Anglia Late Edition - May 2021
Watch the latest Anglia Late Edition - the regional politics programme covering issues affecting the East of England presented by Political Correspondent Emma HutchinsonThis programme was transmitted in the ITV Anglia region on Thursday 20 May 2021
A further relaxation of coronavirus restrictions took place on Monday as theatres, cinemas and sport venues re-opened and indoor hospitality was allowed.
Although social distancing and hygiene guidance remains in place, people are now permitted to meet up indoors.
Foreign travel is limited to a handful of 'green' list countries with most of the world in the 'amber' or 'red' category. The government has been under fire for different ministers giving mixed messages about whether holidays were allowed in 'amber' list countries.
The latest coronavirus infection rate where you live in the Anglia region
Latest data on the number of people who have died with Covid in the Anglia region
How many Covid-19 patients are being treated in hospitals in the East of England?
How many people in the Anglia region have had the Covid vaccine so far?
ITV News Anglia Political Correspondent Emma Hutchinson was joined on the programme by three of the region's politicians:
Jerome Mayhew was elected the Conservative MP for Broadland in December 2019
Rachel Hopkins was elected the Labour MP for Luton South in December 2019
Cllr Lucy Nethsingha is the new-elected leader of Cambridgeshire County Council leading a 'coalition' of Liberal Democrats, Labour and Independent councillors.
Rail operators in the Eastern Counties and across the country are to be overseen by a new public sector body known as Great British Railways. It a partial reversal of the privatisation of the train network brought in under a Conservative government in the mid 1990s.
Transport Secretary Grant Shapps, MP for Welwyn Hatfield in Hertfordshire, said it will simplify a system that is "too complicated".
Great British Railways will own and manage rail infrastructure, issue contracts to private firms to run trains, set most fares and timetables, and sell tickets.
Anglia Late Edition also looked in more depth at the outcome of the 'Super Thursday' local elections which took place on Thursday 6 May 2021.
There were more than 3,000 candidates standing in the biggest set of polls in many years because no elections have so far been held in England during the pandemic.
There were elections for all the county councils in the region including two new unitary councils in Northamptonshire which replace the county council and all seven district councils.
There were also be elections for Police & Crime Commissioners and the region's only elected Metro mayor in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough.
A number of Borough, District and City council also has elections which were postponed from May 2020.
The Conservatives won the most seats overall and gained control of councils in Harlow, Basildon and Welwyn Hatfield. They also won all the Police & Crime Commissioner elections.
But the Tories lost control of Cambridgeshire County Council and Labour's Dr Nik Johnson ousted the Conservative metro mayor of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough.
The Greens doubled their standing in the Anglia region and trebled it in Suffolk - now leading a combined opposition to the Conservatives.
Labour lost 44 of its council seats in the Anglia region and show little sign of any recovery following the party's General Election defeat in 2019.
It has promoted some to call for 'progessive' parties to work together to win elections in future.
Interactive map showing the results of Election 2021 in each area of the Anglia region
Click the buttons below for more details on the election results in your area
Bedfordshire | Cambridgeshire | Essex | Hertfordshire | Milton Keynes | Norfolk | Northamptonshire | Suffolk