Peterborough City Council leader suspended from Labour
It's understood he intends to resign from his position as council leader.
Last updated 4th Sep 2025
Peterborough City Council’s Labour leader Dennis Jones has been suspended from the party and intends to step down from his role after he appeared to refer to grooming gang victims as “poor white trash from Rotherham” in a message to another councillor.
Independent Peterborough city councillor Daisy Blakemore-Creedon, who resigned from the Labour Party in May over bullying accusations, took to social media on September 3 to share an apparent exchange of messages between herself and Cllr Jones, which she said took place on August 8.
Cllr Blakemore-Creedon said she had messaged Cllr Jones: “I care about safety and why should immigration put women’s safety at risk”.
Cllr Jones appeared to respond: “Oh so white British cops f_ing poor white trash in Rotherham is OK, is it? Get a f_ing grip Daisy. You are aiming for populist votes and attention.
“Forgive me but you are bright enough to know what you are doing and, politically, I wish you no luck at all. But you know what you are setting out to do.”
It is understood that Cllr Jones has been suspended from the party pending an immediate investigation and that he intends to resign from his position as council leader.
A Labour Party spokesperson said: “The Labour Party expects the highest standards from our members and our elected representatives. The language used here was inappropriate and swift action has been taken, in line with our rules and procedures. We cannot comment further while an investigation is ongoing.”
The post from Cllr Blakemore-Creedon showing a screenshot of the alleged interaction generated significant engagement on social media, with many users and other politicians calling for Cllr Jones to resign.
Others called out Cllr Jones’ choice of language used given the history Peterborough has with grooming gangs itself.
Cllr Blakemore-Creedon claimed the apparent conversation with Cllr Jones prior to these messages was about her current political activity.
The 19-year-old, who was elected as one of Britain’s youngest councillors last year, told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: “We were having a civil and respectful exchange, until that moment.
“His words took me aback, and I was honestly too stunned to respond in the moment. It felt like the air had been sucked out of the conversation.
“Since sharing this last night, I’ve had victims reach out to me directly. Their voices, their pain, and their courage confirm what I knew deep down: speaking out was the right thing to do.
“This isn’t about point-scoring or politics, it’s about people’s safety, dignity, and lived experiences. And no one should ever feel silenced when those values are dismissed so casually.”
Conservative group leader on Peterborough City Council, Cllr Wayne Fitzgerald, said: “Calling white working class girls white trash is deeply offensive and unacceptable.
“Even if it was a private message to another councillor, it would upset many parents and young people in Peterborough. The leader of the council needs to explain himself urgently, or resign with immediate effect.
“The Labour Party has serious questions to answer.”
Cllr Jones for comment has been contacted for a comment.