Five political moments to watch out for in 2025

This year will be important for local politics in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough.

In 2024 the attention was on the national government after the general election took place in July.

That election changed the political map of the county and by the end of 2025 local government and the politicians who represent it could look different.

What are the political moments to watch out for in 2025?

The election for the mayor of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough will take place on 1 May.

It will be the third time the combined authority has elected a regional mayor. The incumbent, Labour's Nik Johnson, has confirmed he will be seeking re-election.

The Conservative's mayoral candidate is Paul Bristow, the former MP for Peterborough.

Other parties have yet to announced their candidates.

The mayoral position is arguably the most powerful one in local politics. According to the combined authority the mayor has the power to spend up to £800m on local housing, infrastructure and jobs.

We can expect a rigorous election campaign focusing on transport, the economy and the mayoral council tax precept.

On the same day as the mayoral election, 61 seats on Cambridgeshire County Council will be up for election.

The county council has confirmed to the BBC these elections will go ahead, despite the government giving councils the option to postpone them so attention can be focused on making plans for new unitary authorities.

The council is currently run by a coalition of Liberal Democrats, Labour and Independents.

The Conservatives will be looking to take back control of the council. In 2021 the party was the largest with 28 seats (although subsequent by-elections have seen that number fall).

Normally councillors will serve a four-year term. However the push by the government to create more unitary authorities may see a new body created before 2029.

A consultation on bus franchising in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough finished in November.

Services are currently controlled by commercial companies, but franchising would see them brought under the control of the combined authority.

The mayor is expected to make a decision in February, although the authority said this was "subject to change".

A decision on whether to keep the £2 bus fare cap on local services will be made during the combined authority's budget setting process in January.

Councils will be setting their own spending and revenue plans in January and February.

The authorities in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough face financial challenges, with funding for children with special education needs and adult social care amongst the pressures which could cause budget shortfalls in 2025.

Councils with social care duties can raise council tax annually by 4.99% without having to call a referendum. It is expected Cambridgeshire County Council and Peterborough City Council will do that to try and plug their budget deficits.

Peterborough City Council said it was also exploring ways to reduce its costs such as mothballing the the lido and closing some library services in the city.

One way councils have been able to plug a funding gap in the past would be to sell off assets they no longer need. This would normally be buildings or land.

Cambridgeshire County Council is trying to complete the sale of Shire Hall, its former headquarters in Cambridge.

In July the authority confirmed it had received 15 bids to buy the former headquarters, which included one that could see the historical building be turned into a hotel.

An update could be announced at the authority's next assets and procurement meeting on 22 January.

Peterborough City Council continues to have a list of buildings it has been considering selling. The places under consideration include the Regional Pool, Dogsthorpe Community Centre and a number of libraries.

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