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Cambridgeshire and Peterborough's mayor candidates

Emma Howgego
BBC political reporter, Cambridgeshire
PA Media A black box with the words 'Ballot Box' written on the front in white. A hand is above placing a white piece of paper in a hole on the top. PA Media
A new mayor for Cambridgeshire and Peterborough will be elected on 1 May

Elections for the position of mayor of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough take place on 1 May.

The chosen person will take on a post with a current salary of £91,699 and be tasked with leading the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority for the next four years.

The authority will have a £328m capital budget during that time, which the mayor will have control over. It is money that can be spent on big projects, such as the Peterborough station redevelopment.

It is also expected to have a revenue budget of £333m, which will be spent on ongoing staffing, projects and business support.

These are the candidates who have formally announced they intend to stand as mayor, listed in alphabetical order by surname. This page will be updated with other candidates as they are made known.

Paul Bristow - Conservative Party

Profile picture of Paul Bristow. He wears a dark jacket, a white pinstripe shirt and burgundy spotty tie. In the background are some blurred-out houses.
Paul Bristow is the former MP for Peterborough

Paul Bristow was the Conservative MP for Peterborough from 2019 until 2024, when he was narrowly defeated by Labour.

After his selection as the Conservative candidate, he said he would focus on improving road and rail links, and securing jobs, investment and growth for the region.

His campaign website says, among others priorities, that he wants to dual the county's main A-roads, introduce light rail in Cambridge and deliver a Fens reservoir.

Lorna Dupre - Liberal Democrat

Lorna Dupre faces the camera and wears a yellow coat and a patterned flowery burgundy top. In the background is a blurred-out field.
Lorna Dupre is a councillor at Cambridgeshire County and East Cambridgeshire District councils

Lorna Dupre is the leader of the Liberal Democrat and Independent Group on East Cambridgeshire District Council, and sits as the deputy leader of the Liberal Democrats on Cambridgeshire County Council. She is also chair of the Combined Authority's overview and scrutiny committee.

The issues she is campaigning on include better public transport, access to skills for a changing workforce and co-operation to deal with climate change.

She also says she wants "Cambridgeshire and Peterborough to be greener, fairer, and better connected".

Anna Smith - Labour Party

Supplied Anna Smith, who has shoulder-length brown and grey hair and is wearing glasses, smiles at the camera. She is wearing a pink jacket and top. Supplied
Anna Smith is the current deputy mayor for the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority

Anna Smith is the deputy mayor of the Combined Authority and was selected as the Labour candidate, after incumbent Nik Johnson announced he would not seek re-election.

She was the leader of Cambridge City Council for two years, between 2021 and 2023.

If elected, she says she will "drive growth and create opportunities for everyone in our region". Her campaign literature includes pledges to fix 100,000 potholes, continue the £1 Tiger bus pass and create a taskforce to cut violence against women and girls.

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