Councillor Judy Fox officially declared Mayor of Peterborough at annual meeting and appoints deputy

Long-serving councillor Judy Fox has officially been declared the next Mayor of Peterborough, making her the first female to hold the position since 2014.

Cllr Fox took over from Cllr Marco Cereste at the annual mayor making meeting of the full council on Monday, May 19.

The Werrington councillor has represented her residents for more than two decades and will follow in the footsteps of her husband, Cllr John Fox, who served as mayor from 2017 to 2018.

Nominating Cllr Fox at Monday’s meeting in Sand Martin House, Peterborough First leader Cllr Chris Harper said: “Judy is a true Peterborian that has shown long-standing dedication to her city by way of her sterling work as a ward councillor, representing both her ward and the city along with her husband John in the Werrington ward for a remarkable 21 years.”

He added: “She will shine a light on all that is good in this council.”

Leader of the Liberal Democrat group Cllr Christian Hogg seconded the nomination and told the meeting that Cllr Fox is “probably the most qualified mayor that Peterborough has ever had”.

Outgoing mayor Cllr Cereste officially declared Cllr Fox as the new Mayor of Peterborough, who received a loud applause from all councillors in attendance.

He then presented Cllr Fox with her mayoral chain, known as civic regalia, which is worn by all mayors to signify their office.

Cllr Fox said she felt “deeply honoured” to be named mayor. “It means a lot to me really because I’m representing the city of which I was born and bred in,” she said.

She said one of her main goals as mayor is to “anchor all communities together” in the city.

Her two chosen charities for the year are Sue Ryder Thorpe Hall Hospice and Peterborough Area Down’s Syndrome Group.

Cllr Peter Hiller was also declared as deputy mayor of the city for 2025/26, having served as a councillor for 18 years.

Outgoing deputy mayor Cllr Wayne Fitzgerald thanked outgoing mayor Cllr Cereste for his “outstanding” service over the past year.

Council leader Dennis Jones also thanked Cllr Cereste, describing him as a “fine ambassador for our city”.

Cllr Cereste told the meeting that he and his team believe more than £40,000 has been raised over the past year for his chosen charities Anna’s Hope, Cambridgeshire Children’s Hospital and The Salvation Army.

What does the Mayor of Peterborough do?

The Mayor of Peterborough is a very different role to the Mayor of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority.

The mayor of the combined authority, currently Paul Bristow, receives a salary and is responsible for a £333m revenue budget to deliver a number of priorities across the county. This includes areas such as transport, skills, business support and growth.

Alternatively, the Mayor of Peterborough is a largely ceremonial role and holds much less power.

In May of each year, a long-serving Peterborough councillor is appointed as the Mayor of Peterborough, with their term of office lasting for one year.

Peterborough City Council’s website states: “The mayor is seen as a symbol of continuity, a recognisable and ever-present factor in people’s experiences, effectively connecting the present with the past.

“It is also a symbol of an open society as the choice of mayor is no longer restricted. The first citizen can, and does, come from any class, gender or ethnic background.”

The Mayor of Peterborough also plays a key democratic role as they act as a politically impartial chair of Peterborough City Council, making sure that proper conduct takes place in full council meetings.

They also act as an ambassador for the city, locally, nationally and internationally. As Peterborough’s first citizen, the mayor is expected to speak and act for all the diverse communities in the city.

The Mayor of Peterborough is frequently invited to attend events in the community, such as openings and fundraising events organised by voluntary organisations.

Fundraising events are also held for the mayor’s charities, which the mayor chooses as the start of the civic year.

The councillor at the top of the list of seniority is eligible for the role of mayor, provided that they have not previously served as mayor.

A councillor may opt to decline the offer of the position of mayor.

If a councillor does accept the role, a proposer will be sought to nominate the councillor at the annual council mayor making meeting.