Just four years after the establishment of the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Mayor, almost three quarters (74%) back giving them more powers. Half of people (50%) want the Mayor to take more responsibility for providing affordable housing, while 43% want them to provide more direct support to local businesses. Just one in ten (9%) are opposed to any further devolution.
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Source: Savanta ComRes, 2021
There is also high public awareness of the metro mayor. Almost eight in ten (77%) people polled in the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough city-region were aware that the it has a Mayor.
Asked about different levels of government and their handling of the pandemic, the public gave the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Mayor a net approval rating (the proportion approving of their handling of the outbreak, minus the proportion disapproving) of +6, double the Government’s (+3). Local councils have a higher approval rating for their handling of the pandemic, at +17.
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Source: Savanta ComRes, 2021
The public’s top priorities for the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Mayor’s next term are health care provision (53%), housing (40%) and schools (36%).
More than one in four (26%) of voters also cite the environment and air quality as a top issue.
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Source: Savanta ComRes, 2021
Centre for Cities’ Chief Executive Andrew Carter said: “People in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough city region overwhelmingly support shifting power out of Whitehall and down to the city region. Devolving more responsibility for providing affordable housing, supporting businesses and running adult education schemes are all popular with the public in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough city region.
"At the 2019 election, the Government backed the principle of more devolution in England yet, more than a year later, we are still waiting to see what its plans are.
“As Cambridgeshire and Peterborough city region looks to recover from the pandemic, it is vital that the Government listens to demands for more devolution and gives the next mayor the powers and resources to build back better. People want Whitehall to do less, it’s time for it to listen.”
Polling methodology
Savanta ComRes interviewed 261 residents of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough aged 18+ online between 26th February and 16th March 2021. Data were weighted to be demographically representative of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough by age, gender, sub-region and social grade. Savanta ComRes is a member of the British Polling Council and abides by its rules.
About Centre for Cities
Centre for Cities is a research and policy institute, dedicated to improving the economic success of UK cities. We are a charity that works with cities, business and Whitehall to develop and implement policy that supports the performance of urban economies. We do this through impartial research and knowledge exchange.