Michael Gove has been called upon to investigate a Labour councillor for potentially pocketing grant money for her own business. The leader of Enfield Conservatives has written to the Levelling Up Secretary asking for an investigation into Councillor Chinelo Anyanwu. Chinelo, who was elected in May 2021 and then appointed to cabinet in 2022, acts as a director for Smokey Okey LTD. Smokey Okey, “a party BBQ Catering” service, was founded in 2014. Yet it just so happens to have received over £64,000 in council-issued funding since… 2021. Just around the time Anyanwu was elected.

In October 2021, Cllr Anywnwu chaired a panel meeting, in which the first agenda item was the Holiday Activity Fund. Smokey Okey was awarded £7,200 from the Holiday Activity Fund in Winter 2021, having also pocketed the small sum of £40,275 over the summer…

In Winter 2022, Smokey Okey then received £8,000 in Household Support Grant Funding. The guidance form states the funding can only be applied for “If you’re a local community group, based and operating in Enfield, whether grassroots, voluntary sector organisation or faith group” and “there is no conflict of interest”. Smokey Okey is a private company.

The leader of the Conservative council grouping, Alessandro Georgiou, says:

“Cllr Anyanwu and the Council have some serious questions to answer regarding these payments. It is too early to tell whether wrongdoing has occurred, but over £64,000 of taxpayer money going to the company of a Labour Councillor and friend of the Leaders doesn’t look good to me.”

Get on it Gove…

Read the full letter to Gove below: