Ex mayor apologises for helping family with visas

Mohammad Islam had to stand down as mayor in August for "bringing his office into disrepute"

The former mayor of Enfield has apologised to the council for writing letters in support of visa applications for his family and friends.

Independent councillor Mohammed Islam stood down last August from the position on Enfield Council, north London, after he was sanctioned for bringing his office into disrepute.

The council's conduct committee ordered him to make a written apology, undertake code of conduct training, and not wear his past mayor badge.

Islam said he accepted the findings and was committed to ensuring his conduct reflected the expectations of public office. He said he had concerns about the committee's process and planned to go to the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman.

Mayors are not allowed to use their position to lobby immigration authorities for private individuals as this would undermine public trust in their ability to act impartially.

Islam serves as an independent councillor having been suspended by the Labour Party.

In his letter to the council, Islam said: "I would like to offer my sincere apology to the council for the conduct in relation to the invitation letters to attend council programs.

"I recognise that the actions did not meet the standards expected of an elected member and may have affected confidence in the council.

"I have already written to the governance team requesting that they provide a date for me to undertake the Code of Conduct training, and I look forward to completing it at the earliest opportunity.

"I remain committed to ensuring that my future conduct reflects the responsibilities and expectations of public office.

"While I accept the findings of the committee and comply fully with its decision, I will be raising some separate concerns about aspects of the process through the appropriate channels."

A legal adviser to Islam told BBC London: "We are now preparing to refer this entire case to the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman to ensure an independent, fair, and transparent review of the council's handling of this matter."

A spokesperson for Enfield Council said: "We can confirm that Cllr Islam wrote to the monitoring officer on Friday 21 November with an apology and that he accepted the findings of the council's conduct committee."

Additional reporting by Grace Howarth, Local Democracy Reporting Service