Dr Shabina Qayyum set to become new leader of Peterborough City Council in landmark coalition deal. Peterborough City Council is preparing for a major change of leadership this week, with councillors expected to elect Labour’s Dr Shabina Qayyum as the city’s new leader at an extraordinary meeting on Friday.
The council, which has been without a permanent leader since the resignation of Cllr Dennis Jones earlier this month, will meet at Sand Martin House on 12 September to appoint a successor. The vote is expected to confirm Cllr Qayyum as the first female Asian leader of the authority, supported by a coalition arrangement between Labour, Peterborough First and the Liberal Democrats.
Peterborough First’s Cllr Mohammed Farooq is likely to be appointed as her deputy.
A finely balanced council
The leadership contest comes against a backdrop of political instability in Peterborough. The 60-seat council is deeply fragmented, with no single group holding an outright majority. The current distribution is:
- Labour – 15 seats
- Peterborough First – 11 seats
- Conservatives – 11 seats
- Liberal Democrats – 8 seats
- Green Party – 5 seats
- Independents – 10 seats
The coalition between Labour, Peterborough First and the Liberal Democrats would give the incoming administration a working majority, edging ahead of rivals who had also explored alternative coalition options.
Mayor of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Paul Bristow, the city’s former Conservative MP, has warned councillors against further instability. “We are now looking for yet another new council leader in less than two years – after the leader previous to that had only served for six months,” he said. “We cannot afford any more instability. What should unite councillors is delivering for the people of Peterborough.”
From scandal to reset
The extraordinary meeting was triggered by the resignation of former Labour leader Dennis Jones on 4 September, after he was suspended from the party over offensive comments about Rotherham grooming gang victims. In a leaked message, Jones referred to the victims as “poor white trash,” remarks he later admitted were “clearly inappropriate.”
His resignation automatically dissolved the existing cabinet, leaving the council leaderless until Friday’s vote.
In the aftermath, Labour elected Cllr Qayyum as its new group leader. In a statement, she acknowledged the turbulence of recent weeks but urged colleagues across the chamber to “reset the dial.”
“It was right of Councillor Jones to resign and acknowledge that his language was unacceptable,” she said. “There is certainly a need for resetting and healing for our city. My mission is one of inclusivity, positivity, fairness and leading from the front for our residents.”
Coalition manoeuvring
Over the past week, rival political groups have been locked in negotiations over potential power-sharing agreements.
Peterborough First leader Cllr Chris Harper signalled early on that his group was keen to revive a coalition involving the Greens, Liberal Democrats and independents. “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,” he said.
But it is Labour’s talks with Peterborough First and the Liberal Democrats that appear to have produced a breakthrough, paving the way for Friday’s likely outcome.
Liberal Democrat leader Cllr Christian Hogg confirmed his group’s openness to partnership working. “Either [Labour] need to look to involve a partner or partners, or other parties may feel that they can coalesce in a different way to produce the stability that the city needs,” he said earlier this week.
Green Party leader Heather Skibsted, while leaving “everything on the table,” has so far indicated her group is not part of the new coalition arrangement.
Conservative leader Cllr Wayne Fitzgerald has remained tight-lipped about his group’s intentions, but with just 11 seats, the Conservatives appear sidelined by the emerging Labour-led deal.
Qayyum’s priorities
In her first public statements since becoming Labour group leader, Dr Qayyum has outlined a set of priorities for her administration.
She highlighted improvements in children’s services, reductions in fly-tipping, and progress on cultural and leisure facilities as successes under Labour’s recent tenure. “The very important work of improving this city needs stability and an end to the relentless negativity and toxicity that prevails within our politics,” she said.
Drawing on her professional background in healthcare, Qayyum also pledged a tougher approach to safeguarding and licensing issues, particularly in light of criticism over the handling of grooming cases and delays in driver licensing.
With local elections due in May 2026, Qayyum is pitching her leadership as a chance to build continuity before voters head to the polls. “With only eight months left until the local elections next year, the council is in need of stability and continuity, working across parties,” she said.
A Mayor’s challenge
Bristow has presented the incoming leader with a list of demands, pressing for stronger delivery on city centre regeneration, tourism, and a new stadium project.
“Thanks to a lack of ambition and strong leadership, too much has fallen by the wayside,” he said. “During my election campaign, the Labour Council agreed to work with me to deliver my plan for free parking in our city centre. Despite this, they have been dragging their feet.”
He added that a new stadium for Peterborough United could offer an “economic boost to our city beyond the football club – it could be a concert venue and hub for new businesses. With new leadership at the council, it’s time to get it done.”
What happens next
Friday’s meeting will begin with the council seeking formal nominations for the role of leader. Any candidate must be proposed and seconded, and if more than one stands, the council will vote in rounds until a clear majority is achieved.
Under the Local Government Act 2000, the leader elected on Friday will hold office for four years, unless removed earlier by a council vote.
While technically open, few expect a serious challenge to Dr Qayyum’s nomination, given the coalition agreement already in place. If confirmed, she will then move quickly to appoint a new cabinet drawn from the three coalition parties.
A city in transition
For many in Peterborough, the leadership change marks not only the end of a turbulent chapter but the start of a potential new era of collaboration.
Cllr Qayyum has promised an “open door” to councillors of all parties, while Mayor Bristow has urged “grown-up politics” focused on delivery rather than division.
But with elections looming and political rivalries never far from the surface, the durability of the new coalition will be tested in the months ahead.
For now, however, the expectation is that by the end of Friday, Peterborough will have a new leader in Cllr Dr Shabina Qayyum – and with her, perhaps, a chance for the city council to turn a page.
