Cheney Payne selected as PPC for Cambridge

Cambridge Liberal Democrats have officially selected Cllr Cheney Payne, Deputy Leader of the Liberal Democrat Group on Cambridge City Council, as their Prospective Parliamentary Candidate for Cambridge.

Cheney has lived in Cambridge for 15 years, first coming here to study Theology and then complete a PGCE at Cambridge University. Cheney now works as an Assistant Principal at a Secondary School in St Neots and lives in King’s Hedges with her husband.

Cheney was first elected to the represent Castle Ward on the City Council in 2018 and was re-elected in 2021. As a councillor, Cheney has stood up for her local community and campaigned on issues such as improving and protecting local bus services, preventing drink spiking in local pubs and bars and tackling dangerous and anti-social driving.

She was enthusiastically selected by local party members to fight the Cambridge constituency at the next general election – the second closest Labour facing target seat for the Liberal Democrats in the country. The seat was held by the Liberal Democrats between 2005 and 2015 by David Howarth and then Julian Huppert.

Cheney said: "It is an absolute honour to be selected as your Prospective Parliamentary Candidate for Cambridge at the next General Election.  Cambridge has a strong legacy of Liberal Democrat MPs in Julian Huppert and David Howarth, and I am excited to begin the journey towards winning back Cambridge for the Lib Dems." 

"Against the backdrop of rising inflation, cuts to public services and the climate crisis, it is clear that we need Liberal Democrats in Parliament.  We are the only party with such a strong record of action on climate change, who are committed to restoring our close relationship with the EU and reforming the UK.  After the political turmoil of the last few months, it is clear that the public want an alternative.  I am 100% committed to showing the people of Cambridge that the Liberal Democrats offer exactly that."