Green Party selects candidate to run for mayor

The Green Party has put forward its candidate for the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough mayoral election being held in May.

Bob Ensch, chair of the Cambridge and South Cambridgeshire Green Party, said his vision would include investment in green infrastructure and "fostering a vibrant, inclusive economy".

He is in the running to replace Labour mayor Nik Johnson, who is not seeking re-election following his four-year tenure running the county's Combined Authority.

Mr Ensch said: "Together, we can build a region that not only thrives economically but also leads the way in environmental innovation and social progress."

A former director at Morgan Sindall Construction, he is the programme lead for FutureIN which aims to inspire and upskill young people into the construction industry.

The candidate said he championed employment opportunities for disadvantaged young people in the region, and served as non-executive director of the employment and skills board at the Combined Authority.

Other mayor candidates who have formally declared their intention to stand include Paul Bristow, the former Conservative MP for Peterborough; Lorna Dupre, a Cambridgeshire county councillor and leader of the Liberal Democrat & Independent Group on East Cambridgeshire District Council; and Labour's Anna Smith, the current deputy mayor of the Combined Authority.

The Combined Authority was set up in 2017 and works with the seven local district, county and unitary councils, and with business groups and universities.

It oversees transport and digital connectivity infrastructure, employment skills, economic growth, and housing strategy and provision.

A full list of candidates standing to become the next Cambridgeshire and Peterborough mayor can be found here. The election takes place on 1 May.

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