A Cambridge city councillor has been selected as the Labour Party’s candidate to contest the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority mayoral election.

Councillor Kevin Price, who is also deputy leader of the council, was selected after Labour members across Cambridgeshire and Peterborough backed him in a ballot.

The vote to select the first mayor of Cambridgeshire will take place on May 4.

Cllr Price said: “I am very grateful to Labour members across Cambridgeshire and Peterborough who have put their trust in me to fight the mayoral election in May.

“Decisions taken in Westminster have failed our region and I look forward to making the case that, under Labour, we can do a far better job of running it ourselves.

“It doesn’t have to be a choice between growth and prosperity for some whilst others are left behind, and under a Labour mayor it won’t be. Tackling poverty and inequality goes hand in hand with sharing Cambridge’s growth across the whole area, tackling the housing affordability crisis and delivering far better road, rail and bus services for all.”

Fellow Cambridge city councillor Rod Cantrill will be standing for the Liberal Democrats, while Cambridgeshire County Council member Paul Bullen will represent UKIP.

Peterborough parish councillor Julie Howell is running for the Green Party and entrepreneur Peter Dawe, from Ely, is standing as an independent candidate. Councillor James Palmer is standing for the Conservative party.

The English Democrats are also fielding a candidate, Stephen Goldspink.