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:
“I have ever deemed it fundamental for the United States never to take active part in the quarrels of Europe. Their political interests are entirely distinct from ours. Their mutual jealousies, their balance of power, their complicated alliances, their forms and principles of government, are all foreign to us. They are nations of eternal war.”
—Thomas Jefferson (1743–1826)
““Have we any control over being born?,” my friend asked in despair. “No, the job is done for us while we’re sleeping, so to speak, and when we wake up everything is all set. We merely appear, like an ornate celebrity wheeled out in a wheelchair.” “I don’t remember,” my friend claimed. “No need to,” I said: “what need have us free-loaders for any special alertness? We’re done for.””
—Marvin Cohen, U.S. author and humorist. The Self-Devoted Friend, New Directions (1967)