Charlotte Kathryn Bourne Cane is a British Liberal Democrat politician who has been the Member of Parliament for Ely and East Cambridgeshire since 2024.
Charlotte Cane | |
|---|---|
 Official portrait, 2024 | |
| Member of Parliament for Ely and East Cambridgeshire | |
| Assumed office 4 July 2024 | |
| Preceded by | Constituency established |
| Majority | 495 (0.9%) |
| Personal details | |
| Political party | Liberal Democrats |
| Children | 2 |
| Alma mater | University of Birmingham |
Early life and education
editCane moved around growing up as her father was in the army, while her mother was a teacher.
She was privately educated at St Helen's School,[1] before studying ancient history and archaeology at the University of Birmingham, where she met her husband. The couple worked together as field archaeologists, but due to financial circumstances, Cane retrained as a chartered accountant.[2]
At the time of the general election campaign, Cane had retired from her finance positions which had latterly been in the third sector.[3]
Political career
editLocal council
editCane was elected unopposed to East Cambridgeshire District Council in 1999 representing The Swaffhams.[4] retaining her seat four years later.[5] The following year she resigned her seat and the by-election resulted in a gain by the Conservatives.[6][7]
By 2011, Cane had returned to Cambridgeshire politics, standing unsuccessfully for East Cambridgeshire District in The Swaffhams and coming second to the incumbent Conservative. She stood again in 2015, also coming second.[6] This ward was abolished in 2019 and Cane stood successfully in Bottisham ward topping the poll in a two-member seat.[8] She successfully defended her council seat in 2023.[9]
Cane twice stood unsuccessfully for Cambridgeshire County Council in Burwell ward in 2017[10] and 2021,[11] coming second on each occasion.
In November 2014, Cane joined Reach, Cambridgeshire Parish Council.[12] She stood down from this during the summer of 2024.[13]
Parliamentary candidate
editCane first stood for election to Parliament in the 1987 general election as the Liberal candidate in Birmingham Selly Oak (UK Parliament constituency) where she came third with 15.4% of the vote.[14] She stood again in the 2019 general election, as the Liberal Democrat candidate in Harlow coming in third with 5.5% of the vote, enough to save the election deposit.[15][16] She was elected as the member of Parliament for Ely and East Cambridgeshire in the 2024 general election. Cane narrowly defeated the Conservative candidate Lucy Frazer, who was MP for South East Cambridgeshire, which covered much of the same area, from 2015 to 2024.[17]
Parliamentary career
editOn 28 October 2024, Cane became a member of the Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Select Committee.[18]
As of 6 November 2024, more than four months since her election, she became the 319th out of 332 new MPs to make a maiden speech and last of the Liberal Democrat intake.[19][20][21] She opened her speech with a reference to the former Liberal MP Clement Freud and closed it with thanks to her family, her agent, and porridge.[22]
Personal life
editIn 1994, Cane moved to Reach, Cambridgeshire, for an arts charity job, where she later raised her two children.[2]
References
edit- ^ https://www.linkedin.com/in/charlotte-cane-01539313/details/education/
- ^ a b "Our new MPs – Marie Goldman, Charlotte Cane, Victoria Collins, Steffan Aquarone, Pippa Heylings". Liberal Democrat Voice. 6 July 2024. Retrieved 7 July 2024.
- ^ "C Cane LinkedIn profile".
- ^ "East Cambs District Council election results 1999" (PDF).
- ^ "East Cambs District election results 2003" (PDF).
- ^ a b "Local Elections Archive Project — The Swaffhams Ward". www.andrewteale.me.uk.
- ^ "The Swaffham Crier Online".
- ^ "District Council Elections Results – 2nd May 2019". East Cambridgeshire District Council. April 8, 2019.
- ^ "Elections Results: 4 May 2023". East Cambridgeshire District Council. January 27, 2023.
- ^ "Local Elections Archive Project – 2017 – Cambridgeshire". www.andrewteale.me.uk.
- ^ "Local Elections Archive Project – 2021 – Cambridgeshire". www.andrewteale.me.uk.
- ^ "Minutes of Reach Parish Council Nov 2014" (PDF).
- ^ "Minutes of Reach Parish Council 3 Sept 24".
- ^ "UK Parliament Birmingham Selly Oak 1987".
- ^ Reporter, Staff (2019-10-24). "Harlow's Lib-Dem candidate for next General Election announced". Your Harlow. Retrieved 2024-07-14.
- ^ "Harlow parliamentary constituency – Election 2019 – BBC News". Retrieved 2024-07-14.
- ^ "Ely and East Cambridgeshire General Election 2024". BBC News. Retrieved 26 June 2024.
- ^ "House of Commons directory of MPs".
- ^ "Maiden Speeches in the House of Commons since 1918".
- ^ "spoken contributions for Charlotte Cane MP".
- ^ "MPs Maiden Speeches".
- ^ "C Cane Maiden Speech".