Liberal Democrat councillor to run for mayor

The Liberal Democrats have announced their candidate for the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough mayoral elections in May.

Lorna Dupre is a Cambridgeshire county councillor and the leader of the Liberal Democrat & Independent Group on East Cambridgeshire District Council.

She also sits as the deputy leader of the Liberal Democrats on Cambridgeshire County Council - the largest group on the council - and is chair of the council's Environment and Green Investment Committee.

When launching her campaign, Ms Dupre it was a "key election" and added she wanted Cambridgeshire and Peterborough "to be greener, fairer, and better connected".

"There is a desperate need for genuinely affordable homes in the right places, and a Liberal Democrat mayor using new powers handed down from government, can make that happen," she said.

"We also need a mayor who will work in partnership with the NHS, firefighters, and the police, for a healthier and safer Cambridgeshire and Peterborough."

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.

Its responsibilities, include overseeing transport and digital connectivity infrastructure, employment skills, economic growth and housing strategy and provision.

Nik Johnson, the current Labour Mayor of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, confirmed he intends to stand for re-election during his hot-seat appearance on BBC Radio Cambridgeshire in November.

Paul Bristow, the former Conservative MP for Peterborough, who lost his House of Commons seat to Labour's Andrew Pakes by 118 votes at the general election in July, has been announced as the Tory mayoral candidate.

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