Grooming remarks trigger calls for council change

Dennis Jones was leader of the Labour group until his resignation

Opposition parties have called on Labour to stop running a city council after the resignation of its group leader.

Dennis Jones was Peterborough City Council's Labour leader - until he resigned from the party after referring to grooming gang victims as "poor white trash from Rotherham".

Jones, who represents the Dogsthorpe ward, has "apologised wholeheartedly" and intends to remain on the city council independently.

Liberal Democrat, Conservative, Green and independent group Peterborough First have urged the Labour group to reconsider its leadership of the authority.

Christian Hogg, leader of the Liberal Democrat group, has asked Labour to rethink its position

Christian Hogg, a councillor who leads Peterborough's Liberal Democrats, said: "It does show an alarming lack of compassion to the victims of Rotherham and uses language which is unacceptable.

"It is not the standard you would expect from someone in a senior leadership position.

"This brings the Labour group down to 15 city councillors - it does show they are going to struggle as a cabinet to deal with the very real challenges the city council faces.

"Labour needs to rethink if they really have the capacity to run the council.

"If not, either step aside or reach out to other parties to be more effective in decision making."

Chris Harper, Peterborough First leader, called Jones's comments a "disgrace"

Peterborough First leader Chris Harper also called for Labour to reconsider its position.

"If it is true that councillor Jones has posted these things, then it's a disgrace," the Stanground South councillor said.

"I would call on him to resign as a councillor. It is disappointing.

"I think they [the Labour group] are down another person and are leaderless.

"The council deserves a proper administration and leadership, so they should consider a coalition to take over or stand aside."

Wayne Fitzgerald, Conservative group leader, said the comments could "upset" parents and young people in Peterborough

Wayne Fitzgerald, Conservative group leader, said: "Calling white working class girls 'white trash' is deeply offensive and unacceptable.

"The Labour Party has serious questions to answer."

Heather Skibsted, Peterborough's Green Party leader, said she was "shocked" by the language used.

Peterborough MP Andrew Pakes and Sam Carling, MP for North-West Cambridgeshire, both Labour members, jointly said: "It is right that the Labour Party moved so swiftly to suspend councillor Jones and investigate this inappropriate and unacceptable language."

A Labour Party spokesperson said: "The language used here was inappropriate and swift action has been taken, in line with our rules and procedures."

The comments were made by Jones during an exchange with Independent councillor Daisy Blakemore-Creedon.

Jones has said: "With regard to the topic discussed, let me be absolutely clear: vile perpetrators of sexual abuse must face the full force of the law, and we must all continue to fight for victims of such abhorrent crimes to get the justice they deserve.

"In trying to assert this view, I used language which some who wrongly dismiss or choose to ignore such evil crimes commonly use to minimise such criminality.

"In doing so, I was intending to discredit this completely wrong characterisation and highlight the need to stand up for victims of such crimes."

A Peterborough City Council spokesperson said: "A formal complaint has been received by the council in relation to this and we are now considering its contents."