A Labour councillor who won a seat on Peterborough City Council (she beat the Conservative candidate by 78 votes in Bretton) is the latest councillor to quit the party.
Cllr Nicola Jenkins said today it had become “increasingly challenging to follow a party line that often prioritises political narratives over the best interests of my ward and Peterborough as a whole.
“I feel I can no longer continue to serve under such restrictive conditions.”
Some are not surprised by her decision to become an independent member of the council for in June she posted concerns about “parts of this role that weigh heavily on me”.
Cllr Jenkins wrote: “It is difficult to witness poor behaviour from some colleagues to go unchallenged and even rewarded at times. I’ve come across things that my conscience struggled to accept.
“I always speak up with the best of intentions but there are moments when it feels like my voice won’t change the outcome. Some people seem to just get away with things and that’s hard to reconcile.”
Fast forward to today (Wednesday) and Cllr Jenkins says that whilst she is grateful for Labour supporting her and helping her to get elected, “being born and raised in this city, I have witnessed changes that, unfortunately, have not always been for the better.
https://www.cambsnews.co.uk/news/ex-green-peterborough-councillor-faces-code-of-conduct-probe/38639/
“However, I remain hopeful that through open scrutiny, independent collaboration, and genuine representations, I can play a positive role in shaping a better future for Peterborough”.
Not the only one
Cllr Jenkins follows former Labour councillor Daisy Blakemore-Creedon out of Labour; she quit to become an independent in May after allegations she had “sustained bullying and marginalisation within the group”.
She was just 18 when elected in May 2024 for Fletton and Woodston, claiming the political scalp of former Conservative councillor Andy Coles by the decisive margin of 640 votes.
She said the experiences “have left me with no confidence that I can continue to serve residents as a member of the Labour group given the hostile environment I have faced simply for speaking out.”
“I remain fully committed to serving the people of my ward [as an independent],” she said.
How many have “switched sides” (last 5 years)?
16 councillors currently sitting on Peterborough City Council have previously represented a different party/group in recent years.
Who are they?
From the Peterborough Telegraph’s compiled list (24 Jun 2025) they include:
Now Peterborough First (all ex-Conservatives):
Ray Bisby; Gavin Elsey; Mohammed Farooq; Saqib Farooq; Chris Harper; Peter Hiller; Brian Rush.
Now Independents (ex-Lib Dem/Labour/Green/Peterborough First):
Simon Barkham (ex-Lib Dem); Daisy Blakemore-Creedon (ex-Labour); Amjad Iqbal (ex-Labour); Kirsty Knight (ex-Green); Mark Ormston (ex-Peterborough First); Julie Stevenson (ex-Green).
Now Greens (ex-Labour/Conservative):
Imtiaz Ali (ex-Labour); Mohammed Rangzeb (ex-Conservative); Heather Skibsted (ex-Labour).
The council remains under no overall control, with a minority Labour administration since May 2024.
Current political make-up of Peterborough City Council:
Labour: 18 Conservative: 11 Liberal Democrat: 8 Green: 5 Peterborough First: 11 Independent (Unaffiliated): 7 Total: 60
