New mayor wants council leaders to 'hunt as pack'
A new Conservative mayor has said he wants all the political parties in the area to "hunt as a pack" to help secure government investment.
Paul Bristow was elected as the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority mayor on Friday with 28.4% of the vote.
The Liberal Democrats took control of Cambridgeshire County Council on the same day.
Bristow has since told the BBC he will meet each elected council leader so they can work together for the "investment that Cambridgeshire deserves".
"We have got to work together. We have got to hunt as a pack for Cambridgeshire," he said.
Bristow added that if council leaders and parties fought each other instead of lobbying central government, they would fail to secure the government investment that Cambridgeshire "deserves".
Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch visited Peterborough to celebrate Paul Bristow's mayoral victory [Ben Schofield/BBC]
Bristow, who was the MP for Peterborough between 2019 and 2024, won 60,243 votes.
He was followed by Ryan Coogan, the Reform UK candidate, with 49,647 votes.
Labour's Anna Smith came third (42,671 votes), followed by Lorna Dupre for the Liberal Democrats (41,611) and Bob Ensch for the Green Party (18,255).
Bristow said people had voted Reform UK or Liberal Democrat because they "weren't us [Conservative]" and the party had to now prove it was capable of tackling the big issues facing the country.
"I think people were looking for a mayor like in the West Midlands, like Tees Valley and Greater Manchester; a mayor that is bigger than just the party brand and that is why I always said Cambridgeshire first, party second," he said.
Bristow, who is now the leader of the combined authority, hoped its board, which consists of the leader of the district and city councils and the county council, could look at transport issues such as creating a light rail.
He has proposed the light rail system could connect Cambourne to the city before East-West Rail was built.
While campaigning to become mayor, Bristow said he wanted to see an end to "anti-car" schemes and was opposed to road pricing.
Follow Cambridgeshire news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
More on this story
Related internet links
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
40 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Trump's new ban dodges pitfalls faced by last attempt, experts say
US President Donald Trump has issued a sweeping new travel ban for people from 12 countries, revisiting a hallmark policy of his first term in office. There are some key differences, however. The original travel ban suffered a series of legal defeats. This time, the policy appears to have been designed to avoid the same pitfalls. Its predecessor, which targeted seven predominantly Muslim countries and was dubbed the "Muslim ban" by critics, was ordered just a week after Trump took office in 2017, during his first term in the White House. The ban was amended twice to overcome court challenges, after opponents argued it was unconstitutional and illegal because it discriminated against travellers based on their religion. A scaled-back version was eventually upheld by the Supreme Court in 2018, which this new ban closely resembles. Legal experts told the BBC that it appeared Trump had learned lessons from his first attempt. Christi Jackson, an expert in US immigration law at the London firm Laura Devine Immigration, said the new ban was more legally robust as a result. While the first lacked "clarity", the new restrictions were "wider in scope" and had "clearly defined" exemptions, she said. While there are some similarities in the nations chosen by the 2017 ban and the 2025 ban, Muslim-majority states are not the express target of the latest order. Barbara McQuade, professor of law at the University of Michigan and former US attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan, told the BBC World Service's Newshour programme that, on this basis, it seemed likely to win the approval of the Supreme Court, if it was ever referred up to that level. Trump's travel ban: Follow live updates Everything we know about the ban so far Why are these 12 countries on the list? Trump suspends foreign student visas at Harvard The 12 countries subject to the harshest restrictions from 9 June are mainly in the Middle East, Africa and the Caribbean, including Afghanistan, Iran and Somalia. There will be partial restrictions on travellers from another seven countries, including Cuban and Venezuelan nationals. Trump said the strength of the restrictions would be graded against the severity of the perceived threat, including from terrorism. But besides Iran, none of the 12 countries hit by the outright ban are named on the US government's state sponsors of terrorism list. In a video announcing the ban posted on X, Trump cited Sunday's incident in Boulder, Colorado, in which a man was accused of throwing Molotov cocktails at demonstrators attending a march for Israeli hostages. The alleged attacker was an Egyptian national. However, Egypt does not appear on either list. Trump also specified high rates of people overstaying their visas as a reason for listing certain countries. However, Steven D Heller, an immigration lawyer based in the US, said there was a "lack of clarity" over what threshold had to be met by a country's overstaying rate in order for that country to be placed on Trump's ban list. That could be the basis for a successful legal challenge, he suggested. "If they're relying on this notion of excessive overstay rates... they have to define what that actually means," he told the BBC. Unlike the first ban, which was to last for only 90 to 120 days, today's order has no end date. It has been met with dismay in the targeted countries. Venezuela has described the Trump administration as "supremacists who think they own the world", though Somalia has pledged to "engage in dialogue to address the concerns raised". The original ban spurred mass protests and sowed chaos at US airports. It was repealed in 2021 by Trump's successor, President Joe Biden, who called the policy "a stain on our national conscience."
Epoch Times
43 minutes ago
- Epoch Times
Tories Bid to Reclaim Economic Credibility, But Mel Stride's Speech Lacks Policy Punch
Shadow chancellor Sir Mel Stride has renewed the push to reclaim the Conservatives' reputation for economic credibility, as he delivered a speech in which he sought to distance the party from former Prime Minister Liz Truss's mini-budget. But while Stride acknowledged past failings and criticised Labour and Reform UK policies, his remarks notably lacked detailed economic policy proposals. He called for a radical 'rewiring' of the economy and admitted his party has learned from its mistakes. Speaking at the Royal Society for Arts, Manufactures and Commerce on Thursday, Stride promised the Conservatives will never replicate Truss by making promises it can't afford. He referenced the 'We see what happens when fiscal responsibility goes out the window,' the shadow chancellor said, adding that the Conservatives' plan for economic stability and growth would 'take time to put together.' Related Stories 6/4/2025 5/2/2025 He laid out a framework of what needs to be tackled—the size of the state, a complicated tax system, bloated welfare, and sluggish productivity—but stopped short of diving into specifics. More detail could be expected from the party leader Kemi Badenoch, who is set to make a speech on Friday. Tories Trailing Behind Stride's address comes at a time of dire polling for the Conservative Party. The Conservatives believe that restoring public trust in their economic management is essential to improving their electoral prospects. 'We have to demonstrate to the British public first thing that we are on their side and will hold this government to account,' said Stride. Shadow chancellor Sir Mel Stride delivers a speech at the Royal Society of Arts in London on June 5, also sought to distance the party from Reform, accusing Nigel Farage of promoting unfunded policies that lack proper scrutiny. 'Reform says that they will take everybody earning up to £20,000 out of income tax altogether. The cost of that, according to the Institute for Fiscal Studies, is between £50 and £80 billion. 'You have got to have a pretty robust plan on savings or where you going to find that money,' Stride said. Despite Conservative criticism, Reform continues to benefit from public disillusionment with the Tories after 14 years in power, as well as defections from Conservative ranks. Its success in the Stride's own credibility is under scrutiny owing to his time in government during Truss's premiership, when the controversial mini-budget was announced. In response to his remarks, Truss The former Tory leader also claimed that Britain's system of government is 'broken,' adding that 'nothing will change with people like [Stride] in charge.' Clash Over Economic Strategy Stride's remarks come ahead of the government's Spending Review and just a day after Chancellor Rachel Reeves ruled out tax hikes. Similar to Stride, she said she would never jeopardise market confidence in the government's fiscal discipline. Despite Labour's push for growth since July elections, the UK economy faces Stride said that the £25 billion national insurance hike under Labour had 'slowed the economy down' and that their spending spree had 'driven up inflation' and 'keeps interest rates higher for longer.' However, according to Reeves, the £40 billion tax increases in last October's Budget and the funding decisions made by the government rule out
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Starmer intervenes on plans for higher energy bills in the South
Sir Keir Starmer has intervened in controversial net zero proposals to make homes and businesses in the South pay more for power than those in the North, amid fears of a voter backlash. In recent days, Downing Street has taken a growing interest in plans for so-called zonal electricity pricing being considered by Ed Miliband, the Energy Secretary. No10 officials have contacted industry chiefs to signal that the Prime Minister is overseeing the potential policy. Downing Street is understood to have requested a further review of the costs and benefits – raising the prospect that the idea could be killed off or kicked into the long grass. Zonal pricing aims to capture efficiencies by lowering the relative cost of electricity close to wind farms and has already sparked a bitter war of words among energy bosses. It would result in Britain being divided into zones, with prices in each based on local supply and demand. There is currently one national price. Supporters claim the switch would lead to savings of £52bn for consumers overall, as well as a £27bn saving on grid upgrades that would no longer be required. Sir Keir's intervention is the latest sign of tensions within Labour over net zero. Pledges on job creation, investment in carbon capture technology, and heat pump and electric car targets have all sparked fierce policy debates across Whitehall. Mr Miliband's officials are said to be supportive of zonal pricing but the Energy Secretary himself has yet to declare a position. Whitehall sources insisted no final decisions had been made and that a range of views were still being considered. The involvement of Downing Street will be interpreted as a sign of political anxiety about the controversial policy. Nigel Farage's Reform UK has made net zero and the cost of energy a key campaign issue and pledged to fight plans to roll out renewable power projects and pylons across the countryside. Giving a speech in Scotland this week, Mr Farage likened the Government's net zero policies to 'the next Brexit'. In practice, a zonal system would mean higher wholesale power prices for London and the South compared with the North and Scotland, where most wind farms are concentrated. But supporters say it would slash bills for consumers overall, by reducing the need for costly grid upgrades and slashing the amount paid to wind farms to switch off. A report by FTI Consulting this year predicted overall savings under zonal of £52bn for consumers over 20 years. Another report by the same firm, commissioned by Octopus Energy and shared with Mr Miliband's officials, also found that £27bn less would need to be spent on major grid upgrades under the reforms, resulting in nearly 2,000 fewer miles of cables. The claims of savings are disputed by opponents, who say a major market shake-up will deter investment and imperil the Government's plans for a renewable energy construction boom this decade. Ministers have argued that the Government's strategy for a power system running almost entirely on renewables by 2030 will bring down prices and provide Britain with greater energy security. Asked to comment on the involvement of Downing Street, a spokesman for Mr Miliband's department refused to comment on 'speculation'. But Andrew Bowie, the shadow energy minister, said the Prime Minister's move to scrutinise zonal pricing more closely implied lack of faith in the Energy Secretary. He said: 'It suggests that the PM does not trust Ed Miliband to take a decision of this magnitude.' The Government has previously pledged to make a decision by the middle of this year, ahead of a renewable energy auction in the summer that will hand subsidies to major wind farm projects that are vital to Mr Miliband's clean power goals. That has prompted warnings from wind farm developers that embarking on a major shake-up of the electricity market now will create unnecessary uncertainty, leading to the cancellation of schemes or demands for higher power prices to compensate. Keith Anderson, the chief executive of Scottish Power, last month urged ministers not to 'snatch defeat from the jaws of victory' by pushing ahead with the reforms. At the same time, ministers are under intense pressure to cut energy bills for households and businesses following Mr Miliband's pre-election promise to slash them by £300 a year. Critics say the existing national pricing system also distorts the market – for example, by encouraging batteries to charge at the wrong times and inter-connectors to send power from Britain to Europe even when it is needed in the South. In recent months, the Government has sought to quell wind developer concerns about the policy by suggesting that existing schemes will benefit from 'grandfathering' – meaning they would retain current payment terms. Mr Miliband is also weighing up an alternative proposal that would seek to reform the national electricity pricing system to better reflect 'locational signals', although these have not been fleshed out. A key moment in the debate is likely to come next week, when Mr Miliband is expected to make his recommendation, for or against zonal pricing, to Downing Street. If zonal pricing is implemented it would be the biggest shake-up of the market since privatisation in the 1990s. Richard Tice, Reform UK's energy spokesman, said: 'Zonal pricing is a trick designed to try to cover up the ever-rising energy bills we face because of subsidies to renewable energy. 'Keir Starmer is now panicking over the costs of renewables and the loss of votes to Reform.'
