Peterborough City Council's Labour group announces leader and deputy after tough election period

Cllr Dennis Jones (Dogsthorpe) will remain leader of Peterborough City Council’s (PCC) Labour group after a vote held at the party’s annual meeting this week.

The councillor, who has been on the council since 2018, took over as leader from Shaz Nawaz when he resigned from both the position and the council in February.

Cllr Jones led the party through a tough election period: Labour had the most seats to lose of any party and the fewest to gain on 4 May.

The resignations of Mr Nawaz and fellow former Labour councillor Ikra Yasin earlier this year also left two vacancies in Park ward, both of which were filled by Conservatives on election night.

Labour also lost Ravensthorpe, another ward in which a new Labour hopeful was standing after former councillor Lucinda Robinson decided not to run again.

But it won seven seats; one of which was a gain from the Conservatives and two of which were gains from Labour defectors who had re-run as a Green and an Independent.

There are now 14 Labour councillors on PCC, making it the second largest party behind the Conservatives who have 30.

Cllr Jones’s deputy, meanwhile, has been confirmed as Cllr Amjad Iqbal (Central), while Cllr Alison Jones (Central), who is also his wife, is treasurer.

Cllr Mohammed Jamil (Central) is chair, Cllr Noreen Bi (North) is group secretary and Cllr Shabina Qayyum (East) is the party’s whip, meaning she is responsible for ensuring the group votes as a unit.

Cllr Jones is joined by Cllr Wayne Fitzgerald (Conservatives, West), Cllr Nicola Day (Greens, Orton Waterville) and Cllr Chris Harper (Peterborough First, Stanground South) as fellow group leaders.

The Liberal Democrats are yet to hold their annual meeting, but incumbent leader Cllr Christian Hogg (Fletton & Stanground) has confirmed he is putting himself forward.

“I’m by no means feeling it’s a foregone conclusion for my particular position," he said, "but I am putting myself forward and I’d like to think I’ll prevail.”

The meeting is scheduled for early next week.