Council leader ousted as Labour group backs rival

Joseph Ejiofor’s time at the top in Haringey is nearing its end, reports Simon Allin, Local Democracy Reporter

Haringey Council is set to get a new leader after Joseph Ejiofor was ousted by a rival councillor in an internal vote.

Labour councillor Peray Ahmet won the backing of her fellow members during a ballot that took place at the group’s annual general meeting on Monday evening.

Cllr Ahmet, who represents Noel Park, was formerly cabinet member for adults and health until she was sacked by Cllr Ejiofor on New Year’s Eve in 2018. She is expected to be confirmed as the new council leader later this month.

Her win brings Cllr Ejiofor’s three-year spell as Labour leader to an end. Under his administration, the council set out to build 1,000 council homes at council rents, provided more help for vulnerable residents through a council tax reduction scheme, and launched a long-term plan to tackle youth crime.

It also saw the end of the Haringey Development Vehicle – a controversial deal with developer Lendlease that would have involved the demolition of several housing estates.

But regeneration projects that did go ahead continued to cause controversy. The council was criticised over its handling of a scheme that involves the demolition of a community market in Seven Sisters, while councillors have continued to raise concerns over the 2,600-home High Road West scheme in Tottenham.

The annual council meeting, during which Cllr Ahmet is expected to be confirmed as the council’s new leader, is due to take place on Thursday 27th May.