The main themes to emerge from the conversation, which took place at Wolfson Hall, Churchill College, included the need to restructure local government to make it a better fit for the city as it is today, the desire for improved infrastructure, and the positive way in which local authorities are already engaging with businesses in a joined-up way.
The panel included Professor Andrew Blake, director of Microsoft Research; Jane Galvin, MD and head of eastern region, Barclays Bank; Julian Huppert, MP for Cambridge; Mark Lloyd, CEO of Cambridgeshire County Council; Professor Jeremy Sanders, pro-vice chancellor for institutional affairs, University of Cambridge; and Baroness Jo Valentine, CEO of London First.
Ian Mather, head of Mills & Reeve’s Cambridge office who chaired the conversation, commented: “What was clear throughout the evening was everyone’s passion for Cambridge and the desire for a prosperous future for the city. It also confirmed how joined-up our local authorities are when engaging with businesses.
“It was certainly no surprise that improved infrastructure was top of most people’s priorities with transport a big issue for many. A vote during the evening also revealed unanimous support in favour of moving to a unitary authority as the audience felt restructuring local government was key in order to maintain its relevance and ensure it was able to fully support Cambridge.
“Question Cambridge was all about inviting people to join the conversation and it certainly succeeded as we discovered a lot of people have a lot to say, which can only be good for the future of our city.”
To see a selection of photographs from the event please visit Mills & Reeve’s official Flickr page.
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