Comments on: Cambridgeshire North East

By: Barnaby Marder

Barnaby Marder — Fri, 23 Sep 2011 09:49:25 +0000

Interesting by-election result in Staithe ward last night:
Con 228 (42.0; -13.1)
Lab 166 (30.6; +1.8)
LD 90 (16.6; +16.6)
UKIP 39 (7.2; -8.9)
Ind 20 (3.7; +3.7)
Majority 62
Turnout 28.8%
Con hold
Percentage change is since May 2011.
Interesting because of the LD intervention & who they clearly took their votes from. Labour have done fairly well in a ward which didn’t seem at all possible in May but remain unrepresented on the council.
A town council by-election held simultaneously saw a very similar result.

By: Joe James B

Joe James B — Sun, 03 Apr 2011 00:29:19 +0000

Fenland – May 2011

Con hold

By: Joe James B

Joe James B — Sat, 05 Mar 2011 22:57:55 +0000

I think the south Cambridgshire area, including Ely, is a more affluent hub, with many people who work in Science parks, or various other jobs spinning off from the University.

Communications in North East Cambridgshire are not bad.
There is a good east-west road from Kings Lynn to Peterborough via Wisbech (which also has quite a frequent express bus)
March has a rail service to Peterborough and Ely which connects well to Cambridge,
but I guess the Cambridge effect just fades in these parts.

By: Joe James B

Joe James B — Sat, 05 Mar 2011 22:53:02 +0000

Some of these places up the east side of the country are somewhat remote, insular, and not very well off.
But they are often quite pleasant nevertheless, and vary a lot.

The farming in East Anglia and Lincolnshire is probably pretty successful.

By: Andy JS

Andy JS — Sat, 05 Mar 2011 22:49:47 +0000

That’s a pity – I’d imagined it to be a nice place.

By: Joe James B

Joe James B — Sat, 05 Mar 2011 22:28:54 +0000

Yes, I can imagine it might be actually.
Pictures of rivers can mislead.

I imagined it is a small picturesque place but is probably larger than Ely and about the same size as Wisbech.

I think Spalding in South Holland is quite pleasant,
and Wisbech is ok/ varied.

By: Pete Whitehead

Pete Whitehead — Sat, 05 Mar 2011 22:08:46 +0000

March is a dump

By: Joe James B

Joe James B — Sat, 05 Mar 2011 21:56:11 +0000

Thanks all, for the details.
March, from the photos, looks like a nice place, on the River Nene,
but it may be varied.
I hadn’t actually realised it is part of the Isle of Ely itself (although of course was in that seat pre 1983).

Yes, the large number of uncontested wards in 2007 flatters the Tory position somewhat, although I found it surprising Labour didn’t even put up candidates.

By: Lorna Spenceley

Lorna Spenceley — Sat, 05 Mar 2011 09:55:44 +0000

38 Tories, 1 Lib Dem and 1 Independent, actually.

By: Edward Carlsson Browne

Edward Carlsson Browne — Sat, 05 Mar 2011 00:45:33 +0000

Being the opposition on Fenland doesn’t count for much – it’s 39 Tories and 1 Independent right now.

In places like Fenland we might have more of a chance in 2012 once the memory of government has had another year to fade, but I think it’s still probably too soon.

On the other hand, whilst March is one of the better bits for Labour, we don’t seem to have stood in the north of it recently. I’d suggest the East ward or one or two of the ones in Wisbech would be our best bests for a gain.