Cambridgeshire and Peterborough’s new mayor: the next four years

  • Watch more from our reporter Stuart Leithes

It is a result that even "surprised" the winner. 

At the weekend (Saturday 8 May) Labour’s Dr Nik Johnson became the new mayor for the combined authority for Cambridgeshire and Peterborough. 

Four years prior Labour had been knocked out of the second round of voting, this year they won with the help of it. 

  • What is second round voting?

Unlike voting for your MP, voters can make a first and second choice vote on their ballot paper in mayoral elections. 

If a candidate fails to get over 50% of votes in the first round then the top two candidates go to the second round. In this case James Palmer had the most first choice votes, whilst Dr Nik Johnson had the second most, with the Liberal Democrats being eliminated. 

Here the second choice votes of everyone who voted for those eliminated are counted and added to the totals of the top two. 

As Dr Johnson had the highest number of first and second round votes, he won.

  • Watch more about the overall political situation from Matt Hudson:

In terms of policy, there is a lot the two candidates differ on.

Whilst Palmer championed an autonomous metro in Cambridge, Johnson wants it scrapped. He also believes social housing should be the focus, not £100k homes. Even down to the name of the combined authority, which the new mayor hopes to change.

His first priority though? "To get to know how the combined authority works".

  • Dr Nik Johnson on social housing and busses

  • Dr Nik Johnson on changing the name of the combined authority

  • Dr Nik Johnson on public health

Dr Nik Johnson's election result is one of the few Labour successes across the county, but he says the success will not stop all of his work as a doctor.

He currently works at Hinchingbrooke, and says being a doctor has 'defined him'.