Labour lead council for first time in 25 years

Dennis Jones was voted in as leader of Peterborough City Council at a meeting on Monday

A Labour councillor has been voted in as leader of a council for the first time in more than 25 years.

Dennis Jones has become leader of Peterborough City Council following the resignation of Peterborough First's Mohammed Farooq.

Following elections earlier this month Labour became the largest party on the council, but the authority remained under no overall control.

Mr Jones said he would focus on "big ticket items" such as regeneration of the city centre.

At the meeting on Monday, 20 councillors - including all 19 from Labour - voted for Mr Jones to become leader.

Councillors from other parties chose to abstain.

Mr Jones told the BBC he wanted to make the council, and everyone associated with it, work "more collaboratively and more cooperatively".

He said he was "disappointed" that the previous leading group, Peterborough First, had decided not to work more closely with Labour on the council.

'Regeneration'

There had been reports of some discussion about Labour and Peterborough First forming a coalition.

"I have good relationships with group leaders and members of each party and just got to carry on that way because we have to put Peterborough first, it's as simple as that," Mr Jones said.

He said his party had a number of areas they would focus on.

"I think the big ticket item is regeneration of the city.

"Peterborough is one of the fastest growing cities in the country and we have just got to maximise the regeneration but we must not leave people behind.

"We need social value, we need financial value, we need to do that as well as sort out the city centre," he added.

Mohammed Farooq (centre) announced his resignation and called for "stability" at the local authority

Since November the council has been run by Peterborough First as a minority administration, largely made up of Tory defectors.

Labour claimed the biggest victory in May and the Conservative Party lost half of its seats.

Peterborough First gained four seats, taking the total to 14, while the Greens and Liberal Democrats gained two each.

Former leader Mr Farooq, from the independent Peterborough First group, took charge at Peterborough City Council in November after a vote of no confidence in the previous Conservative leader.

However, he resigned saying he wanted the council to choose a new leader "who commands a majority" to bring "stability".