She is the second Labour councillor in Bristol to leave the party in two years
Councillor Zoe Peat (centre left) with her new Lib Dem colleagues(Image: Bristol Lib Dems)
A Bristol Labour councillor has defected to the Liberal Democrats because of the opposition party’s “unconstructive approach” in City Hall. Labour was criticised for “playing games and scoring political points” rather than working together with other parties in a collaborative way.
Councillor Zoë Peat, who represents Avonmouth and Lawrence Weston, has resigned from Labour and joined the Liberal Democrats. She follows Cllr Alsayed Al-Maghrabi in leaving the Labour party, who last year joined the Greens.
The second defection in two years now leaves Labour with 19 councillors on Bristol City Council, while the Liberal Democrats now have nine councillors. Bristol Labour hit back at criticism of their approach, saying that by opposing the administration, they have prevented unpopular plans going ahead.
Cllr Peat said: “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.”
Since first being elected in 2024, Cllr Peat has played a vocal role on the council’s housing policy committee and chaired the human resources committee too. A former legal adviser, she campaigned for and supported Labour for more than a decade. She said she was “extremely thankful” to the party, but disagreed with recent decisions by the Labour government.
These included the removal of the Winter Fuel Payment, the initial whipping against the abolition of the two-child benefit cap, and aspects of the proposed welfare reforms. But she praised the expansion of free school meals, increased funded childcare, and new laws providing extra protection for employees and renters.
Cllr Peat added: “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.”
Her defection does little to change the balance of power within City Hall. The Greens remain the largest party with 34 seats out of a total of 70. They chair six of the eight policy committees, as well as holding the positions of leader and deputy leader of the council. The Liberal Democrats chair the other two policy committees.
In 2024 Labour declined to take on any roles chairing the policy committees, instead preferring to act as an opposition to the administration. Policy committees are made up of councillors from all parties, and focus on specific areas like transport or housing. In practice, whoever chairs the committee gets a much greater say over the direction of the council and decisions about the city.
Cllr Jos Clark, leader of the Lib Dem group, said: “We warmly welcome Cllr Peat to the Liberal Democrats. Her energy and enthusiasm for delivering meaningful change for her residents will make her a good fit among our team of hard-working, dedicated local councillors. I know this is not a decision that Zoë has taken lightly.
“This just goes to show that Bristol Labour’s unconstructive and oppositional approach in City Hall is failing their residents, and their strategy is wearing thin for their own councillors. Labour needs to put aside party politics, stop playing games, and engage properly with the other political groups to deliver the changes that Bristolians are crying out for.
“With the rise of populism polarising our politics, it is the Liberal Democrats who are the antidote to these political extremes. People want, and rightly deserve, the people who represent them to work together to deliver change. As costs continue to rise and more stress is put on public services, we will be working together collaboratively and pragmatically to improve the lives of Bristolians.”
Responding to the defection, Labour thanked Cllr Peat for her contributions to the council, including chairing the human resources committee. The party said they had worked collaboratively on setting up new bus routes, getting funding to improve parks, and cracking down on fly-tipping. And they play important roles in several committees across the council.
A spokesperson for the Bristol Labour group said: “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 night-time 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.”
Labour councillors chair the audit committee and a planning committee, and also serve as vice-chair of four policy committees too. They also hold seats on every policy committee, and often scrutinise proposals put forward by the Greens and Liberal Democrats. Labour said they took up all seven of the roles which come with a “special responsibility allowance” they are entitled to.
However, the decision to enter into coalitions with other parties to run councils has to be signed off by Labour’s National Executive Committee, which is effectively its board of directors. After the 2024 local elections in Bristol, Labour chose not to take up any policy chair roles.