The Leader of Enfield Council, Cllr Nesil Caliskan, has resigned from her post as Leader today.Cllr Caliskan’s resignation follows her success in being elected as MP for Barking in the General Election on Thursday 4 July. Cllr Caliskan will remain as a councillor in Jubilee ward. Cllr Caliskan was first elected as a councillor to Enfield Council in 2015. In 2018, she was appointed as Leader of Enfield Council, becoming the first female and Turkish-Cypriot council leader in the borough. Cllr Caliskan was also the youngest female council leader in the country at the time at the age of 29.
Deputy Leader of the Council, Cllr Ergin Erbil, is the new interim leader.
An announcement on the new leader will be made at a Full Council meeting at Enfield Civic Centre on Wednesday 18 September.
Cllr Nesil Caliskan has issued the following statement following her resignation:
“Following my election as a Member of Parliament, I have today resigned as Leader of Enfield Council. My Deputy Leader, Cllr Ergin Erbil, will act as interim Leader until the Enfield Labour Group elects a new Leader ahead of the next full council meeting on the 18th of September.
“It has been an honour to serve as the first female Leader of Enfield Council since 2018. I thank the residents of Enfield for giving me the opportunity.
“Local authorities have faced profound challenges in recent years, but despite this, Enfield Council has led the way on multiple fronts. From ambitious housebuilding and regeneration programmes, to protecting and driving innovation in frontline services such as Adult Social Care and Children’s Services.
“I am incredibly proud of what we have achieved in Enfield over the past six years. Across the country councils have demonstrated that they are well-placed to best understand and deliver for communities.
“In moments of crisis, like we saw with Covid, councils step up and do an outstanding job. Not only do councils provide crucial help for residents in need, but they also create better places for people to live and work. I will continue to champion the valuable role councils play in our communities.
“I want to say thank you to all the Cabinet Members and Labour councillors I have worked with to deliver the agenda of our administration. I would also like to thank the thousands of council officers across the organisation.
“All politicians rely on officials who understand them and their ambitions for the areas we represent. A particular thank you therefore to Chief Executive Ian Davis, senior officers, past and present, and the team of officers in the Labour Group office - all of whom have been brilliant public servants to the people of Enfield.
“I leave behind a Labour Group of councillors who represent Enfield’s fantastic diverse community. The London Borough of Enfield will always hold a special place in my heart, and I look forward to following future achievements.”