Nik Johnson

Nik Johnson was born in Northumberland in 1969.^[1][2] He grew up in Hexham, Northumberland and trained as a doctor at St George's Hospital Medical School, qualifying in 1993.^[3][4] He has worked as a paediatrician at Hinchingbrooke Hospital since 2007.^[5][6]

Johnson had an interest in politics from an early age, growing up in the 1980s he was aware of the societal changes in the UK (particularly in the industrial areas of North East England). Johnson started campaigning for Labour alongside his role as a junior doctor not long after qualifying.^[7]

Johnson stood as the Labour Party candidate in the 2015 general election for the Huntingdon constituency. He came second with 18.3% of the vote. In 2017, he sought selection to be Labour's candidate in the inaugural Cambridgeshire and Peterborough mayoral election but was not shortlisted.^[8][9] Later in that year, Johnson stood again as the Labour candidate for Huntingdon in the 2017 general election. He came second again, increasing his share of the vote to 30.9% and cutting the majority by 10.5%.^[10]

He unsuccessfully stood for election to Huntingdonshire District Council and Cambridgeshire County Council on six occasions from 2012 to 2017, before being elected as a Huntingdonshire district councillor for St Neots East in 2018.^[5][6]

In June 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, Johnson signed an open letter organised by the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health that called on the government to release its plans for returning children to schools for the sake of their mental health.^[11]

Johnson was selected to be the Labour candidate by a vote of local party members in November 2020, beating the Cambridge city councillor Katie Thornburrow.^[12] In his campaign, he said would introduce bus franchising, alongside rebranding buses and providing free or subsidised bus travel to young people.^[13][14] He also said he would seek government funding to build more council houses.^[13] He also proposed renaming the combined authority to "Greater Cambridgeshire".^[13] Despite having stood as "Dr Nik Johnson" in four previous elections to public office, he was prevented from using his title on the ballot paper for this election.^[15]

Johnson was elected to the role of Mayor of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough in the 2021 mayoral election. Upon taking office, he became entitled to the style of Mayor.^[16] In the first round, he came in second place with 32.8% of the vote. He won in the second round when he received 72.7% of transferred second preferences from the eliminated Liberal Democrat candidate.^[17] Residents of Johnson's village, Great Gransden, stood on the street and applauded his victory.^[18] He said he would continue to work half a day each week as a paediatrician.^[19]

In his first week in office, Johnson cancelled plans for the Cambridgeshire Autonomous Metro project that James Palmer, his Conservative predecessor, had supported. Johnson said the project had "all the hallmarks of being an expensive folly and a potential financial blackhole" and he would instead consider alternative ways to integrate and improve transport in the combined authority.^[20] The Conservative leader of East Cambridgeshire District Council, Anna Bailey, accused Johnson of acting without consulting the combined authority and leaving the area with "no plan".^[21] The Labour leader of Cambridge City Council defended Johnson as having "a more practical focus" and said that the autonomous metro plan had "no fundability".^[21] After suspending work on the proposed autonomous metro, Johnson commissioned a new transport plan focused on areas that have suffered from deprivation and equality, and on reducing carbon emissions.^[22] He blocked a proposal to spend £350,000 on consultants to study the aborted metro project, and started a review of the use of consultants with the intention of completing work internally as much as possible.^[22][23][24] He met with the mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, in July to discuss options for transport.^[25]

He arranged for the combined authority to provide £350,000 to support investment in Peterborough railway station in August 2021.^[26]

During his first year in office, he officially launched the re-opened Soham station making sure that his predecessor James Palmer, who had been responsible for much of the project, was in attendance at the opening ceremony. ^[27]. The station had been a victim of the Beeching cuts 56 years before. ^[28]

In March 2023, the bid to the Levelling up Fund secured almost £48m of government funding to be delivered in £5m instalments to regenerate Peterborough's station quarter. The project, with additional funding from Peterborough City Council and other partners, is expected to cost about £65m in total. ^[29]

The UK's transport minister, Chris Heaton-Harris, initially withheld funding for active travel in the region, which Johnson secured by offering his commitments to active travel and beginning the process to appoint an independent cycling tsar.^[30][31]

In December 2023, Olympic gold medallist Chris Boardman – England’s active travel commissioner at the time - visited Cambridge to see the work going on in the county to get more people out of their cars. Dr Johnson and the commissioner cycled the Chisholm Trail, Cambridge and took the guided busway from Cambridge North Railway Station to the new town of Northstowe to see for themselves some of the active travel infrastructure being designed from the ground up to serve the community. It was reported that "Active Travel England has given the Combined Authority and its partners a high rating for active travel ambition and delivery of projects, including the pedestrian and cycling footbridge at Peterborough’s busy Nene Parkway." ^[32]

In March 2024, a local cycling campaigner, Mike Gough, tragically died in a collision with a van. Dr Johnson paid tribute to Mr Gough saying that amongst other things, Mr Gough had inspired him to become interested in cycling. Dr Johnson repledged himself to Vision Zero saying that the tragic death of his friend would not be forgotten. ^[33]. Dr Nik said that the Combined Authority had "pivoted" to ensure active travel within the county is a "high priority" and viewed through the lens of public health.^[34]. After the election of a Labour Government in July 2024, the inaugural meeting of metro mayors and Prime Minister at 10 Downing Street saw Johnson wearing a cycling pin in memory of his friend. ^[35]

It's not all pedal power as Dr Johnson welcomed reports of how E-scooter trials in the Cambridge area had taken nearly a million car trips off the roads, remarking that "It's important that e-scooter safety continues to improve, but the fact that the trial may get another two years will please many people in Cambridge - and a possible extension to communities outside the city could be exciting news for many villagers." ^[36].

In March 2023, a new fleet of electric buses for Cambridge was launched with the full 30 due to be in operation by May that year. The buses are mainly operating on the Park & Ride routes. The new buses are funded by the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority, Department for Transport, Greater Cambridge Partnership (GCP) and Stagecoach East. Dr Johnson said it was "marking a turning point for public transport in the region".^[37]

In May 2024, he launched the 'Tiger Pass', a free pass that entitles those under 25 to travel on buses in the Combined Authority area for a flat fare of £1. Over 2,500 were applied for in the first week after launch,^[38] with over 17,000 applications received by August that year.^[39]

At a board meeting of the Combined Authority in July 2024, it was agreed to consult on full bus franchising for Cambridgeshire & Peterborough meaning that Johnson's pledge to introducing franchising is coming nearer to fruition.^[40]

In August 2024, new bus routes and increased frequencies funded by the mayoral precept started to be announced by bus operators including increased frequencies on the Cambridgeshire Guided Busway ^[41]

As well as new routes, Nik Johnson has worked to retain routes when bus operators cut services for example the Number 9 bus between Littleport and Cambridge ^[42]

Although Dr Johnson is prioritising the development of public and ‘active’ transport modes, he also recognises that the private car remains a key mode for many residents across Cambridgeshire and Peterborough. Examples include: improvements to the A141 at St Ives ^[43], a new bridge at Kings Dyke to remove delays at a level crossing ^[44] and in Peterborough at the A1260 Nene Parkway Junction 3 ^[45].

In July 2021, the combined authority agreed to provide £1,800,000 of new funding to train more than 800 people starting in March 2022.^[46][47]

In September 2023, the Combined Authority agreed to invest £2m in a Carbon Net Zero centre at the College of West Anglia in Wisbech which is about half the monies required. ^[48]

During Care Leavers week in November 2023, it was announced that 100 care leavers had benefited from a bursary set up by the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority to fund education and training to support their futures.^[49]

In August 2024, £280k+ of grants were awarded to support the lifelong learning and skills offer for adults in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough including for those with low skills or complex needs ^[50]

In June 2021, Johnson made sure that all combined authority staff were paid a living wage and started discussions with trade unions.^[51] In June, Johnson announced a plan to submit a bid for the combined authority to become the UK City of Culture focused on Peterborough, Cambridge and Ely.^[52] However, he did not make a bid, citing the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on culture in the region and a lack of time to prepare a good enough bid.^[53][54]

In August 2021, he won the support of the combined authority to provide £1,100,000 to a development project in the town of March in order to prevent it losing a government grant of several more millions of pounds.^[55]

On 14 November 2023 he was found to have breached the authority’s code of conduct in relation to “civility” and “disrepute” for which he was asked to make a written apology.^[56]

In 2023, Johnson added the mayoral precept to council tax bills in the Cambridge and Peterborough area. The precept added £12 a year to a Band D Council tax bill. The charge was explained as needed to provide further subsidies to bus routes that might otherwise have been cancelled by providers for not being profitable.^[57]

In 2024, the precept was increased to £36 per year for a Band D household. This was attacked by Johnson's opponents as trebling the tax (which it was but ignored the fact this was an extra £2 a month for a typical Band D property).^[58]

Johnson is married to Donna McShane and has three children.^[5]

From November 2022 he took four months leave of absence from his mayoral duties while he underwent heart surgery and recuperation under surgeons at Papworth Hospital. ^{[68] [69]}