Independents set to take overall control away from Labour in Enfield

A new report predicts Labour will lose overall control of Enfield Council, largely due to the hard work of Enfield Community Independents (ECI). The prediction is that ECI could win seven seats, cementing its place as the main opposition to the local Labour-Tory axis. And ECI thinks it could even win more.

BREAKING

New election forecast predicts Your Party affiliate, Enfield Community Independents winning 7 seats and moving the council to No Overall Control.

Your vote will matter!

On 7 May, Vote ECI and let's remove Labour from Enfield Council@thisisyourparty @EnfieldAction pic.twitter.com/45B2wN6esM

— Khalid Sadur (@KHALID4EWH) April 21, 2026

ECI as a ‘decisive disruptive force’ in Enfield

The report, from an independent researcher who once served as a local councillor, said:

The 2026 Enfield election marks a transition from a two-party system to a fragmented, multi-system political environment. The most robust conclusion is that the council will move to No Overall Control, with Labour remaining the largest party but unable to maintain a governing majority.

It added that:

The community and independent candidates are the decisive disruptive force in the eastern wards of the borough. Their presence is concentrated in Labour-held areas, where they directly target Labour’s core vote and are likely to secure representation in multi-member wards.

The eastern wards of the borough are more diverse and have higher levels of deprivation.

The Canary has been following Enfield’s anti-war, anti-austerity independents since 2024. They have worked hard in the last two years to provide “a real socialist alternative” locally. And they recently received the endorsement of Your Party.

Now, ECI candidates say the new forecast reflects what they’ve been hearing from local residents on the ground: more and more people want change, and they’re ready to vote for it.

Enfield has ‘no love for Labour or the Tories’, and is increasingly backing community candidates

ECI leader Khalid Sadur is standing as a candidate in the Upper Edmonton Ward. And speaking to the Canary, he said the new report is a boost to the group’s campaigning momentum. But he added that:

On the doorstep, we are seeing an even more encouraging picture, with no love for Labour or the Tories and a recognition that ECI represents the best chance of removing Labour from Enfield Council.

Residents of Enfield are telling us we need real change within our borough and appreciate our willingness to engage and listen to their problems. With candidates from the community looking to represent their neighbours within the community, ECI is definitely doing politics differently in Enfield.

Fellow Upper Edmonton Ward candidate Toby Osmond, meanwhile, told us:

I got involved in ECI because I believe that fascism, nationalism and racism, highlighted by the rise of Reform, is a very real threat that needs to be fought right now. Labour have pandered to this politics of division.

He also asserted that:

Edmonton is a rich multicultural area which has been economically deprived by previous Conservative national governments and the local Labour party who consistently cut and sell off local services while wasting huge sums on mismanaged projects.

Explaining that “the numbers and the conversations and the voting intentions” all suggest people locally are increasingly seeing ECI as the main group capable of challenging the dominant Labour-Tory axis in Enfield, he insisted:

We will hold Enfield Council to account for its pension investing in the Israeli war machine, and it cutting investment in the people of Edmonton.

Dealing a big blow to Labour, and possibly even to its council leader

ECI also revealed on Facebook that:

Massive ECI canvassing in Edmonton has shown we can do a lot better than 7 seats and there is a real desire to remove the Enfield Council leader from his own ward in Edmonton Green.

Labour council leader Ergin Erbil has previously faced criticism for ignoring a strong local campaign for Enfield to divest from companies complicit in Israel’s genocide in Gaza. And ECI candidates Sevda Kaygili, Katreece Roberts, and Ersoy Halil are now running to defeat Erbil and his Labour colleagues in Edmonton Green.

In a recent press release, ECI called Edmonton Green “the primary battleground of this election“, saying:

For too long, Labour have ignored the state of our housing and streets. ECI are here to remove the leader and to restore a voice for the community.

And Kaygili has echoed that message of serving and listening to the community, insisting:

We are not driven by money or personal gain. We believe in equality, and that equality should apply to everyone, not just a specific group or section of the community. We stand with anyone who feels unheard, overlooked, or unable to speak up.

ECI has cooperated with other socialists locally, endorsing a number of TUSC candidates in Enfield. It has also been in communications with the Greens. For now, the Green Party has decided to stand in every ward. But ECI hopes there can be cooperation with them in the future.

According to the new report, Labour could lose two seats to the Greens in Palmers Green and Bowes. Palmers Green is less diverse and has lower levels of deprivation than other parts of Enfield. Bowes is similar, though to a lesser extent.

You can see the full forecast of Enfield’s results here: Enfield Council Local Elections 2026 Forecast Report (April 2026). And you can see a list of all ECI’s candidates here.

Featured image via the Canary