BBC Profile:
Peterborough was predominantly a Conservative seat from 1950 to 1997, with Labour holding it for just one Parliament in the late 1970s. There were major boundary changes before the 1997 election, when a third of the constituents were moved into the new seat of Cambridgeshire North West. The then sitting MP, Brian Mawhinney, chose to fight the new seat, and Helen Brinton took the seat for Labour with over 50% of the vote. Her majority dropped to under 3,000 in 2001.

At the 2005 election Peterborough was one of the Conservatives' most notable gains, candidate Stewart Jackson taking the seat with a majority of 2,740.

At the election, boundary changes mean wards north-east of the city (Eye and Thorney, parts of Newborough and Peterborough East) were re-assigned to the Peterborough constituency from Cambridgeshire North West and Cambridgeshire North East. To find out what might have happened had this boundary change been in force at the last election, see a notional - or estimated - result below.

Peterborough lies halfway between the East Anglian coast and the Midlands. Its good road and rail links have turned it into a major distribution centre. The East Coast Mainline provides travel to London in 50 minutes and, as a result, Peterborough has developed into something of a commuter town.

Peterborough is home to light industry, agricultural markets and a small but growing commercial centre. The cathedral is something of a tourist draw.

Business developm

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BBC Profile:
Peterborough was predominantly a Conservative seat from 1950 to 1997, with Labour holding it for just one Parliament in the late 1970s. There were major boundary changes before the 1997 election, when a third of the constituents were moved into the new seat of Cambridgeshire North West. The then sitting MP, Brian Mawhinney, chose to fight the new seat, and Helen Brinton took the seat for Labour with over 50% of the vote. Her majority dropped to under 3,000 in 2001.

At the 2005 election Peterborough was one of the Conservatives' most notable gains, candidate Stewart Jackson taking the seat with a majority of 2,740.

At the election, boundary changes mean wards north-east of the city (Eye and Thorney, parts of Newborough and Peterborough East) were re-assigned to the Peterborough constituency from Cambridgeshire North West and Cambridgeshire North East. To find out what might have happened had this boundary change been in force at the last election, see a notional - or estimated - result below.

Peterborough lies halfway between the East Anglian coast and the Midlands. Its good road and rail links have turned it into a major distribution centre. The East Coast Mainline provides travel to London in 50 minutes and, as a result, Peterborough has developed into something of a commuter town.

Peterborough is home to light industry, agricultural markets and a small but growing commercial centre. The cathedral is something of a tourist draw.

Business development programmes are starting to bear fruit. The rate of new businesses registering for VAT in 2005-07 was more than 20% above the national average.

There are more young, graduate entry level inhabitants than in many other constituencies, and fewer pensioners. There are also significant ethnic communities within the constituency, of which the Asian community is the largest.

Rallings & Thrasher Notional:
C 19,414 (43.29%)
Lab 15,409 (34.36%)
LD 7,487 (16.70%)
UKIP 1,436 (3.20%)
Others 1,098 (2.45%)

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