As the first Labour Mayor for Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, Nik Johnson should focus on reducing inequalities in the combined authority ensuring everyone can benefit from the growth in the area.
In one of the major wins for the Labour Party at the local elections in early May, Nik Johnson took the mayoralty of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority from the incumbent Conservative candidate – James Palmer.
New in post, he now has the opportunity to make the combined authority a more equal place to live, where everyone can benefit from the strong economic growth the area offers.
To do so, Johnson should focus on three key policy areas in particular:
Cambridge has seen its housing supply increase at one of the fastest rates in the country in recent years. Yet, despite this success, the city is still among the least affordable in the UK. This makes it hard for local residents – especially those at the bottom end of the labour market – to get on the housing ladder, and it prevents people from elsewhere in the country and in the world to come and enjoy the many job opportunities the area offers.
This is a problem that is front of Johnson’s mind. While the Labour’s candidate did not produce a manifesto, one of his key pledges if elected is to work with councils to implement a requirement for a minimum of 50 per cent affordable housing in new developments.
On top of that, Nik Johnson should also focus on ways to increase the number of homes being built overall. To do so, he should act on three fronts: firstly, he should advocate for more green belt land to be released near railway stations – areas already well connected to job and other opportunities. He should then use his soft powers to influence national government to reduce or abolish minimum space standards on new properties alongside working collaboratively with the new planning reform system.
Another way that Nick Johnson can make the city-region more accessible to local residents is by tackling congestion – another key challenge for the combined authority.
Improving local public transport is undoubtedly an important step in this direction. Johnson’s commitment to bus franchising will help create a more integrated and accessible transport system in the area, making it easier for people to switch from cars to public transport.
Alongside that there are more direct measures that he can introduce to reduce congestion and improve air quality: charge private vehicles. Introducing congestion charging in Cambridge would be a quick and proven way to do so. He should also introduce a toxic air supplementary charge for the most polluting vehicles. Not only would these measures result in fewer vehicles on the streets, but the money raised from these charges could be reinvested in green buses, a key pledge by Nik Johnson.
While Cambridgeshire and Peterborough have been relatively sheltered from the most negative economic effects of the pandemic, young people everywhere in the city-region, and in particular in Peterborough, have been hard hit by the restrictions of the past year.
One way in which Nik Johnson could support them is by making it easier to navigate opportunities available in the combined authority. Following the example of Liverpool and other combined authorities, Johnson should create an apprenticeships portal aimed at making all local apprenticeships available in one place as well as making prospective apprentices visible to employers. This could then be expanded to include other opportunities too, beyond apprenticeships, such as FE provision available in the area and entry level job opportunities for young people.
Thanks to its strong economic growth, Cambridgeshire and Peterborough is among one of the most successful combined authorities in the country. The task of the new Metro Mayor is to now ensure everyone in the local area can benefit from more of this success, making it more accessible for those at the bottom end of the labour market.
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