In my last column, I wrote about the need for growth in our city to be sustainable, and bring with it the infrastructure our community so badly needs – more GPs, schools and so on. This week, on a similar note, I co-hosted an event in Parliament to highlight the significant contribution Cambridgeshire and Peterborough make to the UK’s economy.
We brought together politicians, business leaders, and experts from across the region to showcase our strengths in innovation, infrastructure, and skills development, and discuss how we can work together to bring high-quality jobs to our region, and provide more opportunities for people in Peterborough – for all age groups, but particularly young people.
It was great to see so many passionate people championing our region. Cambridgeshire and Peterborough are industry leaders – be it in advanced manufacturing, agri-tech, logistics, or life sciences. These are industries that not only drive local growth but are also key to ensuring the UK’s success on the global stage, and when local businesses do well, we all benefit.
For Peterborough, this was an opportunity to underline the potential we have to create jobs, attract investment, and improve local infrastructure. The discussions on affordable housing, transport, and skills development were especially important. These are challenges we have to tackle head-on to ensure that growth benefits everyone in our community.
Peterborough has so much potential – one of the things I often talk about is how we’re a natural home for the various start-up businesses that Cambridge generates, because of our city’s strong manufacturing and logistics expertise. We’re a great place for those businesses to move to as they expand – we should be proud of that, and by playing to our strengths and investing in our people, we can reduce the numbers of people feeling they have no choice but to leavePeterborough to develop a good career.
Our mayor, Dr Nik Johnson, put it perfectly when he said this event was about putting Cambridgeshire and Peterborough on the map. It’s not just about showcasing what we’ve already achieved but about building momentum for the future. Events like this help us secure the partnerships and investment needed to turn our ambitions into reality, and I’ll continue to use my role as one of our region’s MPs to make more of these conversations happen.
Looking ahead, I’m excited about what’s next. Cambridgeshire and Peterborough are already hubs of innovation and drivers of economic growth. The challenge now is to ensure that this success is shared by everyone – whether it’s by delivering affordable housing, creating good jobs, or tackling the cost of living.
Our region has so much to offer, and this week’s event showed what’s possible when we come together with a shared vision for the future. By continuing to back local businesses and bring more good jobs to our region, I’m confident we can achieve great things for our community and for the UK as a whole.