Cllr Dr Shabina Qayyum has been announced as new Peterborough Labour group leader.

Cllr Qayyum has been chosen as the leader following the resignation- and suspension from the Labour Party- of former leader Dennis Jones on Thursday (September 4).

Cllr Jones resigned in the wake of leaked Whatsapp messages which appeared to show him describing Rotherham grooming gang victims “poor white trash.”

Cllr Qayyum previously held of position of Cabinet Member for Adults and Health and has represented East Ward on the city council since 2019.

Cllr Dr Shabina Qayyum, Peterborough Labour's new leader.

placeholder image — Cllr Dr Shabina Qayyum, Peterborough Labour's new leader.

Cllr Qayyum said: “I’m incredibly grateful to have been elected to lead Labour on Peterborough City Council. Our city is a special place, one I’m proud to live and work in.

“The Labour administration on Peterborough City Council has taken bold steps forward since we took office in May 2024, from reducing poverty, to building stronger community health and social care services, to working on reducing loneliness and isolation among older people.

“I’m particularly proud that under our leadership, the council’s Children’s Services department has made progress “with rigour and pace”, as Ofsted put it in their recent review.

“I hope to work collaboratively with councillors across our area, regardless of political colour, to carry on making a difference for everyone that calls our city home.”

With the suspension of Cllr Jones, who will continue to sit as an independent, the Labour Group is down to 15 councillors. The closest groups in size are the Conservatives and Peterborough First, who both have 11 councillors.

There is expected to be another leadership challenge to Labour’s minority administration, which survived a vote of no confidence in June.

This will likely come at the extraordinary meeting called to elect a new leader of the council on Friday (September 12).