:00:00. > :00:00.In Look East tonight: As voters prepare for a June general election,
:00:00. > :00:09.it's Cambridge that could be a key battle ground in this region.
:00:10. > :00:10.A billion for a breakfast cereal ? Northamptonshire-based Weetabix
:00:11. > :00:22.is sold by its Chinese owners to an American company.
:00:23. > :00:30.Join me later for a full weather forecast.
:00:31. > :00:35.As the country looks set to head for the ballot boxes again in a June
:00:36. > :00:37.general election, called today by Theresa May, we ask what it
:00:38. > :00:42.This is the current political make-up.
:00:43. > :00:45.Out of 27 constituencies here, we have 24 Conservative
:00:46. > :00:49.MPs and three Labour - two in Luton and one in Cambridge.
:00:50. > :00:54.And it's in Cambridge where we could see a big upset.
:00:55. > :00:58.Daniel Zeichner won for Labour with a majority of just 599 votes -
:00:59. > :01:02.snatching the seat from the Liberal Democrats.
:01:03. > :01:14.This the moment Labour took Cambridge back from Julian Huppert
:01:15. > :01:22.Now fewer than two years later he'll have to fight
:01:23. > :01:27.His party today welcomed the general election announcement,
:01:28. > :01:30.but he won here with the smallest majority in the region,
:01:31. > :01:37.I think in Cambridge we had fantastic results for Labour
:01:38. > :01:39.in the local council elections last year.
:01:40. > :01:42.I'm sure Julian and I will have a constructive
:01:43. > :01:46.This will be the best of three between Julian and myself and I'm
:01:47. > :01:51.I think the majority of people in Cambridge would far rather
:01:52. > :01:52.have a Labour government than a Conservative
:01:53. > :01:54.government and that's what this election is about.
:01:55. > :01:57.A city fast approaching mayoral elections now
:01:58. > :02:02.I think it's brilliant, because I think it will give
:02:03. > :02:06.Theresa May the opportunity now to perhaps form a strong government
:02:07. > :02:13.It's about getting a majority for someone who needs it to do Brexit.
:02:14. > :02:18.I'm a bit surprised, yes, but I think she
:02:19. > :02:22.But it is with strong conviction that I say it's necessary to secure
:02:23. > :02:25.the strong and stable leadership the country needs to see us
:02:26. > :02:34.An election to bring stability after Brexit,
:02:35. > :02:37.In a region that overwhelmingly voted to leave, Cambridge,
:02:38. > :02:39.a city that decidedly wanted to stay.
:02:40. > :02:44.Its former MP and his party campaigned to remain.
:02:45. > :02:47.Could that win votes in a general election?
:02:48. > :02:50.I think people in Cambridge who are very pro-European,
:02:51. > :02:53.both because of financial reasons, the trade advantage, but also
:02:54. > :02:57.at a gut level we feel European, and I think they also know
:02:58. > :03:00.that the Brexit that the Tories are leading us through with Labour
:03:01. > :03:03.simply cheering them on, voting for it, is not
:03:04. > :03:07.The problem is that in parliament there are 500 MPs
:03:08. > :03:10.who voted to remain, only 150 who voted to leave.
:03:11. > :03:13.Parliament needs to catch up with the public and this general
:03:14. > :03:15.election should deal with that issue.
:03:16. > :03:18.Daniel Zeichner was loudly pro-Europe.
:03:19. > :03:26.Now he's going to have to do it for a second time.
:03:27. > :03:30.Here at the Labour Party offices in Cambridge I think it's fair
:03:31. > :03:32.to say nobody expected the Prime Minister to announce
:03:33. > :03:37.A big surprise and now a rapid response needed
:03:38. > :03:42.With that slim majority people won't be complacent here.
:03:43. > :03:45.This is a big target for the Liberal Democrats.
:03:46. > :03:48.They'll want to win it back from Labour,
:03:49. > :03:53.Over the next seven weeks you can expect some pretty
:03:54. > :04:02.Of course while we may have to wait until June for the general election,
:04:03. > :04:04.there are just two weeks to go before Cambridgeshire
:04:05. > :04:11.The region is one of six in the country to gain extra powers
:04:12. > :04:13.under the Government's "devolution plan".
:04:14. > :04:18.The new mayor will control an ?800 million deal to fund local
:04:19. > :04:20.transport and housing projects over the next 30 years.
:04:21. > :04:27.Seven candidates are vying for the position.
:04:28. > :04:30.If you're not used to change, the past 12 months will have
:04:31. > :04:33.been a roller-coaster adventure to remember.
:04:34. > :04:35.A new prime minister, a new world order -
:04:36. > :04:41.Seven men and women are vying to become Cambridgeshire's first
:04:42. > :04:45.directly elected mayor, and according to the government's
:04:46. > :04:49.latest ad campaign, that means local power for local people on housing,
:04:50. > :04:57.That's why on four May, Cambridgeshire and Peterborough
:04:58. > :05:03.The new mayor will be responsible for directly delivering hundreds
:05:04. > :05:06.of new apprenticeships through grants for local employers,
:05:07. > :05:09.arming the next generation of school leavers with practical skills.
:05:10. > :05:20.Here at the West Anglia Training Association,
:05:21. > :05:23.apprentices are already working on one of the biggest road projects
:05:24. > :05:30.The new mayor will be responsible for delivering ?170 million
:05:31. > :05:34.of new housing and in one of the fastest growing areas in
:05:35. > :05:41.Here at Alconbury Weald, up to 5000 new homes are being built.
:05:42. > :05:44.Whoever is elected will have the power to remove existing
:05:45. > :05:48.barriers to free up more brown field sites for development,
:05:49. > :05:51.like this airfield in Huntingdon, easing the pressures
:05:52. > :05:56.on the availability of social housing in places like Cambridge.
:05:57. > :06:00.By far the biggest pot of money available to the new mayor will be
:06:01. > :06:04.an annual budget of ?20 million to boost economic growth.
:06:05. > :06:08.Money that could be spent on upgrading busy junctions
:06:09. > :06:13.like this one, where the A14 meets the A142 in Newmarket.
:06:14. > :06:16.Keeping traffic moving is seen as a way of improving the health
:06:17. > :06:20.The new mayor is also likely to invest heavily in
:06:21. > :06:26.He or she will be voted into office in May,
:06:27. > :06:29.but by June, could the country have a new prime minister?
:06:30. > :06:32.Campaigning for the mayoral and general election
:06:33. > :06:39.All parties involved hoping for a smooth path ahead.
:06:40. > :06:41.Our political reporter Mousumi Bakshi joins me now.
:06:42. > :06:43.We normally have one set of midterm elections,
:06:44. > :06:47.we now have the prospect of three in this region.
:06:48. > :06:49.Indeed, spare a thought for the people of Cambridgeshire,
:06:50. > :06:53.who have three choices to make at the ballot box over four weeks.
:06:54. > :06:56.For as well as mayoral elections, there are county council
:06:57. > :06:57.elections in Hertfordshire, Northamptonshire and yes,
:06:58. > :07:03.Now the headlines today are of course about the general
:07:04. > :07:07.election, but the local elections matter as it's the councils
:07:08. > :07:11.who are responsible for schools, planning, social care, libraries.
:07:12. > :07:15.If any those matter to you, you'll want to vote.
:07:16. > :07:18.So how will today's news affect those elections?
:07:19. > :07:20.Well, crucially, they'll give us an accurate snapshot
:07:21. > :07:25.You'll remember pollsters got a drubbing for failing
:07:26. > :07:30.This time we'll have an actual result to see how the main
:07:31. > :07:37.To see whether there's a Labour or Lib Dem upswing.
:07:38. > :07:40.The elections will also give the main parties a chance
:07:41. > :07:42.to recalibrate their campaigns ahead of June, if local results
:07:43. > :07:48.And there'll be a series of reports on the mayoral candidates
:07:49. > :07:52.And on Thursday you'll be able to hear from the candidates
:07:53. > :07:54.themselves in a special programme - A Mayor for Cambridgeshire
:07:55. > :08:01.and Peterborough - BBC One at 10:45pm.
:08:02. > :08:04.In other news - it's been confirmed that the cereal manufacturer
:08:05. > :08:06.Weetabix is to be sold by its Chinese owners
:08:07. > :08:13.The deal with Price Holdings could be worth more than ?1 billion.
:08:14. > :08:16.Tom Percival has been looking at what it means for the staff
:08:17. > :08:23.3 billion biscuits a year exported to more than 90 countries
:08:24. > :08:27.by a company with 2000 staff and all its wheat comes from farms
:08:28. > :08:33.So how will the sale of Weetabix to US firm,
:08:34. > :08:38.Post Holdings, for ?1.4 billion, affect all that?
:08:39. > :08:41.As long as our business remains successful,
:08:42. > :08:44.we will continue to make, market and sell our brands
:08:45. > :08:49.We'll also continue to source our wheat from within 50
:08:50. > :08:54.The relationship with our farmers is incredibly important
:08:55. > :08:57.from a quality point of view, from a provenance point of view,
:08:58. > :09:01.and just from an ease of access, so we will continue to support our
:09:02. > :09:06.local farmers, continue to source wheat from within 50 miles.
:09:07. > :09:08.They've been an incredible part of our past success
:09:09. > :09:11.and they'll remain critical to our future success.
:09:12. > :09:14.Weetabix has been in Northamptonshire since 1932.
:09:15. > :09:18.The unions that represent staff both here in Burton Latimer and also
:09:19. > :09:22.in Corby say they want urgent meetings with the management
:09:23. > :09:25.and with the new owners to ensure jobs are protected.
:09:26. > :09:29.Weetabix invested ?30 million in its factories
:09:30. > :09:33.A boost to production and the possibility of new jobs too.
:09:34. > :09:37.But eating habits are changing and that means the battle
:09:38. > :09:47.for breakfast will continue now and in new owners.
:09:48. > :09:49.Rail operators have been criticised for a lack of trains running
:09:50. > :09:52.to the new Cambridge North Station due to open next month.
:09:53. > :09:54.It'll have no direct trains from Stansted or Peterborough
:09:55. > :10:02.Campaigners argue there's been a "lack of vision".
:10:03. > :10:04.That's all from us here in Cambridge tonight.
:10:05. > :10:08.Quite a settled week of weather this week,
:10:09. > :10:11.with some sunshine during the day, but it's going to get
:10:12. > :10:14.Tonight particularly, with clear skies across a lot of the region,
:10:15. > :10:18.Cold enough for a frost across many parts of the region.
:10:19. > :10:21.Some of us may record temperatures below freezing as we get to dawn.
:10:22. > :10:24.High pressure staying across the British Isles,
:10:25. > :10:28.After that chilly start some good spells of sunshine
:10:29. > :10:32.There will be areas of cloud that come and go through the day.
:10:33. > :10:34.There will be certain points during the afternoon where it
:10:35. > :10:38.Not quite such a noticeable cool breeze through tomorrow.
:10:39. > :10:44.Temperatures could be up a little on where they got to today at 11-12.
:10:45. > :10:48.It stays dry during the day, a bit cloudy later.
:10:49. > :10:56.Milder temperatures on the way for Thursday.
:10:57. > :10:59.It will be noticeably cooler by the weekend.