Speaking out for unity and tolerance

There was an important march and demonstration in Cambridge on Saturday 17th October calling for equality, solidarity and an inclusive society.

Unity demo poster

I was really sorry that I couldn’t attend as I was out of the country, but I am grateful to Cllr Sarah Haithcock for reading out my speech at the event.

Notes from Cllr Katie Thornburrow

[I’m sorry I can’t be with you today to express my support in person]

Good morning, everyone. Thank you all for being here today.

I’m a city councillor, the leader of the council, and a campaigner for food justice and water security. But I’m speaking not just because of my position, but to express my opposition to racism, to stand in solidarity, and to speak out for our wonderful diverse county and city.

I am a woman of colour who arrived in the UK from Hong Kong as an 18-year-old and was welcomed into this community. Having grown up abroad in a colony, coming here showed me that there are special aspects of life in the UK, in Cambridgeshire, and right here in Cambridge that we must hold dear. I built my life here, found friends and support and love, and have always valued the differences and diversity of views, cultures, backgrounds, and beliefs I found.  They are what makes us special. They are what makes us stronger.

Cambridge is a place where everyone should be able to make their home. It starts with the values we set: building a caring, supportive society where we look out for one another from our youngest to our oldest, and especially those in need. Those of us in positions of responsibility, whether as teachers, parents, workers, or councillors, have a duty to treat others as we wish to be treated, and to push back against the forces that seek to divide us. We need to use our influence to do good, and not allow division to thrive.

We often quote Jo Cox’s famous words: “We have more in common than that which divides us.” But as we reflect on that message, we must also recognise that having more in common does not mean we are all identical. We are not all the same, and we shouldn’t be. We come from different cultures, have different needs, and hold diverse values and aspirations. We do not have to agree, we do not have to share every point of view, but we absolutely need to be tolerant and understanding.

Our strength comes from embracing our diversity accepting that our differences are precisely what make our community vibrant and resilient. I don’t want us all to be alike; each one of you brings something unique and special to this city.

At a time when division and conflict seem to be everywhere, events like today are a way of offering hope, and that seems vitally important to me. When we stand together, respecting each other’s individuality while united in our common humanity, we build a stronger Cambridge for everyone.

Thank you.




An Early Start with the Streets and Open Spaces Team

This morning I got up at 4:30 am for a very early visit to the Cambridge City Council operations hub in North Cambridge to meet with our Streets and Open Spaces team.

Over an early cup of coffee, I met about ten team members, including Don Blair, who manages the team. After receiving my hi-vis jacket and protective over-glasses, and following the routine morning vehicle checks, I set out with them to join in their morning work.

Screenshot

Our main destination was the junction of Station Road and Hills Road, where the War Memorial stands. With Remembrance Day approaching, the team was carrying out a massive clear-up of this key location. Arriving shortly after 5:00 am, we worked ahead of the morning rush to ensure the site was cleaned thoroughly without causing traffic congestion at this busy junction. At one point, we had around eight council vehicles working together on site.

Screenshot

During the hour and a half we spent there, the team focused on three main tasks:

  • Clearing weeds, leaves, and debris: Using a combination of specialised machinery and hand tools, debris was swept into the road and subsequently collected by a larger mechanical street sweeper that had already completed an early sweep of the city centre.
  • Removing chewing gum: A team member equipped with dedicated gum-removal equipment spent time removing gum that had built up on the pavements.
  • Hot-mist cleaning: Carrying out deep cleaning on surrounding structures, benches, and equipment.
Screenshot

By 6:30 am, as the sun began to rise and traffic picked up, the major clearing work was completed. It was a really enjoyable morning and an insightful look into the hard work our council teams put in behind the scenes to keep Cambridge clean and prepared for important civic events.

Building a truly integrated transport network for Cambridge

Every month I write an article for the Cambridge Independent which is later published on the Cambridge City Council website as my ‘Leader’s Blog’. In September I picked up on my long-term interest in railways and transport strategy.

If you remember the 1970s British Rail slogan “Let the train take the strain”, you may also recall that carriages were old and rattling and signal boxes were magnificent brick buildings by the side of the track. Things have changed a lot since then and, over the last decade in particular, regional railways have been quietly increasing their capacity and comfort while the network has been transformed by technology.

We can see the difference in Cambridge. Platforms have been lengthened across the network so train operators can run longer trains by adding extra carriages. In some cases they have doubled the length of the train, massively increasing passenger capacity. Alongside these physical changes, we have seen significant improvements to train schedules, steadily boosting the frequency of services connecting Cambridge with surrounding areas. And of course we have two new stations.

These visible changes have been made possible by essential work behind the scenes (read more).

Reviewing my first three months

I became the Leader of Cambridge City Council at our meeting on June 1, a little over 100 days ago, and it’s been rather busy but intensely rewarding since then and I have I’ve found it stimulating and, in almost every respect, enjoyable. I’m grateful to the Council officers and staff, and my fellow councillors from all parties, who have given me great support. We  all work hard to deliver for everyone in Cambridge.

A major focus has been making sure we can work together effectively with Labour as a minority adminstration – we have fewer than half of the seats on the council and can only make decisions with support from other councillors. 

I said in June that all the parties, have a vital and active role to play in the future success of Cambridge and I think we have managed to bring everyone together, with cross-party consultation, transparency, and a focus on delivering key community priorities that reflect the city’s evolving political landscape. That doesn’t mean we always agree, but we are working to find compromises and ways to be effective.

Continue reading “Reviewing my first three months”

Running the Cambridge 10K

I’ve run the Cambridge half-marathon four times – the photo is from 2025, but this year I’m going for the 10K as I wasn’t well enough in the Spring. I’ll admit that I’m partly inspired by the sight of PM Andy Burnham completing the Great North Run but I’m looking forward to seeing my fellow runners again and supporting Muscular Dystrophy UK in their important work.

See you on October 4th – all the details are on the Muscular Dystrophy UK website.

Looking at the cobbles

There’s some concern about the issue of the cobbles in the market square and how they should be treated. I wanted to show you some of the examples of what’s there now, or nearby, and what we’re hoping to do.

In this video you can see the current cobbles and an example of what we propose. And before you ask a ‘sett’ is the name for a rectangular or square cobble stone.

What do you think?