Our new view on columns written in other papers….
In a recent article for the Peterborough Telegraph, Councillor John Howard mounted a spirited defence of the Conservative group on Peterborough City Council, while casting Peterborough First as disorganised, opportunistic, and politically unreliable. But a closer look at recent local political shifts invites a more balanced—if not ironic—perspective.
Councillor Howard points to the departure of one member, Cllr Mark Ormston, as evidence of the supposed “instability” within Peterborough First. But he notably omits the group’s origin story: Peterborough First was formed by former Conservative councillors. Indeed, a significant portion of its leadership—including Cllr Mohammed Farooq—once held senior positions in Howard’s own party. Their decision to break away wasn’t born of political opportunism but out of increasing frustration with internal dysfunction and a lack of direction within the Conservative fold.
Sandmartin House, Peterborough
Wednesday 18 June 2025.
Picture by Terry Harris.
This disillusionment is far from anecdotal. As reported by Cambridge News, more than a quarter of Peterborough’s current councillors were elected under a different political banner than the one they now wear. The majority of those shifts? Away from the Conservative Party. These aren’t isolated defections—they’re part of a wider pattern of discontent with a local Conservative organisation that appears more fractured than Howard would like to admit.
While Howard champions the Conservative approach to budget-setting as collaborative and transparent, the record tells a more complicated story. The industrial hub closure, a post-budget move that even Conservative councillors say came as a surprise, speaks volumes about where transparency may have broken down—and it wasn’t only across the aisle.
Sandmartin House, Peterborough
Wednesday 18 June 2025.
Picture by Terry Harris.
Yes, Peterborough First has challenges to address. Yes, there’s always room for better cross-party cooperation. But painting one group as chaotic while ignoring the mirror held up to your own is not a strategy—it’s misdirection. If Howard wants to talk seriously about stability and restoring faith in local democracy, that conversation must begin with an honest accounting of how we got here. And that story doesn’t belong to Peterborough First alone.
And let’s not forget the pièce de résistance—Howard himself hopped from the Conservatives to Peterborough First… and then back again. A political hokey cokey so dizzying you’d be forgiven for wondering if his column came with a revolving door and a built-in compass. If this is what stability looks like, I’d hate to see the alternative.
Howards Article: Peterborough Telegraph
