Green Party Names Mark Borthwick As Candidate For Cumbria’s 2027 Mayoral Election
Cumbria Green Party has selected Ulverston environment policy researcher Dr Mark Borthwick as its candidate for the county’s first mayoral election.
Dr Borthwick, who is from Ulverston, has worked as an environment policy researcher and spent the past decade professionally involved in food and farming campaigns. His selection comes ahead of the May 2027 election, when residents across Cumbria will vote for the first mayor of the newly established Cumbria Combined Authority.
The Green Party said Dr Borthwick’s campaign will focus on the development of what it describes as a green economy for Cumbria. The priorities outlined alongside his selection include resilient local employment, clean water, affordable housing, dependable public transport and improved access to land, placing environmental and economic issues among the central themes of his campaign.
Dr Borthwick said he wanted the county’s first mayor to represent communities across Cumbria and ensure that decisions made through the new authority reflect local priorities. He said the creation of the mayoral role provides an opportunity to approach economic development differently, with policies rooted in green economics and focused on issues affecting residents.
Among the issues highlighted by Dr Borthwick are household costs, housing affordability and public transport. He said his approach would seek to support homes that local families can afford, reliable bus services and an economy in which more wealth remains within local communities. These areas are among the responsibilities expected to be addressed strategically by the new mayoral authority.
The candidate also said he wanted to work with existing councils and people across the county. His comments followed the announcement of his selection and set out his intention to build his campaign around collaboration with local government and communities rather than operating separately from the existing local authority structure.
Cumbria’s first mayor will lead the Cumbria Combined Authority, which was formally established in 2026 and is currently operating without an elected mayor during the transition towards the 2027 election. The authority brings together Cumberland Council and Westmorland and Furness Council within a wider strategic structure for the county.
The mayoral role will focus on strategic responsibilities rather than replacing the two existing councils. According to the Combined Authority, the mayor and authority will have responsibilities connected with areas including transport, planning, economic development, housing and regeneration, while most day to day local government services will continue to be provided by Cumberland Council and Westmorland and Furness Council.
The creation of the new authority forms part of Cumbria’s wider devolution arrangements. The two existing unitary councils gave their final consent to the devolution proposals in 2025, while the Government subsequently confirmed that the area would proceed with a Mayoral Combined Authority. The authority began operating during 2026 ahead of the first mayoral election.
The first mayoral election was originally expected to take place earlier, but the election was moved to May 2027. The Combined Authority said the change allows the mayoral election to take place alongside unitary council elections and is expected to save around £1 million in election costs.
Hannah Kessler, the Green Party campaign co-ordinator, said Dr Borthwick brought experience in policy, research and work involving the land and farming sectors. She said the priorities associated with his campaign were informed by that background and were intended to address issues affecting people across Cumbria.
The announcement adds another candidate to the developing contest for the new mayoral position. Other candidates publicly identified in connection with the election include Liberal Democrat candidate Libby Bateman, Conservative candidate Mike Starkie and Labour candidate David Allen, while further candidates may emerge before nominations close.
The election will cover the whole of Cumbria, giving residents in both Cumberland and Westmorland and Furness the opportunity to vote for the person who will lead the Combined Authority. The authority has said the elected mayor will work alongside representatives from the two constituent councils as the new strategic arrangements develop.
The Green Party’s announcement means environmental policy, local employment, housing, transport, water and land access are now among the issues it has publicly associated with its mayoral campaign. Further details of the party’s policies and proposals can be expected as campaigning develops ahead of the May 2027 election.
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