Candidates confirmed for mayor and county elections

Five people have been nominated for the 'top job' in local government in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough

The candidates vying to be the next Mayor of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough have been confirmed.

Nominations closed this week and the Conservatives, Greens, Labour, Liberal Democrats, and Reform UK have put forward candidates.

Nominations have also closed for the county council elections, with 316 candidates on the ballot papers for 61 seats.

The elections take place on 1 May.

The mayor will have a lot of responsibility, with a budget of £328m over the next four years for capital spending on big projects.

They will also have a £333m revenue budget for staffing and other ongoing costs.

The mayor's salary is currently £91,699 - similar to the salary of an MP, which is currently £93,904.

The current mayor, Labour's Nik Johnson, has decided not to seek re-election.

County council elections

Elections for the 61 seats on Cambridgeshire County Council are up for election on the same day.

Conservatives, Greens, Labour, Liberal Democrats, and Reform UK have candidates nominated in every seat. There are also 10 independent and one Party of Women candidate standing for election in the county.

There are also by-elections scheduled for the Cambridge City Council seats of East Chesterton and West Chesterton.

This follows the resignations of Sam Carling, who became an MP in July and deputy council leader Alice Gilderdale, who is moving away from the area.

In Peterborough, which runs as a unitary city council authority, routine elections aren't scheduled this year. However, a by-election was scheduled for the ward of Barnack after Irene Walsh stepped down.

The election takes place on 1 May with results announced on 2 May.