Election 2024
Results: parties by seats
326 seats for a majority
0 seats to go
  • Labour: 412 seats, 211 seats gained
  • Conservative: 121 seats, 251 seats lost
  • Liberal Democrat: 72 seats, 64 seats gained
  • Scottish National Party: 9 seats, 39 seats lost
  • Sinn Fein: 7 seats, No change
  • Others: 29 seats, 15 seats gained
Change since 2019

Summary

  • Election coverage from Peterborough

  • Voters have gone to the polls in the two constituencies of Peterborough and North West Cambridgeshire

  • There was a recount for both constituencies earlier this morning

  • The Labour candidate Andrew Pakes has been elected as MP for Peterborough, beating the Conservative Paul Bristow by 118 votes

  • Mr Pakes said he was "bowled over" to win the vote

  • Conservative Shailesh Vara has lost his seat in North West Cambridgeshire to Labour candidate Sam Carling

  • Mr Vara had held the seat for nearly 20 years

  • At 22, Mr Carling will become one of the youngest members of the House of Commons

  1. That's all, for now...published at 07:08 British Summer Time 5 July

    We're bringing our live coverage to an end now, with the results all but declared.

    Keep an eye on the BBC News website's dedicated Peterborough area here.

    National updates will continue rolling in through the day via our dedicated live blog here.

  2. 'It's been a political earthquake'published at 07:08 British Summer Time 5 July

    The 22-year-old new Labour MP for North West Cambridgeshire has described tonight as a "political earthquake" after his party won a landslide victory in the general election.

    Sam Carling beat the veteran Conservative MP Shailesh Vara by 39 votes. Mr Vara had previously held the seat for nearly 20 years.

  3. Labour takes North West Cambridgeshire from Conservativespublished at 05:54 British Summer Time 5 July
    Breaking

    Sam Carling stands centre on the stage and shakes the hand of Conservative candidate Shailesh Vara while other candidates applaud.Image source, Shariqua Ahmed/BBC

    Conservative Shailesh Vara has lost his seat - which he has held for nearly 20 years - to Labour candidate Sam Carling, by 39 votes.

    Mr Carling, who is 22, will become one of the youngest MPs in the House of Commons.

    Labour: 14,785

    Conservatives: 14,746

    Reform UK: 8,741

    Liberal Democrat: 3,192

    Green Party: 2,960

  4. 'We have made real mistakes nationally'published at 05:48 British Summer Time 5 July

    Paul Bristow, the Conservative candidate for Peterborough and the seat's former MP, has apologised to supporters for his loss.

    Mr Bristow said: "We have made real mistakes nationally- and those responsible for these mistakes should ask themselves serious questions on their responsibility in all of this.

    "I hope they will apologise to MPs and candidates who lost. And if they do, then they can have a role in rebuilding the party.

    Paul Bristow wearing a navy suit and tie with a blue rosette has his arm around a woman in a blue jacket.Image source, Shariqua Ahmed/BBC
  5. Labour win Peterboroughpublished at 04:55 British Summer Time 5 July
    Breaking

    The Labour candidate Andrew Pakes has been elected as Member of Parliament for Peterborough, beating the incumbent MP Paul Bristow by 118 votes.

    Conservative Party: 13,300

    Green Party: 2,542

    Workers Party of Britain: 5,051

    Independent: 211

    Reform UK: 5,379

    Labour: 13,418

    Christian Peoples Alliance: 225

    Liberal Democrat: 1,746

    A smiling Andrew Pakes alongside two other men, all wearing suits and pink lanyards and stood in a convention hall.Image source, Shariqua Ahmed/BBC
  6. Candidates look tiredpublished at 04:38 British Summer Time 5 July

    A long table with counters sat on either side looking dejected. Piles of ballot papers lie before them in plastic boxes.Image source, Shariqua Ahmed

    The recounts are currently under way for both the constituencies.

    Party supporters and candidates are looking tired.

  7. Recount called for North West Cambridgeshirepublished at 04:14 British Summer Time 5 July

    An open door with a sign that reads "North West Cambridgeshire Count" that points to a long table with people counting ballots sitting down.Image source, Shariqua Ahmed/BBC

    In the last few minutes a recount has been called for North West Cambridgeshire.

    We have been told it is “very close” between Labour and Conservatives again with a difference of “very few votes”.

    It is believed the recount was called by defending MP Shailesh Vara.

    We have been told the results of both the recounts are expected after 05:00.

  8. Full recount announced for Peterboroughpublished at 03:32 British Summer Time 5 July

    A row of people counting ballot papers that are resting on a table.Image source, Shariqua Ahmed/BBC

    A full recount has been called for Peterborough in the last few minutes.

    It was announced after the entry of Paul Bristow and it is believed that he called for it.

    Labour and Conservative supporters told the BBC that the result was looking very close between the two parties.

    We should have a result later this morning.

    There is no update on the result for North West Cambridgeshire yet.

  9. Paul Bristow arrivespublished at 03:31 British Summer Time 5 July

    Paul Bristow arrives in at the count holding the hand of his wife, both are smiling and he has a blue Conservative rosette.Image source, Shariqua Ahmed/BBC

    We are still waiting on the announcement of the results in Peterborough.

    Paul Bristow, the Conservative candidate and defending MP, has arrived alongside his wife.

    Candidates are currently going through what is known as a "bundle flick" - which means checking all the ballot papers are in the right bundle.

    There are murmurs that there could be a recount and it is looking close between Labour and the Conservative Party.

    A number of people around a table smiling and chatting to each other, with ballot papers on top of the desk.Image source, Shariqua Ahmed/BBC
  10. Candidates inspect rejected votespublished at 02:48 British Summer Time 5 July

    Shariqua Ahmed
    BBC News, Peterborough

    We have been told the results for Peterborough should be announced soon.

    Candidates have been called to inspect the rejected votes.

    There is still no sign of of the Conservative parliamentary candidate Paul Bristow, who is defending the seat. His supporters have said he should be at the count soon.

  11. ‘Swing taking place emphatically tonight’published at 02:16 British Summer Time 5 July

    Shailesh Vara looking directly at the camera in a blue suit and tieImage source, Shariqua Ahmed/BBC
    Image caption,

    Shailesh Vara has been the MP for North West Cambridgeshire for nearly 20 years

    Shailesh Vara, the Conservative candidate for North West Cambridgeshire, has arrived at the count with his wife.

    He is defending the seat, which he has held for nearly 20 years.

    Mr Vara told the BBC: "There has been a lot of conversations [with] frustrated Conservatives. Some I have been able to win around again, and others have decided to think on it so we will find out soon.

    “I have been blessed to have [had] 20 years of service. It’s been a privilege and I hope I can continue but the pendulum of democracy does swing and that swing [is] taking place quite emphatically tonight.”

    When asked he did not want to comment on who he thinks is responsible for the Tory losses.

  12. Andrew Pakes arrives at the countpublished at 01:53 British Summer Time 5 July

    Shariqua Ahmed
    BBC News, Peterborough

    Three men stand beside one another, two dressed in dark suits and one in a gingham jacket. All three wear pink lanyards and the centre male has a red rosette on his lapel.Image source, Shariqua Ahmed/BBC
    Image caption,

    Andrew Pakes (centre) has arrived at the Peterborough count

    Andrew Pakes, the Labour Party parliamentary candidate for Peterborough, has just arrived at the count.

    He has been chatting and sharing a laugh with Peterborough’s Labour city councillors and party supporters, all of who look hopeful.

    He told the BBC he will not be making any comment until the results have been declared.

    Candidates such as Nicola Day from the Green Party, Amjad Hussain of the Workers Party and Nick Sandford of Liberal Democrats, have already arrived.

    Paul Bristow, the Conservative candidate who is defending his seat, is yet to arrive at the count.

    Nicola Day dressed in a green jacket with a green rosette attached to her lapel stands talking to three men.Image source, Shariqua Ahmed/BBC
    Image caption,

    Nicola Day, the Green Party parliamentary candidate for Peterborough, has arrived at the count

  13. Count now startingpublished at 00:48 British Summer Time 5 July

    The total turnout for Peterborough including the postal votes has now been confirmed as 57.27%.

    In total 113 ballot boxes were received on Thursday night, including 46 for Peterborough. All the votes [42, 021] have now been verified and count has officially started in the KingsGate Centre.

    The BBC has been told that the count for North West Cambridgeshire constituency is expected to begin soon. A total of 67 ballot boxes were received from this region.

    Counters checking the ballot papersImage source, Shariqua Ahmed/ BBC
  14. North West Cambridgeshire boxes arrivepublished at 00:29 British Summer Time 5 July

    Ballot boxes from North West Cambridgeshire have started to arrive at KingsGate Centre.

    The total turnout for the constituency was recorded at 52.79%.

    Supporters of Shailesh Vara, the Conservative parliamentary candidate who is defending the seat, said that he was feeling "buoyant".

    Supporters of Labour's parliamentary candidate, Sam Carling - who is 22 - said that the atmosphere was "buzzing on the doorstep", but they could not predict anything.

    A row of counters going through ballot papers, being overseen by a man in a white shirt and lanyard. There is a sign on the table reading "count supervisor".Image source, Emma Baugh/ BBC
  15. 'Going to be close'published at 00:25 British Summer Time 5 July

    More ballot boxes are coming into the count venue, which is situated in the Parnwell area of Peterborough.

    The final turnout for Peterborough, excluding postal votes, has been recorded as 51.77%.

    The count has been set up in the main auditorium in the KingsGate Conference Centre, with dozens of counters ready to start verifying the ballot papers.

    Wayne Fitzgerald, the leader of the Conservatives Party at Peterborough City Council and a councillor for the West ward, said he does not have a clue of how the result will go, but remains "optimistic".

    "The electorate knows best," he added.

    Dennis Jones, Peterborough City Council's Labour leader and councillor for the Dogsthorpe Ward, said: "It is going to be close.

    "The optimist in me thinks we will edge it. Peterborough has never been a safe seat for any party. But I am hoping this time around we go with what's predicted of the Labour landslide. So let's hope for a similar result in Peterborough."

    The candidates are yet to arrive for the count.

    Dennis Jones wearing a red rosette and lanyard in the count auditorium, with counters behind him.Image source, Shariqua Ahmed / BBC
  16. Setting the scene in Peterboroughpublished at 00:18 British Summer Time 5 July

    Shariqua Ahmed
    BBC News, Peterborough

    Polls have now closed across the UK in the general election.

    The first ballot boxes from Peterborough's polling stations have begun to arrive.

    We will be bringing you all the live updates from the count as they happen from the KingsGate Conference Centre.

    Counters sitting waiting behind a row of desks for ballot boxes, in a large conference centre. All the counters are wearing lanyards.Image source, Shariqua Ahmed/BBC
    Image caption,

    The first ballot boxes have started to arrive at Kingsgate Conference Centre

  17. Peterborough: Your issues debatedpublished at 00:14 British Summer Time 5 July

    During the election campaign the BBC has been asking you what really matters in your community.

    Some of these issues, which included immigration, net zero, access to dental care and investment in Peterborough city centre, were put to the politicians standing in the city's constituency.

    The debate has been condensed into six key takeaways here.

    You can find a full list of all the candidates standing in Peterborough here.

    Andrew Pakes, Nick Sandford, Nicola Day, Chris Mann, Paul Bristow and Sue Morris all sitting behind desks with microphones in front of them during the debate.Image source, Tom Dunleavy
    Image caption,

    Andrew Pakes, Nick Sandford, Nicola Day, Paul Bristow and Sue Morris joined the BBC's Chris Mann for a visualised debate

  18. Who won in the last election?published at 00:11 British Summer Time 5 July

    Paul Bristow celebrating winning the election in 2019

    In 2019, Conservative Paul Bristow (pictured, middle) took back control of Peterborough from Labour with 46.7% of the vote, beating the Labour candidate Lisa Forbes who got 41.3% of votes.

    The Liberal Democrats got 4.9%, the Brexit Party 4.4%, the Greens 1.5%, and it was 1% for Independents and other parties.

    In North West Cambridgeshire, Conservative Shailesh Vara retained his seat with a comfortable 62.5% of votes, followed by Labour with 22.2%, Liberal Democrats at 10.7% and Greens at 4.7%.

  19. When will we get the results?published at 00:07 British Summer Time 5 July

    We are expecting back-to-back declarations for both constituencies:

    • Peterborough 02:00
    • North West Cambridgeshire 02:00
  20. The Peterborough campaignpublished at 23:41 British Summer Time 4 July

    Kate Moser Andon
    BBC political reporter, Peterborough

    Campaigning in the city's been a tale of two halves.

    North West Cambridgeshire, which covers the Peterborough suburbs south of the River Nene and villages to the west and south of the city, is a largely rural constituency where the Conservatives are hoping to capitalise on historical support.

    Peterborough, which covers the city north of the Nene and villages to the north east including Newborough, Eye and Thorney, has a smaller Tory majority and Labour has been campaigning hard to make gains here.

    Map showing the North West Cambridgeshire and Peterborough constituenciesImage source, Ordnance Survey
    Image caption,

    The map highlights the NW Cambs constituency, with the Peterborough constituency bordering it to the north-east

    The Workers Party of Britain will be hoping to woo Labour voters in Peterborough.

    Reform UK has candidates in both of the city's constituencies, and gained a decent share of the votes when the Brexit Party ran in Peterborough in 2019.