With just weeks to go until the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough mayoral election, the race is already sparking debate over transport, climate, and personal values.
At a recent hustings event at Cambridge Junction, three of the main candidates – Conservative Paul Bristow, Liberal Democrat Lorna Dupre, and Green Party’s Bob Ensch – laid out their plans to shape the future of the region. Notably absent was Labour’s candidate, Anna Smith, prompting criticism from Bristow, who accused her of dodging scrutiny. “Voters deserve to hear from all candidates – especially the one hoping to continue in power,” he said.
Bristow Defends Residency After Labour Attack
The former MP for Peterborough, has previously faced claims from Labour suggesting he doesn’t live in the region. The accusation has drawn a strong personal rebuttal. “The Labour candidate is lying,” Bristow wrote online, defending his shared custody arrangement which sees him spend part of the week near St Albans to care for his daughter. “Cambridgeshire is my home. I moved here aged five and I live here.”
Bristow’s campaign is centred around economic development and infrastructure, pledging to dual key A-roads, introduce light rail to Cambridge, and reopen the controversial Mill Road Bridge to traffic — an issue that continues to divide opinion in the city.
The mayoral election will take place in May, with voters across the county set to decide which vision — and whose values — will guide the region into the future.
