Political Control
Political control of the unitary authority has been held by the following groups:
| Election | Party | Seats | +/- | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | Labour | 25 | ||
| 1999 | No overall control |
(25) | 0 | |
| 2000 | No overall control |
(27) | +3 | |
| 2001 | No overall control |
(26) | -1 | |
| 2002 | Conservative | 29 | +2 | |
| 2004 | Conservative | 33 | +9 | |
| 2006 | Conservative | 35 | +3 | |
| 2007 | Conservative | 40 | +5 | |
| 2008 | Conservative | 43 | +3 | |
| 2010 | Conservative | 39 | -4 | |
| 2011 | Conservative | 38 | -1 | |
The council comprises 57 councillors who represent the city and surrounding villages. Each councillor typically serves for a four-year term, representing an electoral ward. Wards are divided so that each councillor serves an average of around 2,000 electors.
These are (in alphabetical order): Barnack, Bretton North, Bretton South, Dogsthorpe, Fletton, Glinton and Wittering, Newborough, Northborough, Orton Longueville, Orton Waterville, Orton with Hampton, Park, Paston, Peterborough Central, Peterborough East, Peterborough North, Peterborough West, Ravensthorpe, Stanground Central, Stanground East, Eye and Thorney, Walton, Werrington North, and Werrington South. 15 wards comprise the Peterborough constituency for elections to the House of Commons, while the remaining nine fall within the North West Cambridgeshire constituency.
Each ward elects up to three councillors by the first past the post system of election. Barnack, Bretton South, Newborough, Northborough, and Stanground East each elect one councillor; Eye and Thorney, Glinton and Wittering, North ward, Ravensthorpe, and Walton each elect two. The current composition of the city council, following the 2012 election, is:
| Party | Seats | +/- | Group | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | 32 | -6 | ||
| Labour | 11 | +5 | Labour | |
| Labour Co-operative | 1 | 0 | ||
| Liberal Democrat | 4 | +1 | ||
| Liberal | 3 | 0 | Peterborough Independent Forum |
|
| Independent | 7 | +1 | ||
| English Democrat | 0 | -1 | ||
| Conservative hold | ||||
Labour and Co-operative candidates stand on behalf of both the Labour Party and its sister Co-operative Party. The Green Party of England and Wales and United Kingdom Independence Party have also contested elections. In 2010, Peterborough Independents was registered with the Electoral Commission for the “single purpose” of creating, protecting and using a mark or logo.
Gr.Uff. Cllr. Marco Cereste (Stanground Central) was appointed Leader of the Council in 2009, replacing Cllr. John Peach (Park), former Cabinet Member for Finance and Human Resources, who served in the role from 2006. The Deputy Leader is currently Cllr. Matthew Lee (Fletton), Cabinet Member for Environment Capital and Culture, who replaced Cllr. Stephen Goldspink (East, later English Democrat), former Cabinet Member for Efficiency and Business Improvement.
Read more about this topic: Local Government In Peterborough
Famous quotes containing the words political and/or control:
“No officer should be required or permitted to take part in the management of political organizations, caucuses, conventions, or election campaigns. Their right to vote and to express their views on public questions, either orally or through the press, is not denied, provided it does not interfere with the discharge of their official duties. No assessment for political purposes on officers or subordinates should be allowed.”
—Rutherford Birchard Hayes (1822–1893)
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—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882)