Tory group given free rein in 'no confidence' vote

Conservatives on a Labour-led city council have been told they are free to vote either way on a motion of no confidence in its leadership.

A minority Labour administration leads Peterborough City Council, but an alliance of three parties – Peterborough First, the Liberal Democrats, and the Green Party – wants to take over.

The current Labour leader, Dennis Jones, called the move a "politically-motivated back room plot".

Wayne Fitzgerald, the leader of the Conservative group on the city council, said the council's 11 Tory members would be free to "vote as they will" when the motion goes out to a vote on Wednesday.

He said: "We don't whip people per se, we reach consensus."

The council is made up of 17 Labour councillors, 13 Peterborough First councillors, 11 Conservatives, eight Liberal Democrats, six independent councillors and five Green Party councillors.

If the motion was voted through, a Peterborough First councillor would be put forward to become the new leader.

Jones has been leader of the council since May 2024, when Labour won the most seats to form a minority administration.

He said he was "incredibly proud" of the work Peterborough Labour had done so far.

Christian Hogg, leader of the Liberal Democrat group, said Labour controlled just a "small percentage of the council".

He said the coalition with Peterborough First and the Greens included a broad range of opinions, adding: "We are a spectrum of political views and that makes for better decision-making."

Heather Skibsted, leader of the Green Party group, said she was "reasonably confident" ahead of Wednesday's vote.

"We've got more numbers and therefore represent more of the city's residents."

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