Special Report
Welcome to ‘Wayne’s World’ and his musings on the 2023 local elections
In coming days, we will feature some of the more idiosyncratic campaigning by candidates as they prepare for May 4 and the political fate for themselves and their councils.
Let’s begin in Peterborough.
Council leader Wayne Fitzgerald – fighting to retain his own seat and the Conservative party’s tenuous grip on Peterborough City Council – has caused a social media outcry over his attacks on other political parties.
Cllr Fitzgerald posted that “we cannot afford to let a coalition of chaos consisting of Labour, who can’t even agree when a man is a man, and a woman is a woman let alone run our great city”.
CambsNews was the first to pick up the political gesturing by the council on behalf of its Conservative leader Wayne Fitzgerald and the Conservative MP for Peterborough Paul Bristow, who retains this photo on his Facebook page
All change: Both Paul Bristow and Cllr Wayne Fitzgerald did a ‘re shoot’ of the photo – 24 hours later – which included this new photo. Read the full story on the link below
Not content with that he stirred by a fiction about Liberal Democrats and congestion charge.
He said that “it is rumoured Liberal Democrats will bring congestion charging to Peterborough just like they have done in Cambridge.
“They want to attack YOU the ordinary motorist and infringe the civil liberties of all of us.
“They will do away with cars whenever they can.”
In case the Green Party left out, Cllr Fitzgerald had words for them.
“And finally, the Greens,” he wrote “will fall into line with all of the above if it means power sharing for them in the council as they have no realistic prospect of winning a majority here or elsewhere for that matter”.
On his Twitter profile, Cllr Fitzgerald warns that “abuse or rudeness – simply blocked. Polite sensible debate welcome otherwise muted
“Don’t expect a reply but please email for formal responses.”
Candidates for West Ward, Peterborough, May 4.
Lorraine Andison – Labour Party
Wayne Fitzgerald – Conservative Party (current councillor)
Colette Francis – Green Party
Polly Geraghty – Liberal Democrats
* 21 of the 60 seats on Peterborough City Council will be contested on May 4.
