News / Politics
Labour councillor defects to Lib Dems
After resigning from the Labour Party and joining the Liberal Democrats, a Bristol councillor has promised that she will be “putting Bristol and its residents before party interests”.
Zoë Peat was elected as Labour councillor for Avonmouth & Lawrence Weston in 2024 and currently chairs Bristol City Council’s HR committee.
A Labour spokesperson told Bristol24/7 that “unlike the Liberal Democrats, we will not be the Green Party’s nodding dogs”.
Away from City Hall, Peat, who studied law at UWE, has worked as a legal adviser and most recently worked in digital communications for an MP.
She becomes the second Labour councillor in Bristol to defect in recent months, with Frome Vale councillor Alsayed Al-Maghrabi now representing the Green Party.
The Greens are also not immune to resignations, with Clifton councillor and former lord mayor Paula O’Rourke now sitting as an independent.
The Lib Dem group have reacted gleefully to Peat’s defection, saying that it is “a condemnation of Bristol Labour’s failure to stand up for its residents in Bristol as it continues not to fully partake in the committee system that sees its elected members work cross-party for the benefit of the city”.
“Instead of taking up leading roles in the council, Labour continues to let its residents down by playing games and looking to score political points.”
Despite having enough councillors to have two committee chair positions, the Labour group do not take up their allocation due to Labour Party rules forbidding arrangements with other parties without sign-off by the National Executive Committee.
This has resulted in two Lib Dem councillors chairing policy committees despite the Lib Dems having only nine councillors in Bristol compared to 19 Labour members following Peat’s departure from their ranks.
Labour councillors do, however, chair planning and audit regulatory committees.
With the addition of Zoë Peat to their ranks, the Lib Dem group now have nine councillors in Bristol (Sarah Classick is not in this photo) – photo: Liberal Democrats
In a statement, Peat said: “I am extremely thankful to the Labour Party, of which I have been a dedicated campaigner, activist and supporter for over ten years.
“I am deeply grateful to have been given the opportunity to stand during Bristol’s 2024 local elections, where I have proudly served half of my term as councillor for Lawrence Weston & Avonmouth.
“However, after a great deal of thought and reflection, I have made the difficult decision to step away from the Labour Party for personal and political reasons.
“There have been decisions made by the national party that I have disagreed with, including the removal of the Winter Fuel Payment, the initial whipping against abolishing the two-child benefit cap, and aspects of the government’s proposed welfare reforms.
“However, I also recognise that no political party or leadership will ever perfectly align with one person’s views, and I remain proud of many achievements delivered by the current Labour government, including the expansion of free school meals, increased funded childcare provision, the Workers’ Rights Act and the Renters’ Rights Act.
“I sincerely hope to see this government continue improving the lives of working people across the country.
“Ultimately, my decision comes down to the kind of politics I want to practise.
“At a time when the cost of living crisis and wider political instability are driving division across our country, I have found hope in the Liberal Democrats’ willingness to work collaboratively, pragmatically and constructively with others in pursuit of positive change.
“The Liberal Democrats have consistently demonstrated a desire to build bridges across political divides, whether through coalition administrations in places such as Wiltshire and South Gloucestershire, or through cross-party working arrangements here in Bristol.
“While my own politics remain centre-left, I strongly believe that people with differing political traditions can still come together to deliver meaningful outcomes for residents.
“I believe politics works best when it is rooted in cooperation, community and practical solutions rather than tribalism.
“The Liberal Democrats’ emphasis on localism, community politics and constructive cross-party working reflects the approach I want to bring to public service moving forward.”
Zoe Peat with Bristol North West MP Darren Jones and her fellow Avonmouth & Lawrence Weston councillors Tom Blenkinsop and Don Alexander – photo: Zoe Peat
Peat added: “My work as a councillor will continue with a renewed focus on bringing forward good ideas regardless of where they come from politically, and above all else, putting Bristol and its residents before party interests.
“Leaving the Labour Party has not been an easy decision, and it is one I have made carefully and independently after considerable reflection.
“I do not want my departure to be used to inflame internal political divisions locally or nationally.
“My priority remains serving residents during what continues to be an incredibly difficult period for many households.
“With continued pressures on food prices, energy bills and household finances driven by ongoing global instability and conflict, I believe the focus of politics must now be on stability, cooperation and ensuring that government at every level is able to respond effectively to the challenges facing ordinary people.
“I look forward to continuing to serve the residents of Lawrence Weston and Avonmouth as a Liberal Democrat councillor, and to working with colleagues across the political spectrum to deliver the best possible future for Bristol.”
Zoë Peat with Bristol Labour group leader Tom Renhard and Labour metro mayor Helen Godwin – photo: Zoë Peat
A spokesperson for the Bristol Labour group said: “We’re disappointed by councillor Peat’s decision to leave the Labour Party.
“As chair of the human resources committee – one of three committees the Labour Group chairs on Bristol City Council – councillor Peat had considerable influence in determining council policy, and we thank her for her contributions.
“Labour councillors have worked collaboratively and cross-party to commission new bus routes, secure funding to improve our parks, and crack down on fly-tipping, as a few examples.
“The Labour group chair the human resources, audit and a planning committee, and serve as vice chair of the children & young people, environment & sustainability, public health & communities and transport policy committees.
“Labour councillors hold every seat on committees to which they are entitled, scrutinise the Green / Lib Dem administration’s proposals, and put forward ideas to improve the city.
“However, unlike the Liberal Democrats, we will not be the Green Party’s nodding dogs.
“We have successfully pushed back against plans for three- or four-weekly black bin collections, the Greens’ termination of support for the nighttime economy and plans to close up to 19 of our libraries.
“We will always stand up for our residents. Our approach means we can stand up against policies that are not in Bristol’s interest and support proposals that are.
“Residents of Avonmouth, Lawrence Weston, Shirehampton and Sea Mills will be assured they have diligent local councillors Don Alexander and Tom Blenkinsop continuing to represent them.
“In recent weeks, they have pushed for the council to clean up the fly-tipping scourge outside of council tenants’ homes, made progress in securing funding for Avon Youth Hub, campaigned for more investment in local road maintenance and fought for local residents to get first dibs on new social housing in Lawrence Weston.
“They will continue to support the priorities of their residents.”
Main photo: Labour Party
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