Reform UK's CPCA mayoral candidate wants to 'get Peterborough thriving'

Reform UK has announced Ryan Coogan as its candidate for the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority (CPCA) mayoral election.

Mr Coogan, who has lived and worked in Cambridgeshire for more than 35 years, says he wants to make a difference in the political landscape with a focus on democratic values, civil liberties, and economic growth.

Although currently living in Waterbeach, Mr Coogan is keen to ensure that Peterborough is not overlooked if he is appointed mayor on May 1.

He said: "I see Cambridgeshire as one. The last business I was involved in was a logistics company based in Peterborough. There are great opportunities in Peterborough for growth.

"The focus is always on Cambridge and tech but I've written about the Peterborough manufacturing sector and how I need to drive that forward for growth in Cambridgeshire."

One of Mr Coogan's pledges is to scrap parking fees in Peterborough, a similar idea to the one put forward by Conservative candidate Paul Bristow.

He said: "We've got to entice the retail back in.

"At Christmas, it felt sad. The energy felt sad in Queensgate and around it.

"I'm a businessman. Whatever it takes to get people around a table to get Peterborough thriving is what I'm all about."

Mr Coogan also wants to form a DOGE (Department of Government Efficiency) team for Cambridgeshire similar to the one seen in the USA, to root out unnecessary spending.

He said: "It's not quite what they're doing in the States but it works similarly. I'd like to audit everything and work out where money is going.

"Where contractually money can be saved, I'd rather save the money, especially with the debts mounting, than spend it on vanity projects.

"If something is genuinely benefitting the electorate then absolutely we need to ensure that it continues.

"The savings are there to be had but it comes from people having an outlet to be able to tell the combined authority where the issues actually lie. It's not top-down it's ground-up."

Noting the recent estimate of £8 billion needed to reach Peterborough's net zero target by 2040, Mr Coogan said: "If it's £8 billion for net zero, let's switch that and put it towards entrepreneurs to grow the economy."

Mr Coogan says he will fight against solar and wind farms on prime agricultural land in the region. He also promises to fight for a better devolution deal for Cambridgeshire.

The Cambridgeshire and Peterborough mayoral election will take place on Thursday, May 1.

The four other candidates in the running are Paul Bristow (Conservative), Lorna Dupre (Liberal Democrats), Bob Ensch (Green Party) and Anna Smith (Labour).