Peterborough Green Party co-leader to stand in mayoral election

Julie Howell, who is on sabbatical from her job as a confidence coach, was announced as the party’s candidate at the Cambridge Union Society premise in Bridge Street this afternoon (Thursday, January 19).

The Orton Northgate resident sits on Orton Waterville and Orton Longueville parish councils and is the joint coordinator of Peterborough Green Party and joint coordinator of Cambridgeshire Green Party.

She lives with MS and is a disability rights campaigner, and she won the party’s nomination after a vote by regional members.

She said: “I am delighted to be selected as the official Green Party candidate in the election of Mayor of the new Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Combined Authority.

“As a parish councillor for two Peterborough parish councils and coordinator of Peterborough Green Party I bring to the challenge a deep understanding of the issues that matter to Peterborough residents, while my close working relationship with Green Party members in the other six regions of the county enables me to extend the reach of my awareness county-wide.

“It is quite right that the electorate should have the choice of a candidate who lives in Peterborough and one who will bring fresh perspectives and a challenge to the establishment.”

The role of elected mayor has been created after Cambridgeshire councils voted in favour of devolution for the county.

The new arrangement will see the formation of a combined authority headed by the mayor.

The authority will feature a representative from all seven major councils in the region and a representative of the Greater Cambridge Greater Peterborough Local Enterprise Partnership.

It will be given powers over transport and hundreds of millions of pounds to spend on housing and to support economic growth.

The Green Party has also announced several candidates for the area’s county elections in May.

Jeremy Caddick, the Dean of Emmanuel College and a long-term resident of Market ward, has been selected to contest the election in that seat where the

Greens already have a city councillor.

Green Party co-leader Jonathan Bartley joined his local party members at the Cambridge Union Society for today’s announcement.