FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 25 March 2026
£203 MILLION MUST DELIVER EQUALITY — NOT EXCUSES
WINDRUSH MOVEMENT LAUNCHES MAY 2026 CAMPAIGN FOR STRUCTURAL CHANGE
The Enfield Windrush Movement has today launched its campaign for the May 2026 Local Elections, calling for the borough’s £203 million funding uplift to be invested directly in tackling structural inequality across employment, housing, healthcare and the criminal justice system.
SIX DECADES OF CONTRIBUTION TO ENFIELD
For more than sixty years, the Windrush Generation — originating from the Caribbean — has been central to Enfield’s economic and civic life.
Invited to Britain after the Second World War to help rebuild the nation, Caribbean men and women answered the call to fill labour shortages in manufacturing, the NHS, London Transport, Royal Mail, local government, the civil service and the wider public sector.
Alongside them, families from African and South Asian Commonwealth countries also made Enfield their home, contributing to public services, small businesses, skilled trades and the borough’s wider economy.
Together, these communities helped build modern Enfield.
In Edmonton and Enfield North, manufacturing industries provided stable, skilled and semi‑skilled employment for many Windrush and Commonwealth families who settled in the borough. These industries offered economic security, home ownership and long‑term stability.
The Movement states that this contribution was foundational — not symbolic.
THE IMPACT OF INDUSTRIAL DECLINE
However, when major manufacturing industries declined and eventually closed during the 1980s and 1990s, the consequences were severe.
Factories closed.
Skilled jobs disappeared.
Entire communities were economically destabilised.
Because many Black families — particularly those of Windrush heritage — were concentrated in Edmonton and Enfield North, areas heavily dependent on industrial employment, the impact was disproportionately felt.
The long‑term effects of that economic shift continue to shape patterns of unemployment, housing insecurity and health inequality today.
The Enfield Windrush Movement argues that present‑day disparities cannot be separated from this history.
£203 MILLION — AWARDED DUE TO STRUCTURAL INEQUALITY
Following the government’s Fair Funding Review, Enfield secured £203 million in additional core spending power over three years — a 58% increase, the highest percentage rise in London and the second highest in England.
For 2026/27 alone, the borough will receive an additional £47.5 million.
The uplift was awarded explicitly because of deprivation, housing pressure and inequality.
The Enfield Windrush Movement says spending priorities must now reflect those structural realities.
“If inequality justified the £203 million settlement, then inequality must determine the investment priorities,” said Colin Lee‑Own, Founder of the Enfield Windrush Movement.
“This funding must address the communities most affected by unemployment, housing stress and long‑term disadvantage — while benefiting the borough as a whole.”
PERSISTENT STRUCTURAL DISPARITIES
Employment
- 27% of young people aged 16–24 from Black backgrounds are unemployed (Action for Race Equality 2023–24), the highest rate of any ethnic group.
- 1,050 young people aged 18–24 in Edmonton are claiming unemployment benefits.
- Fewer than 5% of Enfield Council Black employees hold senior management roles, compared with 10.7% of White employees.
Housing
- Black residents make up 18% of Enfield’s population.
- 23% of residents assessed as homeless (Oct–Dec 2024) were Black.
- Over 7,000 households are on the Housing Register.
- Over 3,000 households are in temporary accommodation.
- Overcrowding stands at 13% — three times the national average.
Health Inequality
Residents in Enfield’s most deprived wards live seven years fewer in life expectancy and more than fifteen years fewer in good health.
Criminal Justice
- Black children are 2.4 times more likely to receive a court disposal.
- Stop and search rates for Black residents are double those of White residents.
Residents in Enfield’s most deprived wards live seven years fewer in life expectancy and more than fifteen years fewer in good health.
FROM CONTRIBUTION TO ACCOUNTABILITY
“For decades, the Windrush Generation and other Commonwealth communities strengthened Enfield’s economy and public services,” said Colin Lee‑Own.
“They worked in the factories that powered this borough. They kept London moving through London Transport. They staffed the NHS and sustained local government.
When industry declined, those same communities absorbed the economic shock.
Now that new funding has been secured because of inequality, it must be used to reduce that inequality — not manage it.”
WHAT THE MOVEMENT IS CALLING FOR
- A permanent Windrush Community & Cultural Centre recognising over six decades of contribution
- A publicly published Equality Investment Plan linked directly to the £203 million funding settlement
- Measurable targets to reduce youth unemployment in Edmonton and Enfield North
- Structured apprenticeships and local hiring guarantees tied to council procurement
- Annual public reporting on housing, health and justice disparities
- Formalised borough wide community engagement to track progress
THE MAY 2026 CHOICE
The Enfield Windrush Movement says voters face a clear choice in May:
Will £203 million reduce structural inequality — or preserve it?
The Movement will contest the May 2026 elections on a platform of:
Equality.
Accountability.
Community investment.
Measurable change.
Media enquiries:
Enfield Windrush Movement
www.enfieldwindrush.co.uk
Email:
enfiedwindrush@gmail.com
Tel:
07415771394