top of page

Statement: British-Albanian Conservative Representation in UK Local Government

Conservative Friends of Albania is pleased to recognise the growing contribution of British-Albanians to public and civic life in the United Kingdom, including through elected local government.


In the last council elections in 2026, three serving Conservative councillors of Albanian heritage have been elected: Councillor Endri Llabuti in Croydon, Councillor Eralda Qirjo in Enfield and Councillor Arben “Benny” Neza in Enfield. Their current Conservative council status is confirmed by their respective local authorities.


For Conservative Friends of Albania, this representation is important for a simple reason. British-Albanians are an established part of the United Kingdom. They are building businesses, working in the professions, raising families, contributing to their local communities and increasingly taking part in British public life. Elected representation is one part of that wider story. The three councillors have different backgrounds, represent different wards and have distinct responsibilities to the residents who elected them. CFOA does not present them as representatives only of the Albanian community. They are councillors for all residents in their wards. Their Albanian heritage is nevertheless significant because it reflects the growing participation of the Albanian diaspora in British democratic institutions.


This statement records their current position following the 2026 local elections and provides a verified public reference for British-Albanian Conservative representation in local government.


Councillor Endri Llabuti: Purley Oaks and Riddlesdown, Croydon

Councillor Endri Llabuti serves the ward of Purley Oaks and Riddlesdown in the London Borough of Croydon as a Conservative councillor. Croydon Council currently lists him as a Conservative representative for the ward.

In the 2026 council election, Llabuti received 1,380 votes and was elected alongside fellow Conservative Alasdair Stewart, who received 1,424 votes. For Llabuti, the 2026 result was a re-election rather than his first entry into local government. He was first elected to Croydon Council in May 2022, when he received 1,438 votes in Purley Oaks and Riddlesdown. Croydon Council's official declaration records both Llabuti and Stewart as elected councillors at that election.

His re-election in 2026 therefore represents continuity. He has now received a mandate from local voters at two successive full council elections. Llabuti's Conservative biography states that he has lived in Croydon since 2015. It also records his involvement in local community projects, mentoring graduates from disadvantaged backgrounds and more than eleven years of experience in the financial technology sector, including responsibility for business across Central and Eastern Europe, the Balkans and Turkey. His Albanian heritage has also been publicly documented. Albanian media has described Llabuti as an Albanian from Shkodër who moved with his family to England.


For CFOA, Llabuti's public service is an example of how members of the Albanian diaspora can become established not only professionally and socially in Britain, but also within the institutions of local democracy. His role is first and foremost to the residents of Purley Oaks and Riddlesdown. Like every councillor, he is accountable to the people who elected him and to the standards and responsibilities of the local authority. At the same time, the fact that a councillor of Albanian heritage has been elected twice in the same Croydon ward is an important marker of long-term participation in British public life.




Councillor Eralda Qirjo: Whitewebbs, Enfield

Councillor Eralda Qirjo serves Whitewebbs ward in the London Borough of Enfield as a Conservative councillor. Enfield Council currently records her as a member of the Conservative Party representing Whitewebbs.

Qirjo was elected at the local elections held on 7 May 2026, receiving 2,320 votes.

Her background is also representative of the breadth of the modern Albanian diaspora.

Public Albanian diaspora reporting traces Qirjo's Albanian roots to Vlorë, followed by her upbringing and education in Italy, academic experience in the United States and her later engagement in London.

Her professional background also reflects this international experience. Qirjo is publicly registered as an Albanian-language interpreter, while professional records identify her work in languages and interpreting. Her story therefore reflects several strands of modern British-Albanian life: Albanian heritage, experience elsewhere in Europe, professional development and eventual participation in British civic institutions.


During the 2026 campaign, Albanian diaspora reporting presented Qirjo's candidacy as an example of integration and participation in British local government. Following the election, she became one of two councillors of Albanian origin elected to Enfield Council under the Conservative banner.

CFOA believes that this kind of participation matters. Integration is strongest when people take an active role in the communities in which they live. That can include volunteering, professional contribution, voting, involvement in public debate and, for those who choose it, standing for elected office. Qirjo's responsibilities are to the residents of Whitewebbs, regardless of background.

Her Albanian heritage does not limit that responsibility. Instead, it brings another lived experience into the range of backgrounds represented within British local government. Her election is also relevant to younger British-Albanians who may themselves consider careers in public service.


Representation becomes meaningful when it demonstrates that participation is possible and that British civic institutions are accessible to people prepared to contribute, campaign and earn the confidence of voters.

2026 election result: Whitewebbs 2026, Enfield Council


Councillor Arben “Benny” Neza: Southbury, Enfield

Councillor Arben “Benny” Neza serves Southbury ward in the London Borough of Enfield as a Conservative councillor.

Enfield Council currently lists Benny Neza as a Conservative councillor for Southbury.

Neza was elected at the 7 May 2026 local elections, receiving 1,422 votes. The official declaration of result records him as duly elected as a councillor for Southbury. His election followed an earlier attempt to enter Enfield Council. Neza previously stood as the Conservative candidate in the Jubilee ward by-election in May 2021, where he received 1,070 votes but was not elected. His success in 2026 therefore followed several years of political engagement.


That journey demonstrates something important about democratic politics. Participation does not always result in immediate electoral success. Candidates can remain involved, continue contributing locally and return to the electorate at a later election. Neza also has a professional background in business and construction, and public information identifies him as a company director.

His Albanian heritage is not based on an assumption from his name. Albanian diaspora reporting explicitly described Eralda Qirjo and Arben Neza as two candidates of Albanian origin following their election to Enfield Council in May 2026.

Neza himself subsequently announced publicly that he had been elected as councillor for Southbury Ward and thanked those who had supported and voted for him. His election is important not because it should separate him from the wider Enfield community, but because it demonstrates that an Albanian background and full participation in British political life sit naturally alongside one another.


As with Llabuti and Qirjo, his primary democratic responsibility is to the residents of his ward.

His work as a councillor should be assessed on service, accessibility, judgement and accountability.

For CFOA, however, it is also right to recognise the wider significance of his political journey. A candidate who was unsuccessful in an earlier council contest subsequently remained engaged and won election in 2026. That is a practical example of democratic participation and persistence.

2026 election result: Southbury 2026, Enfield Council


Two Albanian-heritage Conservative councillors elected in Enfield

The 2026 Enfield elections are particularly notable because Eralda Qirjo and Arben Neza were both elected to the same local authority at the same election.

Albinfo described them following the election as two candidates of Albanian origin who had won mandates in the Enfield local elections held on 7 May 2026. They represent separate wards and hold separate democratic mandates. Qirjo represents Whitewebbs. Neza represents Southbury.


They should therefore be recognised individually for their respective public work and responsibilities.

Nevertheless, their simultaneous election is an important development in the political participation of the Albanian community in Britain. It demonstrates that Albanian engagement in British public life extends beyond individual or isolated cases.


British-Albanian identity and public service

Conservative Friends of Albania believes that strong relations between Britain and Albania are built not only through governments and diplomatic institutions, but also through people and communities.

The British-Albanian community forms an important human connection between the two countries.

British-Albanian identity should not be defined narrowly by passport or birthplace alone. Members of the Albanian diaspora in Britain have many different personal histories.

Some were born in Albania before moving to the United Kingdom.

Some grew up elsewhere in Europe.

Some are British citizens.

Some hold more than one nationality.

Others have been born and educated entirely in Britain while maintaining Albanian family heritage, culture or language. These different backgrounds are part of the reality of a modern diaspora.

A person can participate fully in British civic and political life while remaining proud of Albanian family history and identity. There is no contradiction between the two. Indeed, participation in elected government represents one of the clearest forms of civic integration in a democracy.


Residents stand before their local electorate, ask for its confidence and, when elected, accept responsibility for representing their communities. The three councillors recognised in this statement illustrate that principle in different ways. Their roles also demonstrate that integration is not simply about living or working in a country. It can include active participation in its institutions and an acceptance of public responsibility. That is why CFOA regards their election as an encouraging sign of deeper British-Albanian civic participation.


Encouraging the next generation

The purpose of recording these achievements is not simply to celebrate three election results.

It is also to show what is possible. British-Albanians contribute across business, the professions, education, healthcare, technology, culture, community organisations and many other areas of British life. Public service should form part of that picture.


CFOA wants to encourage British-Albanians who share Conservative values and have an interest in public service to become involved constructively in civic and political life. That involvement can begin in many different ways: supporting community initiatives, volunteering, engaging with local representatives, contributing to policy discussions, participating in local associations or ultimately standing for elected office. Political participation should be based on service and responsibility, not simply identity. The strongest contribution any British-Albanian elected representative can make is to be an effective representative for all constituents while demonstrating, through their example, that Albanian heritage is entirely compatible with active and responsible participation in British democracy.


We are proud to recognise that contribution.

CFOA will continue to promote constructive British-Albanian relations, encourage responsible political and civic participation and recognise those of Albanian heritage who make a positive contribution to public life in the United Kingdom. We also intend for this page to remain a living record. Where additional serving Conservative councillors of verified Albanian heritage are identified, the information will be reviewed and the page updated accordingly.



 
 
 

Comments

bottom of page
Web design by Merx Marketing