A Labour council leader in Peterborough was suspended by the party and has since resigned after he described victims of grooming gangs as "poor white trash from Rotherham" in a private exchange that was later shared publicly.
Dennis Jones, leader of Peterborough City Council who represents the Dogsthorpe ward, apologised "wholeheartedly for the language" after a screenshot of the exchange with Independent councillor Daisy Blakemore‑Creedon was posted on social media on Sept. 3. The screenshot showed the comment was made on Aug. 8.
A Peterborough City Council spokesperson said a formal complaint had been received and the council was "now considering its contents." Blakemore‑Creedon, who represents the Fletton and Woodston ward, told the Local Democracy Reporting Service that the exchange "was a civil and respectful" conversation "until that moment." She said Jones's words "took me aback, and I was honestly too stunned to respond in the moment. It felt like the air had been sucked out of the conversation."
Labour announced the suspension amid the public reaction to the screenshot. Party suspensions are normally used while internal investigations or inquiries take place; Jones then resigned his membership of the Labour Party and issued the apology for his language.
The phrase referenced Rotherham, the South Yorkshire town at the centre of high‑profile child sexual exploitation investigations and prosecutions over the past decade. The scandal prompted national inquiries and has remained a source of political and public concern.
Council complaints procedures generally seek to establish whether members breached codes of conduct, and any findings can lead to sanctions ranging from reprimands to requirements for training or removal from committee roles. The council spokesperson declined to provide further detail while the complaint was under consideration.
The episode highlights how comments by local elected officials can prompt swift disciplinary action by political parties. Similar instances of party leaders in other democracies, including the United States, moving to suspend or censure members over inflammatory remarks have periodically attracted national attention and debate about standards of public conduct.
Peterborough City Council is continuing to consider the formal complaint. The Labour Party did not immediately provide additional comment beyond confirming the suspension and noting that Mr. Jones had apologised for his language.