Labour's Qayyum wins election to lead city council

Shabina Qayyum said she had a real task ahead of her

A Labour councillor has been elected to lead a city council after the previous council leader was forced to resign.

Shabina Qayyum was elected with 37 votes, beating Conservative councillor Wayne Fitzgerald, who received 12 votes.

Qayyum said: "It feels very surreal - it's been 27 years since we had a female leader in ex-councillor Cathy Weaver, who was elected in 1996."

Dennis Jones' resignation as council leader, and from the Labour party, came after he referred to grooming gang victims as "poor white trash from Rotherham".

Qayyum, who is also a city GP, said: "It is a humbling moment. It's been a very difficult week because of business stopping at the council, but I'm incredibly humbled by the fact that members have put their faith in me."

The vote took place in an extraordinary full council meeting triggered by Jones' resignation, as reported by the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Councillors agreed to skip a debate and move straight to the vote due to some members in attendance being ill.

Seven councillors were absent from the meeting, and four abstained.

Peterborough First councillor, Mohammad Farooq, will be the city council's deputy leader.