Constituency profile: Cambridge
Could the Lib Dems stage a comeback in this strongly pro-Remain seat?
MPs from the Conservative, Labour and Liberal Democrat parties have all represented Cambridge over the past 30 years.
But recently the seat has become purely a two-horse race between Labour and the Lib Dems.
Changing demographics within the city, together with an expanding student population, have pushed Cambridge leftwards across the political spectrum.
Since 1992, the constituency has alternated between Labour and Lib Dem MPs and was won by Labour at both the 2015 and 2017 elections.
Daniel Zeichner is defending the seat for Labour and does so from a position of strength, having increased his majority from 599 in 2015 to 12,661 in 2017.
But the party believes it has a chance – and Brexit could be the key to victory.
The area covered by the local authority of Cambridge – not quite the same as the parliamentary constituency – voted 73.8% Remain in the 2016 EU referendum.
This was the 10th highest Remain vote in the UK.
If the Lib Dems’ anti-Brexit message attracts a lot of Labour voters disillusioned with Jeremy Corbyn’s Brexit policy, plus some Remain-backing Conservatives, Cambridge might be within the party’s grasp.
Party leader Jo Swinson visited the seat on Wednesday as part of the Liberal Democrats’ manifesto launch.
A total of eight candidates are standing in Cambridge in this election: Labour, Lib Dems, Conservative, Green, Brexit Party, SDP, Rebooting Democracy and an independent.
