'Toxic culture' would 'bleed into the rest of the council', opposition leader says - while Conservatives deny allegations

If there's a “toxic culture” in the Peterborough City Council (PCC) Conservative group, as one of its former members has alleged, it will “bleed into the rest of the council and decisions won’t be made for the right reasons,” an opposition leader has claimed.

Cllr Chris Harper (Stanground South) is the leader of the Peterborough First group and was, like Cllr Mohammed Farooq (Hargate and Hempsted, Independent), who made the allegation, a member of the Conservative group himself before resigning in December 2021.

Speaking about the current Conservative administration, he said: “I felt that it was basically our way or the highway. And I chose the highway.”

“It doesn’t appear they’ll accept reasonable discussion and compromise,” he continued. “It seems to be that if they've got the majority, they'll do as they like.”

Conservatives say everyone is briefed on decisions

But the Conservatives have strongly denied that not everyone in their group has a voice, just as they’ve denied that there’s a toxic culture within their group.

Senior Tory Cllr Andy Coles (Fletton and Woodston) said that Cllr Harper is “wrong” and that he “can’t think of anybody in the group who doesn’t know what we’re doing and isn’t briefed at group meetings”.

“The leader’s door is open to any member, not just our own members,” he added.

Speaking on behalf of the leader, Cllr Wayne Fitzgerald (Conservatives, West), and the rest of the group, he has also said they “strenuously deny” allegations of a toxic culture.

Cllr Farooq said that his treatment within the party has “taken a toll” on his physical health and wellbeing and also alleges that he was bullied, which Cllr Coles says the Conservative group refutes.

Cllr Harper says there should be an investigation into allegations

Cllr Harper has also said there should be an investigation “to drive this behaviour out of the council”, while stressing that this should be the case for any political group where there are allegations of bullying.

Cllr Coles, though, says that “no complaint of bullying has been received” and that there are avenues to report it at the council resulting in an independent process.

“I’m very fervently a defender of people if they’ve been affected by bullying and I would expect people to follow the processes; they’re robust and they work," he said.

Labour group leader Cllr Dennis Jones (Dogsthorpe) has, meanwhile said, that “there’s clearly a toxic culture” in the Conservative group as “people wouldn’t be leaving if there wasn’t”.

But, he added, he hasn’t seen evidence of bullying first-hand.

The Greens’ deputy leader, Cllr Kirsty Knight (Orton Waterville), has said the allegations are “worrying” and that “morale at the minute is at an all time low”, while Lib Dems leader Cllr Christian Hogg (Fletton and Stanground) has called for stability.

“This instability can’t continue,” he said. “The Conservatives need to get their house in order. It’s not good for Peterborough to have this constantly changing scene.”

But despite their concerns, there are no “rainbow coalition” talks with a view to ousting the Conservative administration at the moment, with Labour firm that there won’t be one – although Peterborough First’s Cllr Harper has said it shouldn’t be written off.

The condemnations from other parties follow the resignation of three councillors from the Conservative group: Cllr Farooq was followed by his son, Cllr Saqib Farooq (Glinton and Castor) and cabinet member Cllr John Howard (Hargate and Hempsted).

All three are currently Independent councillors, although they have the option to apply to join other groups; four councillors who resigned from the Conservative group last month then joined Peterborough First.

Doors to other parties 'open' for Conservatives who have resigned

Cllr Harper says that there’s been no approach yet from the councillors who have most recently resigned but that “all three would be very welcome; they’re very good councillors”.

“I think they would be an asset to us if they did join us,” he said. “And the door would be open to them.”

Cllr Hogg has, meanwhile, said that the Lib Dems’ door is “always, if not wide open, certainly ajar to anyone who feels their values reflect ours”.

“But we would need to look at that on a case-by-case basis,” he added.

Cllr Coles has previously said that Cllr Howard would be “welcomed back if he decides to reconsider his resignation”.

Asked if the invitation extends to any of the other members who have resigned over the past few weeks, he said: “It’s difficult when they’ve joined a different political party.

“They’d have to leave them and then they’d be fully independent and then apply to re-join the Conservative Party and be accepted and then apply to join the group.

“So theoretically it's possible, but at any one of those stages, someone might decide that they're not suitable and appropriate people to join the party.

“I couldn’t say, because that wouldn’t be my decision, but that’s the process.”

Cllrs Brian Rush (Stanground South), Gavin Elsey (Wittering), Peter Hiller (Glinton and Castor) and Ray Bisby (Stanground South) left the party last month and joined Peterborough First.