'I thought I was at a freak show': Outgoing council leader criticises former colleagues in fiery speech

Peterborough City Council’s (PCC) ousted leader criticised former colleagues in a fiery speech after losing a vote of no confidence in his Conservative administration.

Cllr Wayne Fitzgerald (Conservatives, West) personally addressed several of the independent councillors who took over the council after leaving his party just months ago at his final full council meeting as PCC leader.

“When I came here tonight, I thought it was Halloween,” Cllr Fitzgerald said. “Because I thought I was at a freak show. But actually it’s panto seasons isn’t it, and all the cast are lining up here to take their roles, so let’s deal with a couple of them.

“John Howard, I’ll be out there campaigning in your ward again – this time it won’t be for you though, it’ll be to get rid of you because you betrayed the people,” he said.

Cllr Howard (Peterborough First, Hargate and Hempsted) is now deputy leader of the council having resigned from the Conservative front bench in June.

The new leader is Cllr Mohammed Farooq (Peterborough First, Hargate and Hempsted), another of the seven former Conservatives who left the party over the summer and joined independent group Peterborough First.

“You’ve got a man who’s being proposed as leader and, by the way, you’re a liar,” he said to Cllr Farooq before being asked to retract this by meeting chair Cllr Nick Sandford (Liberal Democrats, Paston and Walton).

He later told him he has “no legitimacy to be in the council”.

“Then you’ve got Cllr Saqib Farooq, who wrote to me and said he didn’t have any time to do any committees because he was too busy,” Cllr Fitzgerald continued. “And Cllr Peter Hiller, the silent man in all this – the puppet master – who I sacked from the cabinet for doing a bad job.”

Cllr Hiller (Peterborough First, Glinton and Castor) said that it isn't true that he was sacked from the Conservative cabinet, but was rather offered a different job which he refused.

Cllr Farooq (Peterborough First, Glinton and Castor) – the new leader’s son and fellow councillor – also responded to Cllr Fitzgerald’s remarks, saying that he asked to be on one committee rather than two because of his role in the NHS.

Cllr Howard, meanwhile, said that he felt he had "no choice" but to leave the Conservatives because of their conduct.

“I have nothing to be ashamed of, I have not been unelected,” Cllr Fitzgerald concluded, having run out of time to make any further statements about his former colleagues.

The outgoing leader’s remarks were criticised by other group leaders.

Cllr Christian Hogg (Liberal Democrats, Fletton and Stanground) said that Cllr Fitzgerald is “probably not on his best behaviour right now” because he’s “essentially just been sacked from his job”, but added that he hopes all groups will have a more positive and collegiate relationship in future.

Cllr Chris Harper (Peterborough First, Stanground South), who remains Peterborough First’s leader despite his colleague Cllr Farooq now being council leader, added that Cllr Fitzgerald’s remarks help demonstrate why the vote of no confidence was brought in the first place, but also said he wanted to offer an olive branch to the Conservatives for future.

Cllr Farooq, meanwhile, said he was “humbled and honoured” to have been chosen as PCC’s new leader after winning a motion instating him and has subsequently said he has a mandate to lead with the "overwhelming majority" of PCC councillors on his side.

A motion naming him as the new leader passed with 32 votes in favour (all present members of Labour and the Greens and most members of the Liberal Democrats and Peterborough First) and 19 votes against (all present members of the Conservatives).

There were two abstentions – Cllr Sandford, who said he wished to remain impartial as mayor and Cllr Stephen Lane (Peterborough First, Werrington), who said he feared “no good can come from” the vote of no confidence his own group brought about.

Independent Orton Waterville councillor Julie Stevenson also supported the motion.

Cllr Farooq also appointed his new cabinet at the meeting. Cllr Howard will lead on finance, Cllr Farooq (Glinton and Castor) will lead on adults and health, Cllr Hiller will lead on housing, growth and regeneration, Cllr Ray Bisby (Peterborough First, Stanground South) will lead on children’s services and Cllr Gavin Elsey (Peterborough First, Wittering) will lead on infrastructure, environment and climate change.

Cllr John Fox (Peterborough First, Werrington) will be a cabinet advisor to Cllr Farooq and Cllr Harper will be a cabinet advisor to Cllr Hiller.

Cllr Farooq also announced who will be on which council committees going forward which the Conservatives acknowledged are roughly politically proportional.

None of the new committee chairs are Conservative.