Latest news with #DaisyBlakemoreCreedon
Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
CCTV in taxis could make a 'real difference'
CCTV in taxis would "make every journey safer" for drivers and passengers alike, according to a Peterborough councillor. Daisy Blakemore-Creedon, who represents the Fletton and Woodston ward, is calling for CCTV cameras to be installed in taxis and private hire vehicles. According to the latest government figures, only 8% of authorities in the UK have a requirement for all licensed taxis to have CCTV fitted, equating to 21 out of 266. "CCTV can make a real difference," said the Independent councillor, who resigned from the Labour Group at the beginning of May. "It deters bad behaviour, helps resolve disputes, and gives people more confidence to get home safely, especially late at night, Ms Blakemore-Creedon said. "Drivers deserve that security too - many work alone, often in vulnerable situations. "This is a simple, sensible step that would make a big impact. I believe we owe it to each other to make every journey safer." In December Peterborough City Council voted against the CCTV plan, following strong opposition from many drivers. Jake Carter, a hackney carriage driver in Peterborough, said he had mixed feelings about the proposal. "My first thoughts were that it sounds like a sensible thing to do because you're putting extra safety and security in place," he said. "But after speaking to some of the other drivers and thinking a bit more myself, I think the concerns are that the cost of this CCTV equipment has to be borne by the drivers. "You can't just install the cheapest system, you've got to go with the one recommended by the council." Mr Carter said there concerns too that the CCTV would have to remain on, even when drivers are using their taxis as their own private vehicles. As reported by the Local Democracy Reporting Service, he also said there were already safety measures in place on hackney carriages, "which mitigate the risks". "If it was to be worked a bit differently where a council took the cost and allowed drivers more flexibility about when the CCTV could be switched on or off, then it might be something the drivers would consider," he said. "It should be sold as benefiting the drivers as much as benefitting the public." Follow Peterborough news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X. Peterborough City Council Cabbies 'ecstatic' after mandatory CCTV rejected Taxi drivers 'apprehensive' about vehicle CCTV vote CCTV to become compulsory in town's taxis
BBC News
3 days ago
- General
- BBC News
Peterborough councillor calls for CCTV to be fitted in all taxis
CCTV in taxis would "make every journey safer" for drivers and passengers alike, according to a Peterborough Blakemore-Creedon, who represents the Fletton and Woodston ward, is calling for CCTV cameras to be installed in taxis and private hire to the latest government figures, only 8% of authorities in the UK have a requirement for all licensed taxis to have CCTV fitted, equating to 21 out of 266."CCTV can make a real difference," said the Independent councillor, who resigned from the Labour Group at the beginning of May. "It deters bad behaviour, helps resolve disputes, and gives people more confidence to get home safely, especially late at night, Ms Blakemore-Creedon said. "Drivers deserve that security too - many work alone, often in vulnerable situations."This is a simple, sensible step that would make a big impact. I believe we owe it to each other to make every journey safer." In December Peterborough City Council voted against the CCTV plan, following strong opposition from many drivers. Jake Carter, a hackney carriage driver in Peterborough, said he had mixed feelings about the proposal."My first thoughts were that it sounds like a sensible thing to do because you're putting extra safety and security in place," he said."But after speaking to some of the other drivers and thinking a bit more myself, I think the concerns are that the cost of this CCTV equipment has to be borne by the drivers."You can't just install the cheapest system, you've got to go with the one recommended by the council." 'Consider' Mr Carter said there concerns too that the CCTV would have to remain on, even when drivers are using their taxis as their own private reported by the Local Democracy Reporting Service, he also said there were already safety measures in place on hackney carriages, "which mitigate the risks"."If it was to be worked a bit differently where a council took the cost and allowed drivers more flexibility about when the CCTV could be switched on or off, then it might be something the drivers would consider," he said."It should be sold as benefiting the drivers as much as benefitting the public." Follow Peterborough news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
Daily Mail
07-05-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Labour bullied me into resigning: One of Britain's youngest councillors, 19, quits party after being branded a racist for calling for CCTV in minicabs
One of Britain's youngest councillors has claimed she was bullied into quitting the Labour Party after she was branded as a racist for calling for CCTV to be put in minicabs. Daisy Blakemore-Creedon, 19, claimed she had been subjected to bullying and anti-Semitic abuse as she announced her abrupt resignation from the group at Peterborough City Council. She alleged fellow Labour councillors had accused her of racism when she raised safety concerns of passengers using council-licensed cabs, as many of the drivers are Asian men. But she has point blank denied the accusations, saying it had nothing to do with ethnicity. Ms Blakemore-Creedon, whose mother is Jewish, was accused by one Labour supporter of being 'on the payroll' of Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, reported The Telegraph. She will now sit on the council as an independent and says she and her family have been left disappointed by the fallout. Ms Blakemore-Creedon added: 'I'm so disappointed with all this because my morals have always been Labour. Labour is in my blood. My grandfather was a major supporter. But my entire family have been left really disappointed as well. 'When I argued for more safety measures in minicabs it led to a lot of ugly comments by people in the Labour group. I got messages from fellow Labour councillors accusing me of racism because lots of the cab drivers are Asian. 'But I wasn't targeting Asian drivers. I was talking about safeguarding for everyone, passengers and drivers.' Ms Blakemore-Creedon announced her resignation from Labour on Monday in a message on X. 'I feel as though I have sustained bullying and marginalisation within the group after raising serious concerns - concerns which, in my view, were not treated with the seriousness they deserved,' she said. 'Following this, I was deeply disturbed to find myself accused of racism, with suggestions that I and my family were "targeting fellow Asian Labour councillors". 'These accusations are completely unfounded and deeply hurtful. I have also raised a formal complaint regarding these matters, which has now been delayed twice, reportedly due to concerns about the political impact on the party, rather than a focus on justice or resolution.' She added that she no longer had any confidence to serve constituents as a Labour member, before later telling The Telegraph she is happy to trigger a by-election although 'lots of my ward residents' have said they will support her as an independent. Ms Blakemore-Creedon joined the Labour Party aged 14 before her historic election win last year at the age of 18, a week before she sat her A Levels. Her decision to walk away from the party comes days after she had taken to the social media platform to reveal the last 12 months had 'been one of the toughest, most eye-opening experiences of my life'. 'Being young in this space is hard,' she said on X last Friday. 'People question your ability before you even speak. They assume you're inexperienced, naïve, or just a token. Add to that being a young woman, and it gets harder. 'I've sat in rooms where I wasn't taken seriously, where I've been interrupted, talked over, or patronised. I've dealt with inappropriate comments, unwanted attention, and had my competence judged on appearance rather than action. 'There have been moments that left me shaken, angry, and wondering if I truly belonged. And yet I've stayed. I've held my ground. I've reminded myself again and again: you earned your place. 'I didn't come here to be liked. I came to fight for my community, to represent the people who put their trust in me, and to show other young women that you can step into spaces that weren't built for you and own them.' Leader of Peterborough city council and of the Labour group, Dennis Jones, told the BBC's Local Democracy Reporting Service that he was 'disappointed' by Ms Blakemore-Creedon's decision to resign. 'Nevertheless, the Peterborough City Council Labour Group will continue to work hard to deliver for local residents as we always have,' he said.
Telegraph
07-05-2025
- Politics
- Telegraph
‘I was Labour's youngest councillor but they bullied me into resigning'
One of Britain's youngest councillors has resigned from Labour after claiming she was branded a racist for calling for CCTV to be installed in minicabs. Daisy Blakemore-Creedon, 19, has left Peterborough city council's Labour group after allegedly being bullied and subject to anti-Semitic abuse. She claimed she was falsely accused of racism after she raised her concerns about the safety of both passengers and drivers in the city's council-licensed minicabs, many of whom are operated by Asian men. She said some councillors accused her and her wider family of 'targeting fellow Asian Labour councillors'. The abuse allegedly began after she argued within the Labour group in favour of CCTV being installed in council-lincensed minicabs, a move she says was voted down by the party's minority-ruling administration. Ms Blakemore-Creedon, who was Britain's youngest councillor when she was elected last year, stated: 'These accusations [of racism] are completely unfounded and deeply hurtful. 'I have also raised a formal complaint regarding these matters, which has now been delayed twice, reportedly due to concerns about the political impact on the party, rather than a focus on justice or resolution.' The councillor, whose mother is Jewish, told The Telegraph she had subsequently been subjected to anti-Semitic comments. The remarks appeared on the account of one prominent Labour supporter in Peterborough accusing her of being 'on the payroll' of Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel's prime minister – despite her never having commented on Israeli affairs. Ms Blakemore-Creedon said: 'This person used the cab safety issue to make an anti-Semitic comment based on my Jewish heritage. It was horrible. I reported this to the Labour Party, but nothing has been done.' She continued: I'm so disappointed with all this because my morals have always been Labour. Labour is in my blood. My grandfather was a major supporter. But my entire family have been left really disappointed as well. 'When I argued for more safety measures in minicabs it led to a lot of ugly comments by people in the Labour group. I got messages from fellow Labour councillors accusing me of racism because lots of the cab drivers are Asian. 'But I wasn't targeting Asian drivers. I was talking about safeguarding for everyone, passengers and drivers.' Support as an independent Cllr Blakemore-Creedon added: 'If people don't want me as their councillor I'd have been happy to trigger a by-election. But I've had lots of my ward residents express their support and say they'll support me as an independent. 'I raised the point about CCTV not because of racism, absolutely not, but on safeguarding grounds, for the safety of both passengers and drivers.' Her claims are understood to have caused divisions within Peterborough's Labour Party, which formed a minority administration with 19 councillors following the 2024 local elections. Cllr Daisy Blakemore-Creedon was elected as councillor for the Fletton and Woodston ward that year at just 18 years old, a week before she was due to take her A-level exams. 'Left with no confidence' She stated this week: 'These experiences have left me with no confidence that I can continue to serve residents as a member of the Labour group, given the hostile environment I have faced simply for speaking out. 'Moving forward, I will continue to represent my residents as an independent councillor. Without the constraints of the party whip, I will be free to vote solely in the best interests of my community, without pressure to conform to internal party agendas.'
BBC News
06-05-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Peterborough Labour councillors quits group over accusations
Labour councillor quits group over accusations 8 minutes ago Share Save Neve Gordon-Farleigh BBC News, Peterborough Share Save Emma Baugh/BBC Daisy Blakemore-Creedon was elected for the Fletton and Woodston ward in the May 2024 elections A Labour politician has quit as one of the party's local councillors and alleges she has "sustained bullying and marginalisation within the group". Daisy Blakemore-Creedon joined Labour aged 14 and was 18 when she was elected to Peterborough City Council in the May 2024 elections. In a message shared on X on Monday, she said she was quitting the council's Labour group and would stand as an independent. Blakemore-Creedon said accusations that she and her family were "targeting fellow Asian Labour councillors" were "completely unfounded and deeply hurtful". "I feel as though I have sustained bullying and marginalisation within the group after raising serious concerns — concerns which, in my view, were not treated with the seriousness they deserved," she said. "Following this, I was deeply disturbed to find myself accused of racism, with suggestions that I and my family were 'targeting fellow Asian Labour councillors'." Blakemore-Creedon said she had raised a formal complaint "regarding these matters" which had been delayed twice. Shariqua Ahmed/BBC Daisy Blakemore-Creedon first joined the Labour Party when she was 14 and was preparing to sit her A-levels when she was elected as a councillor During her campaign in 2024, she was preparing to sit her A-levels. She won with 940 votes, beating Conservative candidate Andy Coles by almost 300 votes. In her X post, the now 19-year-old also claimed: "I reported an antisemitic incident involving a prominent Labour Party supporter in Peterborough, which, to date, remains unaddressed." She said the experiences "have left me with no confidence that I can continue to serve residents as a member of the Labour group given the hostile environment I have faced simply for speaking out." "I remain fully committed to serving the people of my ward [as an independent]," she continued. "However, if residents feel that I can no longer effectively represent them in this capacity, I will respect that view." Speaking to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, leader of the council and of the Labour group, Dennis Jones, said he was "disappointed". "Nevertheless, the Peterborough City Council Labour Group will continue to work hard to deliver for local residents as we always have," he said. A Labour Party spokesperson also said: "All complaints are assessed thoroughly in line with the Labour Party's rules and procedures." Follow Peterborough news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
