A councillor’s call for Enfield’s administration to stop “political point–scoring” during a debate on the NHS Test and Trace system for coronavirus sparked an angry backlash from members of the Labour group. 

Cllr Dinah Barry’s comments were branded “outrageous” and “shameful” by Labour councillors – and she later apologised if she had caused offence, claiming people had not understood the point she was making. 

The controversy erupted during an online meeting of Enfield’s full council on Wednesday (September 30), as councillors discussed a motion tabled by leader Cllr Nesil Caliskan urging the Government to “urgently fix” Test and Trace. 

It called on ministers to provide adequate laboratory capacity for testing and urgently implement a plan to better protect black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) communities from Covid-19. 

The motion followed media reports of people struggling to book tests, with some being told to travel long distances to a testing centre. 

Cllr Barry, who heads new political group Community First after quitting Labour this year, said she would support the motion but claimed Cllr Caliskan did not need council approval to demand the Government take action. She said a different motion highlighted something that Enfield Council could do. 

Cllr Barry (Winchmore Hill) said: “Cllr Caliskan’s motion notes the disproportionate impact of Covid on BAME communities but offers no action. Motion two, however, asks the council for a local campaign on cervical cancer awareness to encourage women to attend screening tests. 

“Data has shown that during the pandemic, minority ethnic women are more likely to miss those screenings, and the risk of dying from Covid is about one per cent, compared to the risk of dying from cervical cancer, which is 50 per cent. 

“I think it is shameful that that motion has been on council agendas for about a year and has yet to be heard. It is time this administration took responsibility for looking after Enfield and stopped packing council agendas with unproductive, political point-scoring.” 

It sparked an immediate uproar from Labour councillors, with shouts of “outrageous”, “shameful” and “disgraceful” heard over the livestream. When asked to apologise by Mayor of Enfield Cllr Sabri Ozaydin, Cllr Barry said the data came from a report by Public Health England that was quoted in the Guardian newspaper. 

She added: “I’m very happy to quote that document and send it in, and if people want to complain about what has been reported in a public newspaper, that’s fine.” 

Several Labour councillors continued to criticise the remarks as they attacked the Government’s handling of the Test and Trace system.  

Near the end of the debate, Cllr Barry was allowed to speak on a point of personal explanation and said people had not understood the point she was making. 

She said: “Absolutely we need more testing – there is no question about that. My concern is there are other impacts of this pandemic on the BAME community particularly. One of those concerns cervical cancer screening, and that we have a way of improving the situation for the community on that. 

“I was hoping to be helpful. I have family that are affected by this, just as other people have said. I certainly was not meaning to offend anyone, and I am very sorry if I did, but that was far from my intention.” 

The Labour, Conservative and Community First groups all supported Cllr Caliskan’s motion.