Conservatives sweep through Cambridgeshire taking six out of seven seats

Paul Bristow is the new MP for Peterborough

The Conservatives won the marginal constituency of Peterborough, which had been a Labour seat since 2017.

Paul Bristow took the seat from Lisa Forbes, who won a by-election just six months ago after her Labour predecessor Fiona Onasanya was kicked out by a recall petition.

The Conservatives swept through Cambridgeshire taking six out of seven seats, holding five from the 2017 election.

Labour held the city of Cambridge.

The remain voting city re-elected Daniel Zeichner but his majority was reduced by about 3,000 votes and there was a 4% dip in turnout.

The by-election in June was triggered when Labour MP Fiona Onasanya was removed following a recall petition

Labour's Lisa Forbes was MP for Peterborough for just six months

The Conservatives held Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire North West, Cambridgeshire South, Cambridgeshire North East and Cambridgeshire South East.

Analysis

By Deborah McGurran, East of England political editor

In Cambridgeshire, as elsewhere, it's been a great result for the Conservatives. The night began with four Conservative seats, two Labour and one, South Cambridgeshire, occupied by Heidi Allen, who had joined the Lib Dems.

After this election the Conservatives hold all but one of the seven seats in the county. The exception was Cambridge where Labour's Daniel Zeichner held off a Liberal Democrat challenge.

The Conservatives took back the seat of Peterborough, which Labour won in 2017 and again in a by-election in June 2019, and they saw off a strong fight by the Liberal Democrats in South Cambridgeshire, re-establishing their almost total control of the county.

Peterborough's new MP Mr Bristow, who received 22,334 votes, said: "We have won this election because we promised to get Brexit done and because Peterborough has rejected an extreme and dangerous left-wing agenda.

"But also because we embraced a plan for the city to get extra police officers, to clean up our city and improve education."

• LIVE: Updates and reaction as results come in

• McDonnell blames Brexit for forecast Labour defeat

• 'I killed the Lib Dems and hurt Labour' - Farage

• Early gains for SNP as exit poll predicts 55 seats

• Tories claim first scalps in Wales election results

Daniel Zeichner celebrates his re-election with supporters in Cambridge

Reflecting on the national picture Cambridge MP Daniel Zeichner said he was "disappointed" by the result.

"To those who thought it was sensible to call this election, you took a huge risk... your gamble failed and we are all paying a huge cost for it," he said.

• LAURA KUENSSBERG: Historic change?

• ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW: The night's key points

• SEAT-BY-SEAT: Exit poll forecast for your seat

• EXIT POLLS: How accurate are they?

• TEST YOURSELF: Richard Osman's election night quiz

• HOUR-BY-HOUR: Your guide to election night

• WHO WON, WHERE? Results in full

In Cambridgeshire South, Anthony Browne replaced Heidi Allen who stepped down ahead of the election.

However, the Conservatives found their majority in the constituency almost obliterated, going from 15,952 to just 2,904.

The Lib Dems, who Ms Allen had joined prior to quitting as an MP, had hoped to take the seat from them.

However, Brexit secretary Steve Barclay, who retained his seat in Cambridgeshire North East, increased his majority by over 8,000 votes.