Local elections 2024: Labour is largest party on Peterborough City Council for first time in more than 20 years
Labour is the largest party on Peterborough City Council for the first time in more than two decades.
It is followed not by the Conservatives, which has the most councillors since 2000, but by Peterborough First, which has led the council for the last six months.
The council remains in a state of no overall control, with Labour 12 council seats away from a simple majority of 31 – but this year’s local elections have radically reshaped its political makeup.
Labour gained five seats, bringing their total to 19, while Peterborough First gained four, bringing their total to 14. The party retained their four seats up for election and won in every other ward where they stood candidates.
Meanwhile, the Lib Dems increased their numbers from eight to nine, while the Greens doubled their numbers from two to four. The Conservatives halved in size, from 22 to 11.
Council leadership changed in November last year when the Peterborough First group, backed by Labour, the Lib Dems and the Greens, ousted Cllr Wayne Fitzgerald (Conservatives, West) through a vote of no confidence.
The former opposition groups have now solidified their positions on the council while chipping away at the Conservatives’ numbers.
Peterborough First, which welcomed seven former Conservatives into its ranks last year, also had a particularly strong night. It only gained one seat fewer than Labour, which stood 22 candidates to Peterborough First’s eight.
Council leader Cllr Mohammed Farooq (Peterborough First, Hargate and Hempsted) was among those who resigned from Cllr Fitzgerald’s group last year before joining Peterborough First.
The groups will now decide who will lead the council and who will occupy its cabinet positions. With no local election scheduled for next year, this could remain the political makeup of the council for some time to come.
Small vote margins
The outcome of this year’s local elections in Peterborough came down to fewer than 10 votes in four wards.
Nail-bitingly tight margins saw upsets in Dogsthorpe, Eye, Thorney and Newborough, Park and Paston Walton wards.
Angus Ellis, who previously lost his seat in 2021, will represent Labour in Park again after beating the Conservative candidate Murtaza Munir by just two votes.
In Paston and Walton, Conservative Alex Rafiq unseated mayor and councillor of 28 years, Nick Sandford, a Liberal Democrat. It was the only Conservative gain of the night.
In Dogsthorpe, Labour made another gain – this time by just six votes. Jason McNally ousted incumbent Ishfaq Hussain, who served a single term with the Conservatives.
Finally, Peterborough First candidate Mark Ormstan won in Eye, Thorney and Newborough, taking the seat from the Conservatives with just nine votes more.
Overall turnout in Peterborough was 30.32 per cent.
Labour ‘thrilled’ with gains
Labour leader Cllr Dennis Jones (Labour, Dogsthorpe) says he’s “thrilled to bits” with the party’s election gains and the result in Peterborough was “as good, if not better, than we expected”.
Labour picked up five new seats, while the Conservatives lost 11 – making them the largest party on the council for the first time in more than two decades.
“After 23 years of Conservative mismanagement, the people of Peterborough have said enough’s enough and I want to see that replicated on the national stage,” he said.
Peterborough First ‘should have stood more candidates’
Peterborough First had a similarly impressive night, picking up four new seats and retaining four more: the total number they had standing.
“My only regret is that we’ve only had six months where we were trying to sort the council’s issues out,” said council leader Cllr Farooq (Peterborough First, Hargate and Hempsted).
“We didn’t have that much attention on the elections. But we had a 100 per cent return on our candidates; we should have put more in.”
With 14 seats, the party is now the second largest on the council.
Conservatives disappointed to lose councillors
Cllr Fitzgerald said he’s “extremely disappointed to lose colleagues on such tight margins”.
“In terms of the popular vote against the Labour Party, they have not done so well. But they’ve made some gains in terms of seats and we’ve lost on some very tight numbers,” he said.
Cllr Fitzgerald insists residents voted on national, rather than local, issues and maintains his group has confidence in him to lead. It’s now made up of 11 councillors, down from 22.
“It’s no secret I have bigger ambitions within the county,” he said, referring to his possible bid to lead the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority (CPCA). “If I feel there’s a time where I should step away because I have to do other things – I’ll wait to see what happens there. But for the time being, I’m happy to take some back seat time.”
Lib Dems ‘absolutely devastated’ to lose long-serving councillor
Liberal Democrat leader Cllr Christian Hogg (Lib Dems, Fletton and Stanground) said he’s “absolutely devastated” to have lost long-serving councillor and mayor Cllr Nick Sandford (Lib Dems, Paston and Walton).
“He’s been a councillor for more than 28 years, so that’s made the gains we’ve made quite bittersweet. The loss of Nick Sandford really can’t be overstated.”
The Lib Dems gained one seat, bringing their total numbers to nine.
Greens say they’re ‘on the map as a serious party’
Greens leader Cllr Nicola Day (Greens, Orton Waterville) celebrated doubling the Greens’ numbers from two to four.
“We have absolutely been put on the map as a serious party in Peterborough and broken out of Orton,” she said.
The Greens won in Ravensthorpe and picked up hundreds of votes – although not enough to win – in Central, Park and North wards.
Independent memeber ‘overwhelmed’ to retain seat
Former Green Cllr Kirsty Knight (Independent, Orton Waterville) retained her seat and was the only independent winner, unattached to any group.
She said she was “overwhelmed” by the result.
“I put my faith into residents and they put their faith into me,” Cllr Knight said.
