Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Combined Authority: Mayor Paul Bristow's statement on the Autumn Budget

Mayor of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, Paul Bristow, has given the following statement after government announced the Autumn Budget for 2026:

There is plenty to disagree with in this Budget. But giving Mayors more control over funding is a right way to get growth.  

Making the Cambridge Biomedical Campus a special zone for Business Rates will help our region as it expands. The Campus already contributes £4.7 billion to the UK economy every year. I want to harness its success, delivering new infrastructure and jobs for local people.

Too often, areas that generate growth have to beg Whitehall for the resources to keep up with the demands that it creates. We need to invest ahead of that pressure, instead of constantly playing catch-up.

The proposed Good Growth Fund and borrowing powers are encouraging. Got right, this will give us more scope for infrastructure-led development that thinks long term. My job is to make sure that growth works for local people  I will be working closely with the Greater Cambridge Development Corporation to make the most of the package of measures announced today.

We need better-connected communities, stronger public services and a higher quality of life for everyone living and working here.