Peterborough political group leaders react to Labour surviving no confidence vote

An alliance of Peterborough First, Liberal Democrat and Green Party groups hoped to oust leader Cllr Dennis Jones and his Labour administration from power on June 18, arguing that a reduction in Labour group members had “led opposition members to doubting the capacity of the administration to effectively deliver”.

After around an hour of discussion, a total of 26 councillors voted for the motion of no confidence while 32 councillors voted against and one abstained. Cllr Brian Rush (Peterborough First) was not in attendance.

"I don’t think the city needed it, I don’t think the council needed it and I’m absolutely sure the vast majority of people didn’t need it.”

Speaking on the day after the meeting, Cllr Jones said: “Obviously there is relief that we [Labour] are allowed to continue the good work we are doing.

“The one thing I’ve always tried to do is be honest and do things with a degree of humility. I hope we can all work together to put last night’s shenanigans behind us and work together for the greater good.”

He added: “I’m not a triumphalist. It was frankly for me an unnecessary distraction. I don’t think the city needed it, I don’t think the council needed it and I’m absolutely sure the vast majority of people didn’t need it.”

"There were no reasons given for doing it other than hogwash.”

Cllr Jones said he was “humbled, gratified and touched” by the support he received from the Conservative group, including its leader Cllr Wayne Fitzgerald who admitted that Cllr Jones had done a “pretty good job” as leader of the council.

Cllr Fitzgerald said: “For me, [the motion] was ill-conceived, ill-thought out and totally unnecessary. There were no reasons given for doing it other than hogwash.

“We were the grown-ups in the room, once again.” He added that he was determined to move forward and “do the best we [Conservatives] can for the council”.

“Evening was always going to be a win win for us.”

Peterborough First leader Cllr Chris Harper said the vote made clear to him which councillors could “never again be trusted”.

After the meeting, he said: “‘Vote Conservative – Get Labour’. This evening was always going to be a win win for us.

“Whether we won or lost the actual motion tonight we knew it would disclose for all to see that every Conservative in the chamber tonight would likely vote with Labour and so it turned out, and also, that we would find out which councillors would sell themselves out and/or conspire against us and could never again be trusted.

“Add to that the Conservatives also either voted for or abstained when voting for the last punishing and full council tax increasing budget, and you can understand why we just couldn’t wait any longer and needed to try for a change.

“To all those that backed us and worked with us, I’m sorry we couldn’t quite get the motion over the line but at least the people can now plainly see who’s really fighting for them.”

“We felt that we had a different offering"

Liberal Democrat leader Cllr Hogg, who moved the motion, said: “Essentially we’ve now got a Labour administration backed up by the Conservative party, which would suggest that if you vote Tory you get Labour.”

He added: “We felt that we had a different offering and, on the night, we failed to convince other councillors that that was the best way forward.”

Cllr Hogg admitted he was “disappointed” with the outcome but was keen to move past it and work with all groups on the council for the benefit of Peterborough.

“We are obviously disappointed with the result”

Green Party group leader Cllr Heather Skibsted said: "It was a legitimate challenge and we are obviously disappointed with the result - despite having 26 vote in support of us - as we felt it was the best solution for the city with a broad alliance with different backgrounds and views.

"We had a vision for the city between us and a written agreement - for example, better education outcomes, homes in the right places, prosperity rather than growth. We did think we had enough support but it appeared at the last minute some people changed their minds."

She said she and her group will now look forward to representing their wards and "holding the administration robustly to account".

The current make up of the council includes: 17 Labour councillors, 12 Peterborough First councillors, 11 Conservative councillors, eight Liberal Democrat councillors, seven independent councillors and five Green Party councillors.

How each councillor voted on the motion of no confidence

Ahmed – Against

I Ali – For

Z Ali – Against

Allen – Against

Antunes – For

Ayres – Against

Barkham – Against

Bi – Against

Bisby – For

Blakemore-Creedon – Against

A Bond – For

S Bond – For

Boyce – For

Cereste – Against

Cole – Against

Day – For

Dowson – Against

Ellis – Against

Elsey – For

Farid – For

M Farooq – For

S Farooq – For

Fitzgerald – Against

John Fox – For

Judy Fox – For

Geraghty – For

Harper – For

Hemraj – Against

Hiller – For

Hillier – For

Hogg – For

Howard – Against

A Iqbal – Against

N Iqbal – Against

Jamil – Against

Jenkins – Against

A Jones – Against

D Jones – Against

Kahn – Against

Knight – Against

Mahmood – Against

McNally – Against

Ormston – Abstained

Perkins – Against

Qayyum – Against

Rafiq – Against

Rangzeb – For

Ray – Against

Rush – Not in attendance

Sabir – Against

Seager – For

Ann Shaheed – For

Asif Shaheed – For

Skibsted – For

Stevenson – For

Strangward – Against

Thulbourn – Against

Tighe – For

Warren – Against

Wiggin – For