Where were our city leaders?

I was pleased to join the Pet e rb o ro ug h Trad e Uni o n s Council march on Saturday opposing the EDL demonstration in Peterborough.

It was a disciplined, wellorganised and principled defence of our diverse, multicultural and peaceful city of which we are so proud. Peterborough fundamentally rejected the EDL’s racist, bigoted and hateful ideals as it has done so in the past.

The PTUC rally was attended by trade union leaders, Labour councillors, members of Unite Against Fascism, Green Party activists and Liberal Democrats but unfortunately, there were some notable absentees.

Where were our city’s Conservative leaders? Stewart and reject the EDL’s racist attacks on Peterborough citizens.

Occasionally, politics must stand united above partisanship and division, in symbolic defence of our democracy, our freedoms, our communities and our city.

The strength of our collective conviction is challenged most when standing up for the rights of the oppressed is inconvenient or uncomfortable – evidently some of our political, community and faith leaders enjoyed the warm, sunny, Saturday afternoon at home, rather than defending our city from the reprehensible EDL.

John Rolfe Peterborough Leader of Peterborough City Council Marco Cereste happy to proclaim: “Peterborough is the UK’s best kept secret”.

This is stated in the Your Peterborough magazine we all received with our 2014 council tax bills.

He should be ashamed of himself - it is clearly not a good thing for a city to be a secret, because as many investors as possible need to know about Peterborough.

It is the council’s job to promote our great city, not to keep it a secret.

If “being a secret” is s o meth i n g o f whi c h h e i s proud, this must seriously question whether Councillor Cereste knows how to best run a city.

Alex Terry Prospective Independent Candidate for Glinton & Wittering

Ward