Opinion: Greens will collaborate where we can and challenge where necessary

We started with four councillors, and ended the evening with three. However, this only tells half the story. Cllr Nicola Day won hands down in Orton Waterville, taking over 70% of the vote, while Cllr Heather Skibstead retained her post in Orton Longueville.

Heather’s win was probably one of the highlights of the night, and she became the first Peterborough councillor in 20 years to hold onto their seat after changing parties. Heather crossed from the Labour party to the Greens last year, and in retaining her place as ward councillor she almost quadrupled the Orton Longueville Green vote from the 2021 election. The public are the best judge of how a councillor does their job, and for Heather to retain her seat in some style after switching parties speaks volumes.

Commiserations to candidates such as Fiona Radic, Ed Murphy, Imtiaz Ali and Colette Francis who all campaigned hard, but were ultimately unsuccessful

The three Green party Councillors will continue to do everything in their power to ensure the best outcomes for the residents of Peterborough. Across the country the Green party are having more and more influence and gained another 200 seats at the 2023 elections.

The Peterborough Green party always run a positive and honest campaign, superbly, orchestrated this year by Cllr Kirsty Knight. We were disappointed to see some rather negative, inaccurate and misleading posts about all three main rival parties on social media during the campaign. Therefore, it was refreshing to read Cllr Fitzgerald saying in last week’s Peterborough Telegraph that he intends to work collaboratively with other parties over the coming year. It makes sense, and is what constructive, grown up politics is all about.

Although the Green party will continue to work with the administration whenever we feel we can, we will not be shy of challenging where necessary, especially if we feel the residents of Peterborough are being short changed.

We will certainly be asking questions of the Conservative administration over such diverse issues as the disappointing (disastrous for users) hydrotherapy pool situation and the uncertain future of the Regional Pool and athletics track.

These Embankment venues have both played a major role over many years in developing young sports people into top athletes, and in some cases international athletes. Users of these facilities need to be confident that they will continue to be in place either on their present site (or elsewhere in the city, and with improved facilities in the case of the pool) for generations to come.

We are also keen that progress is made on improving the infrastructure for cyclists across the city. We already have some excellent cycle routes courtesy of the Peterborough Development Corporation, but many of these are in a poor state of disrepair.

We will be happy to work with the Conservative run council to look at this and other issues. We feel positive, pragmatic and constructive politics are key, but that challenging them over issues which we feel don’t benefit the people of Peterborough is our duty.