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Tory James Palmer elected first mayor of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough
James Palmer speaks for the first time as Mayor of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough. Also pictured is unsuccessful candidates Julie Howell (Green) and Rod Cantrill (Lib Dem). PHOTO: Seb Pearce - Credit: Archant
James Palmer has vowed to do “everything he can to make sure everyone is included in the future of the county” after winning the race to become Cambridgeshire and Peterborough’s first elected mayor.
The Conservative candidate triumphed after a second round, taking 88,826 votes to Liberal Democrats candidate Rod Cantrill’s 67,205. He also saw off the challenge of Labour’s Kevin Price, Independent candidate Peter Dawe, the Green Party’s Julie Howell, English Democrats candidate Stephen Goldspink and UKIP’s Paul Bullen.
The East Cambridgeshire District Council leader will now take charge of an annual budget of £20 million and will have powers to spend up to £800 million on housing, infrastructure and jobs across the county.
He said: “Fairness is something I believe in very strongly and as mayor I aim to make this area a fairer county, with opportunities for all, making sure that everybody gets a chance of apprenticeship schemes and having a skilled job.
“What we have here in Cambridgeshire is almost unique. We have the building blocks of success; we just need someone to put them together.
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“I am immensely proud to be the first mayor of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough and I will do everything I can to make sure that everybody is included in the future of this county.”
First round results
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• James Palmer (Conservative): 76,064
• Rod Cantrill (Liberal Democrats): 47,026
• Kevin Price (Labour): 37,297
• Paul Bullen (UKIP): 15,931
• Julie Howell (Green): 12,628
• Peter Dawe (Independent): 9,176
• Stephen Goldspink (English Democrats): 2,256
Second round results
• James Palmer (Conservative): 12,762
• Rod Cantrill (Liberal Democrats): 20,179
