Town Hall View: What has the CPCA done for you?

We held our breath for the weather, and it clearly pays to live in the driest region of the country.

The election for the role of Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Mayor takes place next Thursday (1 May) and I implore you to vote if you have that opportunity. Why, you may ask.

To misquote Monty Python: What has the Combined Authority ever done for me?

Over the past eight years it has helped to establish several major schemes, including our university, ARU Peterborough, and is actively working with the council and other partners to re-vamp the Station Quarter. It has also provided £450,000 for Gladstone Community centre.

Many highways improvements that you see around you, such as the re-vamped Junction 3 at Serpentine Green and Junction 15 of the Nene Parkway were funded by the CPCA, as will the forthcoming projects in Lincoln Road and Thorpe Wood.

It was also the Combined Authority that launched the Tiger bus pass, offering bus fares for just £1 for those under 25, helping to make public transport more affordable for young people. I love being told by parents that they got one for their kids when I am out campaigning with Anna.

Wow! really? Yes. And with Anna as mayor, she truly does know where Peterborough is. She also stepped in as mayor whilst current mayor, Dr Nik Johnson had treatment for his heart condition and is a true advocate for our city. As well as working in the city, Anna is so supportive of Peterborough and what we do.

My ask is to maintain the “golden thread” running from a Labour administration here in the city, supported by our two hard working MPs, Andrew and Sam, through Anna to Central Government to ensure our city and authority’s voice is heard in the corridors of power, as the many examples of funding and action begin to bear fruit.

As leader of the council, I try to ensure that my weekly column is always balanced and fair. For one week only, with election day but a week away, I am using my column to be overtly political, asking you to vote for Anna Smith, our Labour and Cooperative candidate, in the mayoral election.

My style of politics has always been to promote what I or the candidates I am supporting can do rather than ‘knock’ the opposition. Having served on the Combined Authority for the past year with Anna, I have nothing but admiration for thesupport she has shown, not only to the outgoing Mayor, Nik Johnson, but also to me and Peterborough City Council.

No wild claims of congestion charging for the city or gimmicks, just sound, sensible and practical support for education (Anna is a teacher by training), economic development and helping Peterborough to grow as we prepare for local government reorganisation.

Peterborough needs someone with experience of local government, of working with and for us and I truly believe that Anna understands that, as the largest city in the county, we must start to really punch our weight. Cambridge is a global powerhouse for life sciences and IT, but it is high time that Peterborough stepped out of the shadows and demonstrates its prowess in higher education, green skills and advanced manufacturing. A vote for Anna is a vote for confidence in all that’s good in the city.

We’ve had some fantastic events and exhibitions in Peterborough recently and I’m delighted that this trend is continuing.

Next week sees the launch of the unofficial Dr Who exhibition, ‘Time and Space’, which opens at the Museum on Saturday 3 May. With over 600 exhibits including the iconic Daleks, this exhibition will delight young and old alike. You know you are getting old when you not only remember watching the very first episode in black and white but are then told that it’s been back on our screens for 20 years! Where did that time go?

Watch this ‘space’ for more mouth-watering events at the museum and across the city in the coming months.

For example, we will be celebrating Armed Forces Day on Saturday 21 June with a fun-filled afternoon in the city centre, see our social media accounts for more details over the next few weeks.

Finally, I was saddened to hear of the passing of Pope Francis on Easter Monday. I know this news will have affected many people across our city and I would like to offer my condolences to them at this sad time.