Councillor backs coalition idea ahead of Peterborough council leader vote
A new leader is due to be confirmed today
A new leader of Peterborough City Council is due to be elected today.
Councillors will vote after Dennis Jones quit his role last week after a WhatsApp message sent by him to a fellow councillor appeared to call Rotherham grooming gang victims "white trash".
Mr Jones has since been suspended by the Labour Party, but remains as an independent councillor.
The former leader sent the message to Cllr Daisy Blakemore-Creedon, who shared a screenshot of Mr Jones' comments on X.
"I don't feel bad about calling something like that out; at the same time I do because politicians are still people, but we always need to put safeguarding first," she said.
In a statement, Mr Jones apologised "for some of the language used in these messages, which was clearly inappropriate, and for any offence I may have caused as a result."
Who could be the next council leader?
Dr Shabina Qayyum - who now leads the Labour group on Peterborough City Council - is in the run-in to become the authority's leader.
Ahead of the meeting, Cllr Qayyum confirmed a coalition including Labour, Peterborough First and the Liberal Democrat group was in the works.
Peterborough First leader Cllr Chris Harper has suggested a coalition with the Green Party, Liberal Democrats and some independents could also be an option.
“From a Peterborough First point of view, we want Labour to step down from the administration and back a coalition to take over the council and bring some sort of stability back," Mr Harper said.
Cllr Christian Hogg, Liberal Democrat group leader, has refused to "rule anything out" while Cllr Heather Skibsted - who leads the Green Party group - said the party is open to talks about forming a coalition.
While Cllr Wayne Fitzgerald, Conservative group leader, said no plans have been made.
"We've seen coalitions locally and nationally and they don't tend to work, but I think this coalition must work for the best interests of Peterborough," Ms Blakemore-Creedon said.
"I think Peterborough needs stability, a well-led council where the people in the positions predominantly care about what's in the best interests of residents rather than in it for positions of power."
The current make-up of Peterborough City Council is:
Labour: 15
Conservatives: 11
Peterborough First: 11
Independent: 10
Liberal Democrats: 8
Greens: 5