Peterborough group leaders have say on postponing elections
Group representatives have voiced their opinions
The government has written to Peterborough City Council inviting it to set out its views on postponing the upcoming local elections in May 2026.
Peterborough City Council has until midnight on Thursday, January 15 to respond and explain if a postponement could release essential capacity to deliver Local Government Reorganisation (LGR).
The Secretary of State would then decide whether to make an order to postpone elections for one year. Town and parish council elections would continue as normal.
Next year’s local elections in Peterborough would see 18 councillor seats voted on by the public.
What do the local political leaders think?
Councillor Shabina Qayyum, Labour leader of Peterborough City Council, said: “We welcome the opportunity to set out our views to government on the postponement of a local elections in Spring 2026, to free up essential capacity to get on with the job of LGR.
“It is a busy time for all councils in England and Wales with the LGR fast approaching, which is a fundamental change to how councils will operate and the geographical areas they will serve.
“We will now be spending time with both officers and our councillors to consider what is best for Peterborough, to go ahead with an election in 2026, or to postpone to 2027.”
Councillor Steve Allen, deputy leader of the Conservative group on Peterborough City Council, said: “I think it’s a general view of the Conservative group that it would be inappropriate to cancel the elections.
“Just from a democratic angle, because we had a fallow year this year, so to postpone them again next year would be a removal of the expectation of democracy.
“However, I can understand the council officers and indeed some politicians thinking that they may be somewhat wasted with Local Government Reorganisation as it seems we might be doing things twice for the sake of it.”
Leader of the Liberal Democrat group, Cllr Christian Hogg, said he hoped to hear the views of residents and fellow councillors before making up his mind.
“At the moment I’m keeping my mind open because I’ve not heard what my colleagues have to say on the subject,” he said.
“For me, it’s not a completely cut and dried thing either way. I think there’s pros and cons for having them and not having them, and that’s why we need to work through those.”
Cllr Hogg also noted that anyone who applied for a postal vote before January 30, 2024 must submit a new application before January 31 2026. He claimed there were still 15,000 postal voters in Peterborough who hadn’t done so.
“That does give quite a tight deadline in my mind,” he said.
Green Party group leader Cllr Heather Skibsted simply said: “We are against this as it is not democratic.”
Independent councillor Mark Ormston said he felt “very strongly” that the local elections should take place next year.
He added: “At this moment in time, Peterborough has no set direction of travel for Local Government Reform from the government. The preferred option chosen by Peterborough City Council (although I personally did not vote for it) requires boundary changes.
“All councils are getting ready for budget setting at the beginning of 2026, and with the Fairer Funding calculations only being released yesterday, budget forecasting will need reviewing and updating, as will the details of any LGR business cases.
“To be candid, I think the timelines being presented are beyond ambitious and are potentially dangerous. I truly don’t believe the government (any government of any political colour) has the time and resources to manage this many councils up and down the country through such a colossal change in such a short period of time.
“With the above in mind, I feel it is far too soon for this to be seriously considered and fear it would only result in future elections and people’s democratic right to vote also being cancelled.
“Let’s know where we are heading, with which passengers (co-drivers), plot the journey and then consider this matter.”
Peterborough First leader Cllr Chris Harper was contacted for comment.
Which councillors are due to stand for election in 2026?
Here is a full list of Peterborough councillors who face election in 2026:
Scott Warren (Cons) – Bretton
Alison Jones (Lab) – Central
Dennis Jones (Ind) – Dogsthorpe
Samantha Hemraj (Lab) – East
Rylan Ray (Not specified) – Eye, Thorney and Newborough
Christian Hogg (Lib Dem) – Fletton and Stanground
Alan Dowson (Lab) – Fletton and Woodston
Andrew Bond (Lib Dem) – Gunthorpe
Marco Cereste (Cons) – Hampton Vale
Mohammed Farooq (PFirst) – Hargate and Hempsted
Noreen Bi (Lab) – North
Michael Perkins (Cons) – Orton Longueville
Julie Stevenson (Ind) – Orton Waterville
Muhammad Sabir (Lab) – Park
Asif Shaheed (Lib Dem) – Paston and Walton
Mohammed Rangzeb (Green) – Ravensthorpe
Ray Bisby (PFirst) – Stanground South
Sarah Hillier (PFirst) – Werrington