Labour 'thrilled to bits' while Conservatives 'extremely disappointed': Party leaders respond to Peterborough local elections results

Peterborough City Council’s (PCC) Labour leader says he’s “thrilled to bits” with the party’s election gains.

Cllr Dennis Jones (Labour, Dogsthorpe) says the result in Peterborough was “as good, if not better, than we expected”.

Labour picked up five new seats, while the Conservatives lost 11 – making them the largest party on the council for the first time in more than two decades.

“After 23 years of Conservative mismanagement, the people of Peterborough have said enough’s enough and I want to see that replicated on the national stage,” he said.

Peterborough First had a similarly impressive night, picking up four new seats and retaining four more: the total number they had standing.

Peterborough First 'should have stood more candidates'

“My only regret is that we’ve only had six months where we were trying to sort the council's issues out,” council leader Cllr Mohammed Farooq (Peterborough First, Hargate and Hempsted) said.

“We didn’t have that much attention on the elections. But we had a 100% return on our candidates; we should have put more in.”

Cllr Farooq has led the council since November, when his group launched a vote of no confidence against Cllr Wayne Fitzgerald (Conservatives, West).

With 14 seats, the party is now the second largest on the council.

Last May, it had just four councillors, but swelled in size after seven defected from the Tories last year.

Conservatives disappointed to lose councillors

Cllr Fitzgerald said he’s “extremely disappointed to lose colleagues on such tight margins”.

“In terms of the popular vote against the Labour Party, they have not done so well. But they’ve made some gains in terms of seats and we’ve lost on some very tight numbers,” he said.

Cllr Fitzgerald insists residents voted on national, rather than local, issues and maintains his group has confidence in him to lead. It's now made up of 11 councillors, down from 22.

“It’s no secret I have bigger ambitions within the county,” he said, referring to his possible bid to lead the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority (CPCA).

“If I feel there’s a time where I should step away because I have to do other things – I’ll wait to see what happens there. But for the time being, I’m happy to take some back seat time.”

Lib Dems 'absolutely devastated' to lose long-serving councillor

Liberal Democrat leader Cllr Christian Hogg (Lib Dems, Fletton and Stanground) said he’s “absolutely devastated” to have lost long-serving councillor and mayor Cllr Nick Sandford (Lib Dems, Paston and Walton).

“He’s been a councillor for more than 28 years, so that’s made the gains we’ve made quite bittersweet. The loss of Nick Sandford really can’t be overstated.”

Even Cllr Fitzgerald is somewhat sad to see him go, even though the Conservatives gained his seat.

“I’m pleased and disappointed to lose Nick Sandford,” he said. “I thought he was a thoroughly decent councillor and I would rather have lost one of the others in the Liberal Democrat team, but hats off to Alex Rafiq. He worked his socks off and he thoroughly deserves it.”

The Lib Dems gained one seat, bringing their total numbers to nine.

Greens say they're 'on the map as a serious party'

Greens leader Cllr Nicola Day (Greens, Orton Waterville) celebrated doubling the Greens’ numbers from two to four.

“We have absolutely been put on the map as a serious party in Peterborough and broken out of Orton,” she said.

The party now has three seats across Orton Longueville and Orton Waterville.

The Greens won in Ravensthorpe and picked up hundreds of votes – although not enough to win – in Central, Park and North wards.

But former Green Cllr Kirsty Knight (Independent, Orton Waterville) retained her seat, having left the group just weeks ago.

“We’re disappointed our candidate didn’t win but he didn’t have as much time in the ward,” Cllr Day said of Cllr Knight’s Waterville ward.

“We would have ended up with five councillors and that would have been even better.”

Cllr Knight was the only independent winner, unattached to any group.

She said she was “overwhelmed” by the result.

“I put my faith into residents and they put their faith into me,” Cllr Knight said.