Date for two Haringey by-elections confirmed

It comes after a winning Green candidate at this month’s local election was revealed to be ineligible and a Labour candidate declined to take up her seat, reports Joe Ives, Local Democracy Reporter

The date has been set for two Haringey by-elections.

Voters in the wards of Northumberland Park and Woodside will be asked to elect one councilor each on Thursday, 25th June.

The Haringey Council announcement comes after two seats became vacant shortly after the local election on Thursday, 7th May.

News of the first came two weeks ago when Haringey Greens announced that their successful candidate for Northumberland Park ward, Jayon Henriques, would not be eligible to take his seat.

In a statement Haringey Greens said: “As soon as we were made aware we informed the Electoral Commission and Haringey Council returning officer, and followed their instructions. No local campaigning took place in the ward.”

The second was announced last week, when Haringey Labour revealed that Hasret Bozdogan, who was elected to represent the party in Woodside ward, would not be taking on her role as councillor for personal reasons “that transpired after 7th May”.

Bozdogan beat her nearest Green competitor, candidate Hayley Nicola Jukes, by just three votes earlier this month, meaning the by-election could be a tight contest between Labour and the Greens.

With no party having an outright majority, the two by-elections could also play a huge role in shaping the next four years at the local authority.

Last Wednesday (20th) Mark Blake was elected as the first Green Party leader of Haringey Council. It marked a historic shift for the local authority, which has been run by consecutive Labour administrations dating back to 1971.

But with 27 seats, two short of a majority, the Greens were only able to form a minority administration.

Labour currently have 20 councillors, while the Lib Dems have eight.

The lack of outright control could severely limit the ability of Cllr Blake and his party colleagues to deliver their campaign promises.

For the Greens, therefore, the by-elections represent a huge opportunity to gain overall control of the local authority, should they win both seats.

For Labour, their closest competitors in both wards, victory would help claw back some of the power they had before 7th May, when the party held a 44-seat majority.

The deadline for candidate nominations in the two by-elections is this Friday (29th).

The Greens have already announced that Rose Dakuo, “a long-standing community organiser with nearly 30 years’ experience living and working in Haringey” will be their candidate for the Northumberland Park by-election.

At the time of reporting it has yet to be announced who the Green or Labour candidates for Woodside ward will be.

Former Labour cabinet member Ajda Ovat, who narrowly lost to the ineligible Green candidate for Northumberland Park earlier this month, will potentially be keen to regain her place at the local authority. However, Labour’s candidate has not yet been confirmed.

Voters in the two wards who were not registered to vote earlier this month can still vote at the by-elections if they register by 11.59 pm on Tuesday, 9th June. The deadline for postal and proxy votes is 5pm the next day.

Voters who don’t have an accepted form of photo ID need to apply for a voter authority certificate by 5pm on Wednesday, 17th June.

More details about the by-elections and how to take part can be found on the council’s website:
Visit haringey.gov.uk/council-elections/elections-voting/northumberland-park-woodside-wards-by-elections

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