate and Wood Green constituency.

Enfield Community Action Group (ECAG), which last wee k announced it would be standing independent left-wing candidates in each of the borough’s three seats, has announced that its Enfield North candidate will be Ertan Karpazli.

The Green Party has also named two more of its candidates; Isobel Whittaker in Enfield North and Luke Balnave, who runs a local cycling business, in Edmonton and Winchmore Hill.

Reacting to the selection of his Conservative colleague Cllr Dey for the Enfield North contest, opposition group leader Alessandro Georgiou said on Twitter: “I cannot begin to say how happy I am for my mate, colleague and whip on Enfield Council to be selected for this crucial seat.

“If Chris is as half as good as an MP as he is a councillor then the people of Enfield North will be in very safe hands!”

Eric Sukumaran, the Tory candidate in Southgate and Wood Green, has been described as bringing “a wealth of experience from the private sector, government, and international institutions”. His former employers include the World Bank, while he now runs his own renewable energy development and advisory business.

This story is published by Enfield Dispatch, Enfield's free monthly newspaper and free news website. We are a not-for-profit publication, published by a small social enterprise. We have no rich backers and rely on the support of our readers. Donate or become a supporter.

Eric said: “Southgate and Wood Green is a wonderful and diverse place that I’ve known with great fondness since childhood. I am touched and honoured to be the Conservative candidate.”

Ertan Karpazli is the first of three independent candidates set to be named by Enfield Community Action Group, a coalition of local left-wing groups. On his reasons for wanting to stand in Enfield North, he said: “For too long Enfield North has been let down by Labour and the Conservatives. By standing as an Independent candidate, I will advocate for policies that actually help our communities and not oversee cuts which destroys them.”

The known candidates for the three local constituencies at the present time (5.30pm on Thursday, 30th May) are listed below. The full list will be confirmed on 7th June. For updates go to whocanivotefor.co.uk.

Edmonton and Winchmore Hill

Luke Balnave (Green Party)
Seton During (Workers Party of Britain)
Tim Martin (Liberal Democrats)
Kate Osamor (Labour Party)
Neville Watson (Reform UK)

Enfield North

Aishat Anifowoshe (Workers Party of Britain)
Stephen Bird (Reform UK)
Feryal Clark (Labour Party)
Chris Dey (Conservative Party)
Ertan Karpazli (independent)
Guy Russo (Liberal Democrats)
Isobel Whittaker (Green Party)

Southgate and Wood Green

Bambos Charalambous (Labour Party)
Lauren Fulbright (Liberal Democrats)
Charith Gunawardena (Green Party)
Christopher Menon (Workers Party of Britain)
David Schofield (Reform UK)
Eric Sukumaran (Conservative Party)

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.