Forum topic: Party leaders to go head-to-head
Party leaders to go head-to-head
PGC Webmaster
01 Apr 2022 23:18 #6418
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Ahead of the council elections on 5th May, Enfield voters are being invited by London Jewish Forum to an election hustings on 11th April at 8pm at an undisclosed venue in Southgate. Publicity for the event suggests that the only two politicians being scrutinised will be the leaders of the Labour and Conservative groups, Nesil Caliskan and Joanne Laban - no mention of the Greens or Lib Dems, both of whom currently are represented on Enfield Council.
The event is open to all, regardless of religious background, but it is essential to register in advance at thejlc.org/ljfhustingsenfield.
Enfield's Labour council leader Nesil Caliskan to debate Conservative opposition leader Joanne Laban in hustings organised by the Enfield Jewish Communities with @London Jewish Forum
The local leaders hoping to retain or win control of Enfield Council in this May's elections will go head-tohead with their political rival on 11th April in an exclusive hustings event in Southgate.
Labour leader of Enfield Council, CIIr Nesil Caliskan, will face up to Enfield Conservatives' leader, CIIr Joanne Laban, in maybe the only head-to-head debate of its kind in Enfield.
Attendees will have the opportunity to put their questions directly to the two leaders.
Enfield politics has been laden with debate in recent years, whether it be on the controversial low-traffic neighbourhoods (LTNs), proposals to build on the green belt, or the expansion of the Edmonton Incinerator. The last four years has been a challenge in local government. How has Enfield done in pandemic? Which party is best prepared to lead us in the recovery? What can each party offer the Enfield community for the next four years. These issues and challenges will form part of the debate.
The hustings will be hosted by the local Jewish community and are open to all, regardless of religious background. The event will take place on Monday 11th April at 8pm at a Southgate location. For security purposes, the location will only be revealed to registered attendees over email nearer to the time of the event.
London Jewish Forum are also organising hustings with local communities in Barnet, Haringey, Redbridge and Camden. In the last three general elections they organised hustings in Enfield Southgate. In the 2019 Hustings they organised hustings 20 hustings across London.
To register, visit thejlc.org/ljfhustingsenfield
Source: London Jewish Forum press release
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Party leaders to go head-to-head
Colin Younger
12 Apr 2022 00:12 #6419
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Party leaders to go head-to-head
PGC Webmaster
18 Apr 2022 19:36 #6424
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Judging from Simon's report, there were no great surprises in what the two leaders said at the hustings, but the event made the news in another media outlet because of an "unsavoury incident" - an anti-LTN campaigner in the audience told the council leader and her husband to "go back to Turkey" (as it happens, Nesil Caliskan was born in Enfield and is actually of Cypriot heritage). This incident got headline treatment in Jewish News, which reported that "Communal groups have lined up to condemn the 'inexcusable racism' directed at the leader of the Enfield Labour Group during a local election hustings at Cockfosters and Southgate Synagogue" ( Jewish groups condemn ‘inexcusable racism’ directed at leader of Enfield Labour Group ).
The day after the hustings, Enfield politics was again featured in Jewish News, in the form of a front-page story about the discovery of a photograph of the chairman of Enfield Southgate Conservative Association wearing Nazi military uniform, apparently dating from the 1980s. Colin Davis, who at one point was due to be standing for election as a councillor in Oakwood ward, has since resigned from the party. ( Jewish News: Chair of north London Tory association resigns over Nazi photo ; Enfield Dispatch: Senior Conservative suspended over Nazi uniform photo ).
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Party leaders to go head-to-head
Darren Edgar
21 Apr 2022 09:12 #6430
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