Political View: Having an impact on residents' lives

As you read the morning after, one of two outcomes have happened. The self-centred power grab attempt by Peterborough First has happened, and if so, you’ve seen their true colours. Councillor Farooq, who has been hiding in the shadows, has emerged as the new leader of the Council. And most of the 200,000 plus residents in our city have probably never heard of him or know what he stands for.

There will be a degree of exasperation. He hasn’t done any interviews, press articles about the coup didn’t even mention his name, and when did you last read a column from Peterborough First? Is there one this week even?

True leadership stands up, true leadership gives you a clear direction of travel, and if Councillor Farooq has emerged from hiding and carried out a covert operation to lead the council, perhaps he should explain the to the residents of Peterborough what he stands for, and how he intends to carry out any Council business with the most flimsy majority the Council has ever seen.

Perhaps the coup wasn’t successful, or even last-minute regrets led to the withdrawal of the motion. If this is the case, then the groups who were leading this coup-Peterborough First, the Liberal Democrats and the Green party need to start making amends with political colleagues. With 60 Councillors and no group holding a majority, everyone must work together to ensure the council functions and serves the city until the next potential local elections in May 2026.

Putting away egos, and self-interest will be a starting point.

All the energy that has been put into supporting this coup can then be put to better use by focusing it where it matters most- helping the residents with local ward work.

This brings me on to supporting our group leader, Councillor Fitzgerald’s call to those who are interested in standing as a Councillor to come forward and approach us for more information. As you can see from above, representation has never mattered more. Being a Councillor involves the side you read about in this paper, the council meetings, the scrutiny committees, the politics of the council chamber, but there is so much more to it. The local ward work is the most important and most rewarding part of what being a Councillor is all about. It’s the small, personal things-helping individuals and families with school places, housing needs, helping with missed bin collections.

You can also achieve big things; these take much longer but can be hugely rewarding – I have secured post boxes across Hampton East and Hempsted and secured a 20 MPH zone for Hampton East. Outcomes like this have a huge impact on local residents’ lives and it’s what we are elected to do. And just sometimes, you will pull off something truly special, like when Councillor Steve Allen and I helped to bring back the Great Eastern Run. And from Councillor Allens article last week, help support local events and be the local challenge when needed-on issues such as school crossing patrols.

The Conservatives are a positive group in the chamber: We participated in the budget working group, some of us voted in support of the budget and the power grab attempt did not involve the Conservative group. We respect democracy and we respect governance, and of course we want a Conservative-led administration, but the only way to do this at the ballot box, which is what we are focused on. Please reach out to us and help be your communities local voice and champion with our support as a Conservative voice for our city.