12.1 In the name of Councillor Terry Neville:
“The Council notes that on 22 September this year former Labour Councillor Nesimi Erbil was convicted at Highbury Corner Magistrates Court of an offence under section 4, Public Order Act 1986 and was given a six week custodial term, suspended for two years and ordered to pay fines and costs totalling £1080. The conviction is his third in a year following upon two convictions for fraud at Southwark Crown Court last September, and the Council believes that because of this he is entirely unsuitable to continue as a councillor and calls upon him to resign forthwith.”
12.2 In the name of Councillor George Savva:
“This Council would welcome a new stance by the Government to increase infrastructure spend (as widely reported) to boost the economy, in contrast to the austerity position of the last leader of the Conservative government.
This Council therefore resolves to:
1. Inform residents of the impact of the Government’s austerity measures upon their well-being.
2. Encourage the Government to increase funding of local authorities as the ideally positioned public bodies to best serve local people to increase their well-being and to develop the local infrastructure.
3. Ask the Leader of the Council to write to the Prime Minister bringing to her attention that there should be fair funding for Enfield Council and the added value that this Council can bring for the residents of Enfield.”
12.3 In the name of Councillor Joanne Laban:
“This Council agrees with the Prime Minister's conference speech in which she remarked that the Labour Party is now the 'nasty party' of British politics. This is even truer locally when you look at the Labour Council's persecution of a group which supports the poorest and most vulnerable in our borough.”
12.4 In the name of Councillor Anne Marie Pearce:
“This Council is concerned that with the rise in population in Enfield, ever increasing demands are being placed on our local health services. Successive governments have failed to recognise that 'fair funding' has not supported local health services to the necessary levels. In comparison with neighbouring boroughs in the North Central London Sector, Enfield is under-funded. For example, Camden, with a population of 260,000 gets an NHS grant of £372 million, while Enfield receives £10 million less with the higher population of 320,000.
The Council instructs the Cabinet Member for Health and Social Care together with the Shadow Cabinet Member to write jointly to the Secretary of State for Health requesting him to review the funding mechanism and allocate available monies in a more equal manner across London. The Council also calls upon Enfield’s three Members of Parliament to support the Council in seeking a revision of the formula.”
12.5 In the name of Councillor Sarah Doyle:
“The Council calls upon the Government to make fair transitional state pension arrangements for all women born on or after 6th April 1951, who have unfairly borne the burden of the increase to the State Pension Age (SPA) with lack of appropriate notification.
Hundreds of thousands of women had significant pension changes imposed on them by the Pensions Acts of 1995 and 2011 with little/no/personal notification of the changes. Some women had only two years notice of a six-year increase to their state pension age. Figures show that more than 15,000 women living in the London Borough of Enfield have had their State Pension receipt date moved to the ages of between 63 and 66 years old.
Many women born in the 1950's are living in hardship. Retirement plans have been shattered with devastating consequences. Many of these women are already out of the labour market, caring for elderly relatives, providing childcare for grandchildren, or suffer discrimination in the workplace so struggle to find employment.
Women born in this decade are suffering financially. These women have worked hard, raised families and paid their tax and national insurance with the expectation that they would be financially secure when reaching 60. It is not the pension age itself that is in dispute - it is widely accepted that women and men should retire at the same time.
The issue is that the rise in the women's state pension age has been too rapid and has happened without sufficient notice being given to the women affected, leaving women with no time to make alternative arrangements. The Council calls upon the Government to reconsider transitional arrangements for women born on or after 6th April 1951, so that women do not live in hardship due to pension changes they were not told about until it was too late to make alternative arrangements.
We call upon the Leader of Enfield Council to write to the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions in the strongest possible terms, urging that fair transitional arrangements are introduced forthwith.”
12.6 In the name of Councillor MaryMaguire:
“This Council asserts that Councillors should uphold the principles of democracy and fair representation. It is, therefore, appalled that an entire political grouping of this Council should show such contempt for the democratic process through a planned walkout, en masse after 20 minutes, and mislead our residents present in the public gallery. The actions of the minority group on 21st September 2016 ensured they were absent for important debates.
Such actions produce a democratic deficit and show a scandalous disregard for the Council, its officers, the Mayor and residents of the London Borough of Enfield.
This Council calls on the Councillors concerned to apologise publicly to the Mayor, the officers and the residents of Enfield.
Furthermore, this Council agrees to refer this matter to the Monitoring Officer and the Councillor Conduct Committee.”
12.7 In the name of Councillor Dinah Barry:
“This Council believes that the Bus Services Bill is yet another example of the Government’s hypocritical attitude to Local Authorities.
We were told that the Localism Act aimed to devolve more decision making powers from Central government back into the hands of individuals, communities and councils.
However, since it was passed, Central Government have overridden decisions made by Local authorities and reduced our powers. Local authorities can no longer open new schools - and soon we won’t even be able to run any; we are forced to sell off our housing stock and to allow development even when it may not be in the interest of our residents. And now Local authorities are to be effectively banned from setting up new bus companies.
Most of our buses are run by TfL but a significant number of our residents need to travel to and from Hertfordshire, especially Waltham Cross, by bus.
We therefore ask the Leader to write to Lord Ahmad and to call on the Department for Transport to omit Clause 21 from the final legislation of the Bus Services Bill; to write to our local MPs: David Burrowes, Kate Osamor and Joan Ryan to ask them to oppose clause 21 when the Bus Services Bill reaches the House of Commons and ask them to write to Lord Ahmad and the Department of Transport to raise concerns about Clause 21.”
12.8 In the name of Councillor Alessandro Georgiou:
“The people of the United Kingdom have voted to leave the European Union. Therefore the Council resolves that the flag of the EU should be removed from the flag pole on the civic centre premises and replaced with the Union Flag of the United Kingdom's of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.”
12.9 In the name of Councillor Alessandro Georgiou:
“This Council resolves that the National Anthem of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland should have time reserved to be sung during the beginning of each Full Council Meeting.”
Minutes:
1.1 Urgent Motion
Council was asked to note that the Mayor had agreed to accept an urgent motion under Part 4 paragraph 11.6 of the constitution.
The decision was accepted as urgent, as notice as under Part 4, Paragraph 11 could not reasonably have been given for the following reasons:
Motions for this Council meeting should have been submitted by Friday 28 October 2016 and Councillor Chibah’s first email on the subject was dated 2 November 2016. This explaining why the matter could not have been dealt with within the normal timescales.
The reason why it was essential that this matter should be considered at this Council, and not delayed, was because there were four further scheduled meetings of the Overview & Scrutiny Committee before the next Council on the 25 January 2017 and it was felt that the matter should be considered before these meetings.
Motion in the name of Councillor Terry Neville
Councillor Neville proposed and Councillor Alessandro Georgiou the following motion:
“This Council is concerned to note that Councillor Katherine Chibah, a permanent member and Vice Chair of the Overview & Scrutiny Committee (OSC) has missed meetings on 30 June, 3 August, 4 October (the latter called to consider the council’s projected revenue overspend), and 11 October. She has also now indicated that because she has been involved in the American elections she will not be here to consider several call-ins on the scheduled meeting date of the 10 November.
Council is even more concerned to note that in seeking to obtain a substitute for her at the meeting on 10 November, Councillor Chibah wrote to Councillors Maguire, Nesil Cazimoglu and Jemal, an email which included the following words:
“ the Tories are absolutely playing silly games with these latest vexatious call-ins so we need someone who can give them a hard time and direct questions at them rather than at the Cabinet Member concerned………. so any of you would be perfect….”
In so doing Councillor Chibah displays a complete failure to understand the statutory and constitutional independent role of members of the Overview & Scrutiny Committee which is particularly alarming given she is the elected Vice Chair, and by this action she renders herself wholly unsuitable to be a member of the OSC. Council therefore resolves to terminate her appointment as a member of the OSC and instructs the majority party to nominate a successor.”
Following the moving and seconding of the motion, Motion 14.11 (a) (ii) - that the question now be put - was moved by Councillor Charalambous as the Councillor referred to in the motion was not present. This was seconded by Councillor Taylor. The procedural motion was put to the vote with the following result:
For: 32
Councillor Abdullahi
Councillor Anderson
Councillor Bakir
Councillor Barry
Councillor Brett
Councillor A Cazimoglu
Councillor N Cazimoglu
Councillor B Charalambous
Councillor Dogan
Councillor Doyle
Councillor During
Councillor Ekechi
Councillor Fonyonga
Councillor Achilleas Georgiou
Councillor Hamilton
Councillor Hassan
Councillor Hurman
Councillor Jemal
Councillor Jiagge
Councillor Keazor
Councillor Kepez
Councillor Lemonides
Councillor Levy
Councillor Maguire
Councillor McGowan
Councillor Orhan
Councillor Oykener
Councillor Pite
Councillor Savva
Councillor Sitkin
Councillor Taylor
Councillor Uzoanya
Against: 19
Councillor Celebi
Councillor Chamberlain
Councillor Delman
Councillor Dines
Councillor Fallart
Councillor Alessandro Georgiou
Councillor E Hayward
Councillor R Hayward
Councillor Hurer
Councillor Jukes
Councillor Laban
Councillor Lavender
Councillor Milne
Councillor Neville
Councillor AM Pearce
Councillor Rye
Councillor Smith
Councillor Steven
Councillor Vince
Abstentions: 0
The motion was then put to the vote with the following result:
For: 16
Councillor Celebi
Councillor Chamberlain
Councillor Delman
Councillor Dines
Councillor Fallart
Councillor E Hayward
Councillor R Hayward
Councillor Hurer
Councillor Jukes
Councillor Lavender
Councillor Milne
Councillor Neville
Councillor Rye
Councillor Smith
Councillor Steven
Councillor Vince
Against: 31
Councillor Abdullahi
Councillor Anderson
Councillor Bakir
Councillor Barry
Councillor Brett
Councillor A Cazimoglu
Councillor N Cazimoglu
Councillor B Charalambous
Councillor Dogan
Councillor Doyle
Councillor During
Councillor Ekechi
Councillor Fonyonga
Councillor Achilleas Georgiou
Councillor Hassan
Councillor Hurman
Councillor Jemal
Councillor Jiagge
Councillor Keazor
Councillor Kepez
Councillor Lemonides
Councillor Levy
Councillor Maguire
Councillor McGowan
Councillor Orhan
Councillor Oykener
Councillor Pite
Councillor Savva
Councillor Sitkin
Councillor Taylor
Councillor Uzoanya
Abstentions: 4
Councillor Alessandro Georgiou
Councillor Laban
Councillor Levy
Councillor AM Pearce
Motion 12.6 In the name of Councillor MaryMaguire
Councillor Mary Maguire moved and Councillor Jemal seconded the following motion:
“This Council asserts that Councillors should uphold the principles of democracy and fair representation. It is, therefore, appalled that an entire political grouping of this Council should show such contempt for the democratic process through a planned walkout, en masse after 20 minutes, and mislead our residents present in the public gallery. The actions of the minority group on 21st September 2016 ensured they were absent for important debates.
Such actions produce a democratic deficit and show a scandalous disregard for the Council, its officers, the Mayor and residents of the London Borough of Enfield.
This Council calls on the Councillors concerned to apologise publicly to the Mayor, the officers and the residents of Enfield.
Furthermore, this Council agrees to refer this matter to the Monitoring Officer and the Councillor Conduct Committee.”
Following a short debate the motion was put to the vote and agreed with the following result:
For: 31
Councillor Abdullahi
Councillor Anderson
Councillor Bakir
Councillor Barry
Councillor Bond
Councillor Brett
Councillor A Cazimoglu
Councillor N Cazimoglu
Councillor Dogan
Councillor Doyle
Councillor During
Councillor Ekechi
Councillor Fonyonga
Councillor Achilleas Georgiou
Councillor Hassan
Councillor Hurman
Councillor Jemal
Councillor Jiagge
Councillor Keazor
Councillor Kepez
Councillor Lemonides
Councillor Levy
Councillor Maguire
Councillor McGowan
Councillor Orhan
Councillor Oykener
Councillor Pite
Councillor Savva
Councillor Sitkin
Councillor Taylor
Councillor Uzoanya
Against: 2
Councillor Lavender
Councillor AM Pearce
Abstentions: 1
Councillor Bambos Charalambous
The remaining members present did not vote.
The following councillors had declared non-pecuniary interests in this motion: Councillors Celebi, Chamberlain, Delman, Dines, Fallart, Alessandro Georgiou, E Hayward, R Hayward, Hurer, Jukes, Laban, Lavender, Milne, Neville, AM Pearce, D Pearce, Rye, Smith, Steven and Vince.
DURATION OF THE TIME ALLOCATED FOR ITEMS 12 AND 13
The Mayor advised, at this stage of the meeting, that the time available for items 12 and 13 had now elapsed so Council Procedure Rule 9 would apply.
NOTED that in accordance with Council Procedure Rule 9 the remaining items of business in this section of the Council agenda were considered without debate.
The following motions listed on the agenda lapsed due to lack of time:
Motion 12.1 In the name of Councillor Terry Neville:
“The Council notes that on 22 September this year former Labour Councillor Nesimi Erbil was convicted at Highbury Corner Magistrates Court of an offence under section 4, Public Order Act 1986 and was given a six week custodial term, suspended for two years and ordered to pay fines and costs totalling £1080. The conviction is his third in a year following upon two convictions for fraud at Southwark Crown Court last September, and the Council believes that because of this he is entirely unsuitable to continue as a councillor and calls upon him to resign forthwith.”
Motion 12.2 In the name of Councillor George Savva:
“This Council would welcome a new stance by the Government to increase infrastructure spend (as widely reported) to boost the economy, in contrast to the austerity position of the last leader of the Conservative government.
This Council therefore resolves to:
1. Inform residents of the impact of the Government’s austerity measures upon their well-being.
2. Encourage the Government to increase funding of local authorities as the ideally positioned public bodies to best serve local people to increase their well-being and to develop the local infrastructure.
3. Ask the Leader of the Council to write to the Prime Minister bringing to her attention that there should be fair funding for Enfield Council and the added value that this Council can bring for the residents of Enfield.”
Motion 12.3 In the name of Councillor Joanne Laban:
“This Council agrees with the Prime Minister's conference speech in which she remarked that the Labour Party is now the 'nasty party' of British politics. This is even truer locally when you look at the Labour Council's persecution of a group which supports the poorest and most vulnerable in our borough.”
Motion 12.4 In the name of Councillor Anne Marie Pearce:
“This Council is concerned that with the rise in population in Enfield, ever increasing demands are being placed on our local health services. Successive governments have failed to recognise that 'fair funding' has not supported local health services to the necessary levels. In comparison with neighbouring boroughs in the North Central London Sector, Enfield is under-funded. For example, Camden, with a population of 260,000 gets an NHS grant of £372 million, while Enfield receives £10 million less with the higher population of 320,000.
The Council instructs the Cabinet Member for Health and Social Care together with the Shadow Cabinet Member to write jointly to the Secretary of State for Health requesting him to review the funding mechanism and allocate available monies in a more equal manner across London. The Council also calls upon Enfield’s three Members of Parliament to support the Council in seeking a revision of the formula.”
Motion 12.7 In the name of Councillor Dinah Barry:
“This Council believes that the Bus Services Bill is yet another example of the Government’s hypocritical attitude to Local Authorities.
We were told that the Localism Act aimed to devolve more decision making powers from Central government back into the hands of individuals, communities and councils.
However, since it was passed, Central Government have overridden decisions made by Local authorities and reduced our powers. Local authorities can no longer open new schools - and soon we won’t even be able to run any; we are forced to sell off our housing stock and to allow development even when it may not be in the interest of our residents. And now Local authorities are to be effectively banned from setting up new bus companies.
Most of our buses are run by TfL but a significant number of our residents need to travel to and from Hertfordshire, especially Waltham Cross, by bus.
We therefore ask the Leader to write to Lord Ahmad and to call on the Department for Transport to omit Clause 21 from the final legislation of the Bus Services Bill; to write to our local MPs: David Burrowes, Kate Osamor and Joan Ryan to ask them to oppose clause 21 when the Bus Services Bill reaches the House of Commons and ask them to write to Lord Ahmad and the Department of Transport to raise concerns about Clause 21.”
Motion 12.8 In the name of Councillor Alessandro Georgiou:
“The people of the United Kingdom have voted to leave the European Union. Therefore the Council resolves that the flag of the EU should be removed from the flag pole on the civic centre premises and replaced with the Union Flag of the United Kingdom's of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.”
Motion 12.9 In the name of Councillor Alessandro Georgiou:
“This Council resolves that the National Anthem of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland should have time reserved to be sung during the beginning of each Full Council Meeting.”