'It's time for me to retire' says man who has led Milton Keynes City Council for astonishing 12 years

Pete Marland declared his intentions this week after scooping the tile of Councillor of the Year at the national Labour Housing Awards.

He has steered MK through growth, massive development and helped earn it a worldwide reputation as a high-tech city during his years at the helm.

During his time as leader, Milton Keynes has been awarded city status and all statutory council services are now rated good or better. And recent Local Government Association review of the city council stated that MK City Council was “Highly performing and well-run.”

But Pete has always vowed to put people before politics, saying: “Too many councils and too many administrations really burn the house down after every single administration... Really what you should be able to do is come in and paint the walls your own colour, decorate as you like, but you know, the house still stands.”

He believes local elections ‘matter more for the everyday lives of our citizens’ than national elections because they can have more power to affect things than 'monolithic' Westminster politics.

“Ironically, what tends to happen is people vote for their MPs in great numbers, but an MP on a local basis has far less power, far less ability to do things than I do,” he once said.

Often shrugging off his formal title of Cllr Peter Marland and insisting ‘Just call me Pete’, he truimphantly led Labour to their first majority on the council in almost 30 years in May last year.

However, he will now not be standing for re-election in May 2026 in his Wolverton seat.

After receiving his national ward, he said: “I think it’s the perfect moment for me to confirm that I will be retiring as council leader next May. I decided before the last set of local elections in May 2024 that I would not seek re-election again, and told the Labour Group and other senior councillors over a year ago.

“I believe it is right that the next chapter of our city, and leadership of the Labour group, should be taken forward by the next generation.

“I have no doubt that with such a good group of councillors, three amazing Labour MPs and a strong track record of Labour delivering for local people, the city’s best days are ahead of us, but I’ll continue to work hard as leader until the end of my term in May.

The national award highlighted how Milton Keynes City Council has led the way in sustainable development over the past decade, with a nationally recognised record of delivering well-planned growth with the infrastructure needed to support it.

Pete said: “I’m very honoured and pleased that our work in MK delivering much needed homes for local families has been recognised. It’s very pleasing that we are nationally known for the high quality of our growth and what we do here is looked at as the best in class development.

“The reputation of Milton Keynes is strong and continues to grow. We are seen as a beacon of progressive growth and doing things well. Our city has come a long way over the past decade, and I’m pleased that the city is starting to get the recognition deserves.

“I’m proud to lead a council that is recognised nationally as highly performing. All our statutory council services are now at good or better. We have made progress with our next local plan and the city is set to benefit from being one of the next generation of New Towns.

“I’m proud that over the past twelve years we have transformed the council and the reputation of Milton Keynes.

The three city Labour MPs have all paid tribute this week to Pete’s long reign as council leader.

Chris Curtis MP for MK North, said: “I’m very pleased to see the progressive and well-planned growth of Milton Keynes recognised and congratulate Pete on the award.

“After 12 years as leader, it is impossible to fully convey how much work Pete has done in transforming the way people think about our city, nationally and internationally, and I’m pleased that over the past 18 months since I was elected as an MP we’ve been able to supercharge that work to enhance the city’s reputation even further.”

Emily Darlington MP for MK Central and former Deputy Leader of MK City Council, said: “It is great that the positive work that we do here in Milton Keynes has been recognised with this national award.

“I think it’s fitting that after almost twelve years and some major achievements this is the moment that Pete has confirmed he will be retiring next May. As a former Deputy Leader of the Council, Cabinet Member and now as a local MP I know first hand that during the dark days of Conservative austerity, in Milton Keynes we not only protected services from cuts, we improved them, and under a Labour government we will continue to fight to improve the lives of local residents.”

And Callum Anderson MP for Buckingham and Bletchley, said: “The city has been truly put on the map as a forward-thinking place to live and work, and his persistence means we’re ready for the next generation of growth, including affordable homes, jobs, better transport, and new infrastructure. I am glad that his years of hard work as leader is being recognised.”

Pete has spoken at many events in the UK, including at the Royal Society, in Europe, China and Taiwan on issues such as sustainability, urban planning, infrastructure investment, smart cities and the impact of technology on growth.

Formally a management accountant in the automotive industry, he has previously worked for a HM Treasury Minister and Liverpool Football Club