Why Peterborough matters in this general election

Eight candidates are contesting to be Peterborough's next MP

Peterborough might be blue when it comes to football - but that is not always the case for its politics.

For decades, voters in Peterborough have elected Conservative or Labour MPs, with neither party considering it a safe seat.

The Conservatives won the Peterborough constituency in 2019 with 46.7% of the vote and Labour was fairly close behind with 41.3%.

The Conservatives lost half of their city council seats at local elections in May, making Labour the biggest party but without overall control.

The Peterborough constituency has a population of 130,000, according to the ONS

The city of Peterborough spans two parliamentary constituencies.

Peterborough covers the city centre and areas north of the River Nene, such as the cathedral and its new university, ARU Peterborough.

The constituency of North West Cambridgeshire covers areas south of the river, including the Peterborough United stadium and showground.

We've spoken to candidates hoping to become Peterborough's next MP and they are listed below in alphabetical order according to their surname.

Paul Bristow is the Conservative candidate

Paul Bristow (Conservative) was elected as the city's MP in 2019 and said he wanted to "deliver for Peterborough".

He said he wanted to regenerate the Station Quarter area of the city and North Westgate.

Mr Bristow said he wanted more police officers to tackle local crime, including drugs problems, and said his "transport priority" was to dual the A47 to cut congestion around Thorney and Eye.

Nicola Day is running for the Green Party

Nicola Day is leader of the Green Party group on Peterborough City Council and represents Orton Waterville.

She said she wanted to put Peterborough "on the map" as a place for manufacturing and net zero carbon technologies.

She said all areas of the city centre should be accessible for those with disabilities.

Amjad Hussain represents the Workers Party of Britain

Amjad Hussain (Workers Party of Britain) said he wanted to run for MP because none of the other parties addressed his concerns about the conflict in Gaza.

He said Peterborough was his home but felt that it had been in decline in the past few year, and he wanted to see more regeneration.

Mr Hussain has also spoken in support of empowering women in the workplace.

Sue Morris is the Reform UK candidate

Sue Morris (Reform UK) runs a business in the city and said Peterborough's smaller companies needed more support.

She said Brexit "certainly hasn't been completed yet" and supported the idea of the UK making its own decisions.

She said net-zero targets were too expensive to reach in time.

Andrew Pakes is the Labour and Co-operative Party candidate

Andrew Pakes (Labour) lives in the city centre and works for a trade union.

He said fixing NHS dentistry would be his "top priority" for the city and wants to see the NHS dental contract reformed.

Mr Pakes said he would like the city centre to be regenerated and the area around the train station made more attractive.

Tom Rogers is from the Christian People's Alliance

Tom Rogers (Christian People's Alliance) ran in the 2019 election and won 151 votes, less than one per cent of the vote.

He said he wanted Peterborough to be a "family-friendly" city and would guarantee anyone sleeping rough a free night shelter.

He said his party's policies to abolish commercial rates would help prevent shop closures in Peterborough.

Nick Sandford is from the Liberal Democrats

Nick Sandford (Liberal Democrats) is a former Peterborough mayor and was a long-serving councillor for Paston and Walton.

He said Peterborough needed a long-term provision for more sustainable transport.

Mr Sandford said there should be a focus on small businesses in the city, and that there were too many empty shops around Queensgate shopping centre.

Zahid Khan is running as an independent in the election. You can find a full list of the candidates here.