Opposition parties say ‘political attacks’ and ‘too many surprises’ have led to no confidence vote in Peterborough council leader

Peterborough First says it’s leading efforts to oust Peterborough City Council’s (PCC) leader because the relationship between opposition groups and the administration has “deteriorated” to the extent it’s risking delivery of council services.

Cllr Chris Harper, leader of Peterborough First, tabled the motion of no confidence in the Conservative leader Cllr Wayne Fitzgerald due to be voted on at a council meeting on Wednesday, 1st November.

The motion’s signatories include the leaders of every opposition party, meaning it’s likely to succeed: combined, they have more members than the ruling Conservatives.

Peterborough First is a collection of independent councillors which doesn’t have a whip controlling how it votes.

It is largely made up of former Conservatives, seven of whom defected to the group shortly after this year’s local elections with concerns over the council’s leadership and direction among their stated reasons for doing so.

Cllr Harper said in a statement that he tabled the motion because “political attacks and weaponization of the council administration against opposition members” has led to a breakdown in relationships to “such an extent that the delivery of our council services and having majority consent on major policy including the budget are at risk”.

Labour – the second largest party represented on PCC – says that it’s supporting the motion brought by Peterborough First without being at the helm of it.

Leader Cllr Dennis Jones (Labour, Dogsthorpe) said that "we're supporting [the motion] and that's all there is to say for now". He declined to offer further comment when asked for his party's reasoning.

Cllr Fitzgerald, the current council leader, said he doesn’t have a comment to share about the imminent vote at this time.

'Too many surprises' from current administration

The Green Party, the council’s smallest party, also said it doesn’t currently have a comment on the vote, but the Liberal Democrats said that they’re supporting it as there were “too many surprises” from the current administration.

“I’m not expecting to see any lurches in policy,” group leader Cllr Christian Hogg said. “It’s more about looking for stability and no surprises and that’s where we were with the current administration. There were too many surprises.”

One of these, he says, was the leader’s decision to block the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority’s (CPCA) Local Transport and Connectivity Plan (LTCP), which was of particular concern and “instrumental in our decision-making process” to back the motion.

The plan is an overarching strategy for transport in the region, but was blocked by Cllr Fitzgerald because of its reference to the possibility of introducing road charging as one way in which to reduce private car use.

'Long term plan' will be made after May's elections

But even if a new administration is established in November, it could be short-lived.

Local elections will roll around again in May which usually alter the political balance of the council.

“All parties are looking to make gains in the May elections,” Cllr Hogg said. “The Conservatives might have delusions that they may be able to gain back some of the seats from Peterborough First – I don’t know, that might happen. But as far as we’re concerned we’re looking to make a few additions to our numbers and I believe Labour and the Greens are looking to do likewise.

“Come May we can look at what the proportionality is at that point and start making more long term, long range policy decisions.”

Cllr Julie Stevenson, PCC’s only independent councillor not affiliated with Peterborough First, agrees that May’s elections could change everything again.

“A coalition is not what I’m hearing," she said of the vote of no confidence. “That’s more likely to be the language used come May, if Labour, who are the formal opposition, achieve enough seats.”

In the meantime, Peterborough First could lead by a confidence and supply arrangement, she added, in which other opposition parties support them through motions and votes but don’t enter a formal governance arrangement.

Motion of no confidence 'unusual and very serious'

Cllr Stevenson added that she’s “supportive” of the motion as she doesn’t “feel leadership” from Cllr Fitzgerald, which she says she did feel from former Conservative leader John Holdich.

“It’s very unusual and very serious to bring something like this,” she said. “I hope that residents understand why and feel they can speak to their representatives and ask questions.

“What we don’t want is for residents to lose their faith in democracy when what’s happening here is an attempt by the councillors for very sound reasons to improve a situation they feel is unacceptable.”

The Conservative position since the spate of resignations from their party earlier this year has been that sitting as a councillor under the banner of a party other than the one they were voted in is undemocratic.

Cllr Fitzgerald has also previously attributed the vote of no confidence to “personal agendas and vendettas”.