Former Conservative MP Paul Bristow vows to promote light rail for Cambridge as he is selected as mayoral candidate
Former MP Paul Bristow has vowed to promote light rail and rule out congestion charging for Cambridge after he was selected as the Conservative candidate for next year’s Cambridgeshire and Peterborough mayoral election.
Mr Bristow represented Peterborough for the Tories from 2019 until he lost his seat to Labour’s Andrew Pakes by 118 votes at the general election in July.
He is hoping to replace Labour mayor Dr Nik Johnson, who has run the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority since 2021, with a campaign focusing on improving road and rail links and securing jobs, investment and growth for the region.
Mr Bristow said: “Our current mayor has let us down. If you look at Tees Valley, where we’ve got a Conservative mayor, he’s done great things, created jobs, created opportunity, whereas our mayor has done none of this.
“What we’re going to do is get Cambridgeshire moving. We’re going to rule out congestion charging and road charging in Cambridge and Peterborough. We’re going to build a light rail project in Cambridge. We’re going to connect our three cities by train much quicker and much faster, and we’re going to bring back the 100k home, and we’re going to build affordable homes across Peterborough and Cambridgeshire.
“This is a package that will deliver for people, make the mayor matter, and make Cambridgeshire and Peterborough the best place In the country.”
Dr Johnson – who was told last year to apologise for breaching the Combined Authority’s code of conduct - was elected in 2021 after ousting Conservative James Palmer.
The result sent shockwaves through the Tory party after Mr Palmer was ousted in the second round of the supplementary vote system in the race to lead the Combined Authority.
However, next year’s election will be decided via the first past the post system after the supplementary vote was scrapped with the Electoral Reform Act 2022.
Dr Johnson has yet to be officially announced as Labour’s mayoral candidate, but is expecting to be.
Mr Bristow said it is a privilege to be selected as candidate for the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough mayoral election.
He said: “Different parts of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough have a wide range of opportunities, and we need someone with the skills to be able to pull them all together.
“This election is an opportunity to have a mayor who matters and gets results for local people across the area. I have the campaigning record to win and I know what I want to achieve.”
“And during the campaign I will show people I am the best person to become Cambridgeshire and Peterborough mayor.”
Prior to becoming an MP, Mr Bristow ran his own firm in the healthcare industry.
