Kirby Lecture 2026: What will a Mayor mean for Cumbria?

An evening lecture and panel discussion on what the first elected Cumbria Mayor could mean for the county and its National Park.

The annual Kirby Lecture examines what the first Cumbria mayoral election, due on 6 May 2027, could mean for the county and the Lake District National Park. Thomas Andrew, Acting Director of Policy and Strategy for the Cumbria Combined Authority, opens the evening by explaining what a combined authority is and what will change with a mayor. A panel of Cumbrian organisation leaders — Lorrainne Smyth, Karen Mitchell, Stephen Trotter and Colin Walker — then discusses what they want the new mayor to deliver, with questions from the audience. The evening is chaired by Tiffany Hunt MBE.