Enfield Labour says his decision to resign is a result of him being deselected while the Haselbury ward councillor claims the party has an identity crisis
An Enfield Labour councillor has quit the party – shortly after being deselected ahead of next year’s local elections.
Mustafa Cetinkaya, who represents Haselbury ward and first became a councillor in 2018, said he was quitting Labour after 23 years because the party had “drifted away from its core values”. He will continue to serve as an independent councillor.
The resignation comes shortly after Cllr Cetinkaya was deselected by local party officials, meaning he would not have been able to stand for re-election next year as a Labour representative. The deselection itself came three months after Cllr Cetinkaya was denied permission to install a dropped kerb outside his property, overturning a previous approval forced through by Labour councillors against the advice of council planning officials, who had raised serious safety concerns.
In his statement, Cllr Cetinkaya did not comment on his deselection or the dropped kerb controversy but claimed Labour had “drifted away from its core values” and that members were “pushed aside” and party decisions “imposed from the centre”.
He said: “Under the name of ‘welfare reforms’ [Labour’s] cuts have targeted our disabled citizens, low-income families, pensioners, and children.”
Cllr Cetinkaya continued: “Decisions imposed on local councils are making life unbearable for working people and those on low incomes. For years, we criticised the Conservatives for these unjust cuts, yet today it is the Labour party implementing the very same policies. This contradiction has made defending the party a moral burden.”
His resignation follows a wider trend across London of Labour councillors being deselected ahead of next May’s local elections. In Greenwich two councillors quit Labour after reportedly being deselected, while in Brent eight serving Labour councillors were told they were not able to contest next year’s local elections under the party banner.
In Hillingdon, the leader of the local Labour group was also deselected alongside another Labour councillor. He resigned his party membership as a result.
‘An identity crisis’
Also taking a swipe at the Labour-run council, Cllr Cetinkaya claimed “personal interests and nepotism” had been “prioritised” while members who had given “years of service” were “pushed aside”.
He said: “In Enfield, council candidates are no longer chosen by the democratic will of local members, but by the dictates of a small group at headquarters. Ordinary members are stripped of decision-making power and reduced to little more than leaflet distributors, while party positions are turned into tools for personal advancement.”
Emphasising that the party was no longer the “voice of working people” or “trade unions” Cllr Cetinkaya said it had been “dragged into an identity crisis by copying right-wing parties”.
He continued: “I have always stood by the people and the vulnerable, and I will continue to do so. My strength comes from the trust of my constituents and the responsibility they have given me. I will continue to be their voice and carry out my duties as an independent councillor.”
Cllr Cetinkaya also criticised the Government’s policy of supporting arms sales to Israel “while hundreds of children [in Gaza] lose their lives not only to bombs and bullets but also to hunger”.
In a statement responding to Cllr Cetinkaya’s resignation, an Enfield Labour spokesperson said the resignation should be seen in “light” of the deselection and that it wouldn’t “distract” the group. They said: “Whilst we regret seeing any colleague leave the Labour Party, we are focused on the future. In Enfield, Labour has a strong and active team of candidates for next May’s local elections, where we will show how Labour locally, in City Hall and in Government, is delivering for residents.
“Cllr Cetinkaya’s exit does not reflect any political differences with Enfield Labour or the Government nationally. The reality is that he was not reselected to stand in the May 2026 local elections, and his decision to leave should be seen in that light.
“Labour in Enfield has invested in our communities, supported schools and children, and made our streets safer and cleaner with improved funding and new investment. Residents in Haselbury and across Enfield deserve councillors who are fully committed to their communities.”
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