Ely & East Cambridgeshire / data
Charlotte Cane · Liberal Democrats · sitting since 04 Jul 2024 · every division, speech and committee appearance.
Since election
659days
from 04 Jul 2024
Divisions
349
of 504 possible
Attendance
69%
155 absent / paired
Whip alignment
100%
vs party majority
Speeches
220
50 debates
Written Qs
320
314 answered
Committees
2
memberships
Expenses
£178k paid
FY 2024–2025 · 153 claims
Interests
9
3 categories
A · Overview
Issue volume
Top issues by total divisions voted — engagement only, not direction.
| Issue | Volume | Votes |
|---|---|---|
| Taxation | 74 | |
| Economy | 64 | |
| Employment | 37 | |
| Crime & Policing | 34 | |
| Education | 28 | |
| Welfare and Benefits | 23 | |
| Constitution and Democracy | 23 | |
| Pensions | 21 |
Speech topics
Words spoken, by topic. Source: Hansard.
| Topic | Debates | Words |
|---|---|---|
| Economy Jobs | 10 | 7,351 |
| Social Care | 12 | 6,197 |
| Education | 10 | 5,285 |
| Environment | 6 | 4,297 |
| Transport | 3 | 3,299 |
| Health | 6 | 2,853 |
| Local Government | 10 | 2,626 |
| Labour Market | 2 | 2,006 |
B · Notable divisions
Free votes, rebellions and high-salience whipped votes — the moments that distinguish this MP from the party machine. The full division-by-division record will follow once the per-MP archive is wired.
| Date | Division | Whip | MP voted |
|---|---|---|---|
| 13 Jun 2025 | Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill: New Clause 2Vote on New Clause 2 to the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill, debated alongside related amendments including provisions on guidance,… | Free vote | Aye |
C · Speeches
| Date | Contribution | Words |
|---|---|---|
| 14 Apr 2026 | Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee — Oral Evidence (HC 899)Effectively, you take what you are given. | 7 |
| 14 Apr 2026 | Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee — Oral Evidence (HC 899)There is always going to be a balance with any organisation, with having enough people to have them on each of the inquiries, but not having too big a group to actually work togeth… | 46 |
| 14 Apr 2026 | Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee — Oral Evidence (HC 899)However, as you say, you have a part in the process, even though not the ultimate decision. Whereas with the political one, you have no part at all. Then a more personal question. … | 71 |
| 14 Apr 2026 | Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee — Oral Evidence (HC 899)What about the process for appointing the vacancy—it is the parties who do it? | 14 |
| 14 Apr 2026 | Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee — Oral Evidence (HC 899)Good morning. I am going to be looking at resources. Starting with what level of staffing and funding do you need in order to carry out the full scope of your remit? | 32 |
| 14 Apr 2026 | Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee — Oral Evidence (HC 899)Are you confident that you are going to get a positive answer? | 12 |
| 14 Apr 2026 | Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee — Oral Evidence (HC 899)You said that you are hoping to get the independent commissioners in place soon. Do you have an idea of a rough date for that? | 25 |
| 14 Apr 2026 | Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee — Oral Evidence (HC 899)The political commissioners, how are you getting on with those? | 10 |
| 13 Apr 2026 | SEND Provision and ReformI agree; we must not set things up in competition. I would like to ask the Minister three questions. First, what is she going to do to make sure that every school in every area has… EducationSocial CareLocal Government | 113 |
| 13 Apr 2026 | SEND Provision and ReformOne of the things that shocked me most when I was elected was how much we are failing children with special educational needs. We all get those emails in our inbox, and they are he… EducationSocial CareLocal Government | 197 |
| 26 Mar 2026 | Public Accounts Committee — Oral Evidence (HC 888)Yes, I do. We heard at the beginning about the gentleman who is terminally ill and not yet receiving regular payments, and about some widows who are not receiving them. Why are the… | 54 |
| 26 Mar 2026 | Public Accounts Committee — Oral Evidence (HC 888)You said that the average wait time for people with a general query, not one of your priorities, is less than 100 seconds. | 23 |
| 26 Mar 2026 | Public Accounts Committee — Oral Evidence (HC 888)Thank you for letting me guest today. I need to declare an interest; I am also a civil service pensioner, a retired member of the FDA, and indeed, a member of the Civil Service Pen… | 102 |
| 26 Mar 2026 | Public Accounts Committee — Oral Evidence (HC 888)How many complaints have you had regarding inappropriate service from call centre staff? | 13 |
| 26 Mar 2026 | Public Accounts Committee — Oral Evidence (HC 888)That is good to hear, but I would like to see the figures. As you know, at PACAC there was discussion of insensitive call handling. I understand from the media that you consider th… | 84 |
D · Written questions
Top departments
| Department | Questions | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Department of Health and Social Care | 46 | 14.4% |
| Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs | 41 | 12.8% |
| Department for Transport | 39 | 12.2% |
| Department for Energy Security and Net Zero | 33 | 10.3% |
| Department for Education | 27 | 8.4% |
| Department for Work and Pensions | 25 | 7.8% |
| Department for Science, Innovation and Technology | 21 | 6.6% |
| Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government | 20 | 6.3% |
Most recent
| Date | Department | Question | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| 14 Apr 2026 | Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs | To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of the closure of bioenergy power stations which burn agricultural waste, including straw and poultry lit… | Pending |
| 14 Apr 2026 | Department for Education | To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she plans to account for the costs of transporting SEND students to school in rural areas when making future funding allocations. | Pending |
| 14 Apr 2026 | Department for Transport | To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the answer of 26 March 2026 to question 121006, whether her Department will consider underlying geology within its review of the funding formula for the distribution of capital fundin… | Pending |
| 14 Apr 2026 | Department for Science, Innovation and Technology | To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether her Department has assessed the suitability of incentives to build mobile network infrastructure to meet the needs of rural areas. | Pending |
| 14 Apr 2026 | Department for Science, Innovation and Technology | To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, pursuant to the answer of 24 March 2026 to question 121001, whether her Department has considered the use of independent, real-terms data when mapping mobile coverage. | Pending |
| 14 Apr 2026 | Ministry of Justice | To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, when his Department plans to respond to the Law Commission's recommendations on the reclamation and reuse of graves. | Pending |
| 14 Apr 2026 | Department of Health and Social Care | To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to improve children's access to dental care in Ely and East Cambridgeshire constituency. | Answered |
| 14 Apr 2026 | Department of Health and Social Care | To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what funding is available to local authorities to improve oral hygiene education in primary schools. | Answered |
| 16 Mar 2026 | Department for Science, Innovation and Technology | To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what data her Department uses to track progress on 4G and 5G coverage targets. | Answered |
| 16 Mar 2026 | Department for Transport | To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what estimate her Department has made of the annual cost of repairing and maintaining soil affected roads. | Answered |
| 16 Mar 2026 | Department for Science, Innovation and Technology | To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of Ofcom’s mobile coverage maps. | Answered |
| 16 Mar 2026 | Department for Science, Innovation and Technology | To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what process Ofcom follows after receiving feedback on mobile coverage maps. | Answered |
| 16 Mar 2026 | Department for Transport | To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the answer of 5 March 2026 to question 117027, whether her Department plans to review highways maintenance funding formulas alongside the review of highways maintenance best practice. | Answered |
| 02 Mar 2026 | Department for Transport | To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what data her Department holds on the condition of roads in Ely and East Cambridgeshire constituency. | Answered |
| 02 Mar 2026 | Department for Transport | To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of peat soils on road maintenance. | Answered |
E · Committees
| Committee | Role | House | Start | End |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Statutory Instruments (Select Committee)Select | Member | Commons | 26 Jan 2026 | present |
| Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs CommitteeSelect | Member | Commons | 28 Oct 2024 | present |
F · Expenses
Every business-cost claim reimbursed by IPSA in the current financial year, grouped by category. “Aggregated” rows are IPSA’s own year-end totals for cost types like payroll and rent that aren’t itemised claim-by-claim.
Category breakdown
| Category | Claims | Paid (£) | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Staffing | 16 | 141,618 | 79.7% |
| Office Costs | 118 | 15,401 | 8.7% |
| Accommodation | 4 | 17,773 | 10.0% |
| MP Travel | 0 | 961 | 0.5% |
| Staff Travel | 0 | 1,928 | 1.1% |
Top itemised cost types
| Cost type | Category | Claims | Paid (£) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Training - staff | Staffing | 13 | 19,403 |
| Rent | Office Costs | 9 | 5,434 |
| Pooled staffing services | Staffing | 1 | 4,900 |
| Hotel - London | Accommodation | 4 | 2,594 |
| Equipment - purchase | Office Costs | 12 | 2,169 |
| Stationery & printing | Office Costs | 64 | 2,062 |
| Recruitment Services &Costs | Staffing | 1 | 1,800 |
| Software & applications | Office Costs | 4 | 1,622 |
| Training - MP | Office Costs | 1 | 1,428 |
| Bought-in services | Office Costs | 1 | 1,215 |
| Venue hire, meetings & surgeries | Office Costs | 11 | 655 |
| Service charge & ground Rent | Office Costs | 6 | 618 |
Most recent
| Date | Category | Description | Paid (£) | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15 Nov 2025 | Office Costs Venue hire, meetings & surgeries | Venue hire, meetings & surgeries | 68 | Paid |
| 17 Apr 2025 | Office Costs Venue hire, meetings & surgeries | Repayment of 60287940 | 0 | Repaid |
| 16 Apr 2025 | Office Costs Landline phone & internet - rental & usage | Landline | 83 | Paid |
| 01 Apr 2025 | Office Costs Rent | Rent | 780 | Paid |
| 31 Mar 2025 | Staffing Recruitment Services &Costs | HIVE SUPPORT LTD [200011725-9762] | 1,800 | Paid |
| 31 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Rent | 2024-25 [***] rent pro-rata | -780 | Paid |
| 27 Mar 2025 | Staffing Training - staff | Full MP team development training [200011803-216] | 1,428 | Paid |
| 27 Mar 2025 | Staffing Training - staff | Full MP team development training [200011803-211] | 1,428 | Paid |
| 27 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Training - MP | Full MP team development training [200011803-217] | 1,428 | Paid |
| 27 Mar 2025 | Staffing Training - staff | Full MP team development training [200011803-213] | 1,428 | Paid |
| 27 Mar 2025 | Staffing Training - staff | Full MP team development training [200011803-214] | 1,428 | Paid |
| 27 Mar 2025 | Staffing Training - staff | Full MP team development training [200011803-210] | 1,428 | Paid |
| 27 Mar 2025 | Staffing Training - staff | Full MP team development training [200011803-212] | 1,428 | Paid |
| 27 Mar 2025 | Staffing Training - staff | Full MP team development training [200011803-215] | 1,428 | Paid |
| 27 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Postage & couriers | Important documents sent to constituent via recorded delivery | 6 | Paid |
| 24 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Postage & couriers | ROYAL MAIL GROUP LTD [200011725-7231] | 5 | Paid |
| 24 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Postage & couriers | ROYAL MAIL GROUP LTD [200011725-7233] | -5 | Paid |
| 20 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Stationery & printing | Banner March 2025 | 150 | Paid |
| 20 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Stationery & printing | Banner March 2025 | 30 | Paid |
| 20 Mar 2025 | Office Costs Stationery & printing | Banner March 2025 | 8 | Paid |
G · Register of interests
Every financial interest declared by the MP, grouped under the Register’s official categories. Retracted entries are hidden but counted above.
1. Employment and earnings2 entries
02 Oct 2024
Remuneration: £691.43 a month
From: 25 August 2025.
Hours: 40 hrs a month approx.
Paid directly to: a charity
(Registered 1 August 2024; updated 30 September 2024 and 26 September 2025)
02 Oct 2024
Role, work or services: District Councillor
Payer: East Cambridgeshire District Council (District Council), The Grange, Nutholt Lane Ely CB7 4EE
(Registered 30 July 2024)
3. Gifts, benefits and hospitality from UK sources3 entries
03 Feb 2026
Name of donor: National Liberal Club
Address of donor: 1 Whitehall Place, London SW1A 2HE
Amount of donation or nature and value if donation in kind: Complimentary Membership of the NLC from 1 January 2026 to 31 December 2026, value £1,140
Date received: 1 January 2026 to 31 December 2026
Date accepted: 1 January 2026
Donor status: company, registration 01355034
(Registered 20 January 2026)
07 Oct 2025
Name of donor: National Liberal Club
Address of donor: 1 Whitehall Place, London, SW1A 2HE
Amount of donation or nature and value if donation in kind: Complimentary Membership of the NLC from 22 August 2024 to 31 December 2025, value £1,552.86
Date received: 14 August 2024 to 30 December 2025
Date accepted: 14 August 2024
Donor status: other (Unincorporated Association)
(Registered 30 September 2024)
05 Aug 2025
Name of donor: The Jockey Club
Address of donor: 21-27 Lambs Conduit Street, London WC1N 3NL
Amount of donation or nature and value if donation in kind: Two Friday afternoon tickets, for myself and a guest, at the Newmarket July Festival in the Jockey Club area, with buffet lunch and drinks (the value is estimated), value £800
Date received: 11 July 2025
Date accepted: 11 July 2025
Donor status: company, registration RC000287
(Registered 30 July 2025)
8. Miscellaneous4 entries
05 Aug 2025
Name of donor: Chartered Institute for Archaeologists
Affiliate Membership of the Chartered Institute for Archaeologists. This is an unpaid role.
Date interest arose: 23 April 2025
(Registered 30 July 2025)
16 Aug 2024
Life Membership of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales.
(Registered 4 August 2024)
16 Aug 2024
Honorary Director Reach Community Solar Farm Ltd. This is an unpaid role.
(Registered 11 July 2024)
16 Aug 2024
Trustee of the Brian David Hilton Will Trust (which owns a residential property in Ely with no financial benefit). This is an unpaid role.
(Registered 11 July 2024)
H · Ward results
Most recent winning councillor in each ward — 16 wards, 30 councillor seats.
| Ward | Councillor | Party | Votes | Election |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bottisham | Charlotte Cane | Liberal Democrats | 888 | 04 May 2023 |
| Bottisham | John Joseph Trapp | Liberal Democrats | 831 | 04 May 2023 |
| Burwell | David Brown | Conservative and Unionist Party | 827 | 04 May 2023 |
| Burwell | Lavinia Edwards | Conservative and Unionist Party | 817 | 04 May 2023 |
| Cottenham | Eileen Wilson | Liberal Democrats | 864 | 16 Mar 2023 |
| Downham Villages | Anna Bailey | Conservative and Unionist Party | 598 | 04 May 2023 |
| Ely East | Kathrin Julia Holtzmann | Liberal Democrats | 855 | 04 May 2023 |
| Ely East | Mary Helen Wade | Liberal Democrats | 942 | 04 May 2023 |
| Ely North | Alison Whelan | Liberal Democrats | 883 | 04 May 2023 |
| Ely North | Chika Akinwale | Liberal Democrats | 841 | 04 May 2023 |
| Ely West | Ross David Trent | Liberal Democrats | 1,125 | 18 Apr 2024 |
| Fordham Isleham | Julia Huffer | Conservative and Unionist Party | 858 | 04 May 2023 |
| Fordham Isleham | Kelli Louise Pettitt | Conservative and Unionist Party | 764 | 04 May 2023 |
| Haddenham | Gareth Laurence Philip Wilson | Liberal Democrats | 496 | 04 May 2023 |
| Littleport | Christine Ambrose Smith | Conservative and Unionist Party | 781 | 04 May 2023 |
| Littleport | David Joseph Miller | Conservative and Unionist Party | 652 | 04 May 2023 |
| Littleport | Martin Goodearl | Conservative and Unionist Party | 729 | 04 May 2023 |
| Milton Waterbeach | Anna Elizabeth Bradnam | Liberal Democrats | 1,485 | 05 May 2022 |
| Milton Waterbeach | Judith Mary Isabel Rippeth | Liberal Democrats | 1,255 | 05 May 2022 |
| Milton Waterbeach | Paul Bearpark | Liberal Democrats | 1,412 | 05 May 2022 |
| Soham North | Keith Horgan | Conservative and Unionist Party | 412 | 04 May 2023 |
| Soham North | Mark Goldsack | Conservative and Unionist Party | 601 | 04 May 2023 |
| Soham South | Ian Bovingdon | Conservative and Unionist Party | 591 | 04 May 2023 |
| Soham South | Lucius Nico Vellacott | Conservative and Unionist Party | 517 | 04 May 2023 |
| Stretham | Bill Hunt | Conservative and Unionist Party | 1,019 | 04 May 2023 |
| Stretham | Caroline Shepherd | Liberal Democrats | 1,063 | 04 May 2023 |
| Sutton | Lorna Dupré | Liberal Democrats | 1,233 | 04 May 2023 |
| Sutton | Mark Inskip | Liberal Democrats | 1,003 | 04 May 2023 |
| Woodditton | Alan Gordon Sharp | Conservative and Unionist Party | 918 | 04 May 2023 |
| Woodditton | James Lay | Conservative and Unionist Party | 842 | 04 May 2023 |
I · Demographics
| Indicator | Value | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Population (2021 Census) | 107,186 | Electorate 79,112 (2024) |
| Median age | 43 | years |
| Degree-educated | 37.2% | level 4 or above |
| Ethnicity (White) | 93.6% | 2021 Census ethnic group |
| Owner-occupied | 69.6% | households |
| Private-rented | 16.7% | households |
| Social-rented | 13.6% | households |
| Employment rate | 62.9% | 16-64 in work |
J · Public spending
HMT publishes headline spending identifiable by region in PESA. Constituency-level capital allocations (Levelling-Up Fund, Towns Fund, UKSPF, transport capital, BEIS R&D) are published as separate departmental datasets. We are evaluating the cleanest reconciliation for a per-constituency view.