Councillor quits Labour to join Conservatives
Asim MahmoodA councillor who has resigned from Labour and joined the Conservative Party said it had been "one of the most difficult decisions of my life".
Asim Mahmood, who represents the North ward on Peterborough City Council, announced his defection on Friday.
Posting on social media, he said he did not feel welcome in the Labour group and that he felt his colleagues did not always reflect the values that encouraged him to join the party.
Labour council leader Shabina Qayyum said Mahmood's decision was "disappointing to see".
"The Labour group categorically refutes the allegation he was not made welcome," she said.
"I am perplexed that anyone could sacrifice their values overnight and suddenly become Conservative from Labour."
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Mahmood insisted his values had not changed, "and they continue to shape everything I do as a public servant".
"This decision is not a rejection of those values, it is a reaffirmation of them," he said.
"This has been one of the most difficult decisions of my life, and not one I have arrived at quickly or easily."
Mahmood was first elected to the council representing Labour in 2023, securing 42.9% of votes.
He said he intended to stand in the 2027 elections as a Conservative candidate.
Mahmood's defection does not affect who is leading the authority, currently a Labour-led coalition alongside the Peterborough First group of independents and the Liberal Democrats.
Qayyum added her party would "continue to put our residents first and carry on with the positivity we are bringing to the city".
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