Cllr Peray Ahmet appointed new Leader

Cllr Peray Ahmet was officially appointed as the new Leader of Haringey Council at the Annual General Meeting last night and pledged to give local people a major voice in the decisions that affect their lives.

Cllr Ahmet takes over from Cllr Joseph Ejiofor who was in the role for three-years.

Having been brought up in Wood Green, Cllr Ahmet attended Woodside High School and understands the values of the diverse community across Haringey.

Cllr Ahmet said:

“I am thrilled and honoured to have been elected the new Leader of Haringey Council. I am one of the first Haringey Leaders to have been born and raised in the borough and it’s shaped how I see things and how I want to see things done.

“This is a unique area, and it makes it even more special for me that I am now able to lead our great borough – I grew up in Wood Green and now live here in Tottenham. Haringey’s my home. 

“We need a council that knows its people, that listens – really listens – and collaborates with them.

“We’re not here to do things to or for people – we’re here to work with them to make things happen. I want to see Haringey become a truly, genuinely collaborative council. It’s how we’ll achieve the kind of change we were elected for.”

Cllr Ahmet was born in North Middlesex Hospital after her parents arrived in north London from Cyprus and made it their home in Wood Green back in the 1950s.

Having attended Woodside High School, Cllr Ahmet was destined to make a difference for her neighbours and people in the local community and became a Councillor back in 2014.

Cllr Ahmet held cabinet positions in two different administrations covering Environment and Adults and Health and wants to continue making a real change for local people living in the borough.  

“I want the lynchpin of my administration to be about co-production and co-design and being a more collaborative council. 

“I am a working-class woman from an ethnic minority background, so I am used to people who want to talk on my behalf. 

“My own background has shown me that the way we engage and talk to our residents is a crucial component moving forward. I will be using all my insight and experience of living in Haringey to help make a difference.”

As a parent of a young child and a working mum in the borough, Cllr Ahmet understands first-hand the challenges parents face and wants to put children’s life chances at the heart of her administration.     

“I know what the parents of children in lockdown have been up against.  Giving birth to my daughter during the Covid pandemic means I know how challenging a time it has been.  

“I will make sure that every child in Haringey is able to get off to a great start in life, and that the services and support are there in borough for them and their parents.   

“With that, genuine, transformative change is possible.”

Cllr Ahmet has appointed the following cabinet members to work alongside her:

Cllr Mike Hakata - Cabinet Member for Environment, Transport and the Climate Emergency and Deputy Leader of the Council 

Cllr John Bevan - Cabinet Member for Planning, Licensing and Housing Services 

Cllr Zena Brabazon - Cabinet Member for Early Years, Children and Families 

Cllr Seema Chandwani - Cabinet Member for Customer Service, Welfare and the Public Realm 

Cllr Lucia Das Neves - Cabinet Member for Health, Social Care and Well-being 
 
Cllr Julie Davies - Cabinet Member for Employment, Skills and Corporate Services 

Cllr Isidoros Diakides - Cabinet Member for Finance and Transformation 

Cllr Ruth Gordon - Cabinet Member for House Building, Placemaking and Development