North East Cambridgeshire is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2010 by Steve Barclay, a Conservative.
Constituency profile North East Cambridgeshire is a constituency in Cambridgeshire in the East of England. Its largest town is Wisbech, which has a population of around 27,000. Other settlements include the towns of March, Whittlesey and Chatteris and the villages of Leverington, Wisbech St Mary and Manea.
This constituency is mostly rural and located in the Fens, a low-lying region of marshland that was drained during the 18th century and has significant agriculture and food industries. Wisbech is an inland port on the River Nene and is an important local centre for agricultural trade and rural industry. Wisbech has high levels of deprivation whilst the rest of the constituency's settlements have average levels of wealth. Many residents commute to the nearby cities of Peterborough and Cambridge. House prices across the constituency are lower than the UK average and considerably lower than the rest of the East of England.
North East Cambridgeshire has a large retired population and a below-average proportion of working-age adults. Residents have very low levels of education, are likely to be religious and have average rates of homeownership. They have low levels of household income and high rates of child poverty. A high proportion of residents work in the manufacturing sector and few work in professional occupations. The percentage claiming unemployment benefits is in line with the nationwide figure. White people made up 96% of the population at the 2021 census. White people of non-British origin made up around 10% of the population; most of whom were from Eastern Europe with Lithuanians being the largest group.
At the local district council, most of the constituency is represented by Conservatives with a small number of Liberal Democrats and independents. At the county council, which held elections in 2025, most of the constituency elected Reform UK representatives. Voters in the constituency overwhelmingly voted in favour of leaving the European Union in the 2016 referendum; an estimated 71% voted in favour of Brexit compared to the UK-wide figure of 52%, making North East Cambridgeshire one of the top 15 most Brexit-supporting constituencies out of 650 nationwide according to Electoral Calculus.
History Clement Freud, former Liberal MP for Isle of Ely from 1973, represented the seat from its creation in 1983 until 1987, when he was defeated by the Conservative Malcolm Moss and since then it has been served by one other Conservative MP, namely Steve Barclay, first elected in 2010.
Boundaries and boundary changes
Historic
1983–1997 The District of Fenland; The District of East Cambridgeshire wards of Downham, Haddenham, Littleport, Stretham, Sutton, and Witchford; and The City of Peterborough wards of Eye, Newborough, and Thorney.
The seat was created for the 1983 general election which followed on from the merger under the Local Government Act 1972, of the two administrative counties of Huntingdon and Peterborough and Cambridgeshire and Isle of Ely to form the non-metropolitan county of Cambridgeshire, with effect from 1 April 1974. It was formed from the abolished constituency of Isle of Ely, with the exception of the city of Ely itself, which was included in the new constituency of South East Cambridgeshire. The three City of Peterborough wards were transferred from the constituency of Peterborough.
1997–2010 The District of Fenland; The District of East Cambridgeshire wards of Downham, Littleport, and Sutton; and The City of Peterborough wards of Eye, Newborough, and Thorney.
Minor loss to South East Cambridgeshire.
2010–2024 The District of Fenland; and The District of East Cambridgeshire wards of Downham Villages, Littleport East, Littleport West, and Sutton.
The City of Peterborough wards were returned to the constituency thereof. No other changes.
Current Further to the 2023 review of Westminster constituencies, which came into effect for the 2024 general election, the composition of the constituency was reduced in size following the transfer of the parts in the District of East Cambridgeshire to the new seat of Ely and East Cambridgeshire. Its boundaries are therefore now coterminous with the District of Fenland.
Members of Parliament
ElectionMemberPartyIsle of Ely prior to 19831983Clement Freud Liberal1987Malcolm Moss Conservative2010Steve Barclay Conservative
Elections
Elections in the 2020s
Elections in the 2010s
2019 notional result Party Vote % Conservative 32,934 73.9 Labour 7,155 16.0 Liberal Democrats 2,992 6.7 Green 1,503 3.4Turnout44,58463.0Electorate70,806
Elections in the 2000s
Elections in the 1990s
Elections in the 1980s
See also List of parliamentary constituencies in Cambridgeshire List of parliamentary constituencies in the East of England (region)
Notes
References
External links North East Cambridgeshire UK Parliament constituency (boundaries April 1997 – April 2010) at MapIt UK North East Cambridgeshire UK Parliament constituency (boundaries April 2010 – May 2024) at MapIt UK North East Cambridgeshire UK Parliament constituency (boundaries from June 2024) at MapIt UK