‘I want to know all there is to know about Peterborough’

James Palmer’s knowledge of Peterboroughhasbeenlargely formedthroughshoppingand watching Posh.

ButtheConservativepoliticianhasbeenbackedfromthe start by MP for Peterborough Stewart Jackson to represent the city as its elected mayor, even when he was competing against fellow Tories for his party’s nomination.

Now, he is determined to discover as much about the city as he can.

He said: “I know Peterborough very well. It’s a city I’ve visited innumerable times to shop or to go to football. My wife went to college there and had her first job there. It’s not somewhere I don’t have an understanding of. It’s not as if I’m from the other side of the planet.

“Do I know everything about Peterborough? No. Do I aim to know as much as there is possible to know about Peterborough. Absolutely I do. ThesameasIdoforeverypart of the county.”

Asked about his thoughts on the Bridge Street cycling ban, Mr Palmer said he was not aware of it. But he added: “The job of the combined authority is not to sort out cycling or issues in Peterborough.

“The job of the combined authority is to listen to Peterborough City Council who will bringforwardprojectsfor us to fund if that’s what they need. I don’t want to get embroiled in the minutiae of detail of city council control.”

The combined authority will have £100 million to spend on housing for the entire county, with Cambridge given its own £ 70 million housing budget ontop of that.

Asked how much of that £100 million Peterborough can expect to see, Mr Palmer replied: “I’ve already spoken to the leader of Peterborough City Council about what he wants for Peterborough. And that’s the key actually. It’s not necessarily what I want to see for Peterborough, it’s whatPeterborough wants for Peterborough.

“Ultimatelythecitycouncil have to come to the combined authority withwhattheywant done. And if they apply and have a worked-up scheme that’s financially viable, I will do everything I can to make sure it comes in.”

Mr Palmer, who is also a Cambridgeshirecountycouncillor, plans to come to Peterborough city centre to hand out leaflets in the run up to May’s election.

And who knows, he may even have Mr Jackson by his side.

“I’ve known Stewart for a number of years and clearly he’s averydriven andsuccessful MP and someone I admire greatly,” he added.