Lucy Kathleen Nethsingha[1] (née Sellwood; born 6 February 1973) is a British Liberal Democrat politician, who has served as Leader of Cambridgeshire County Council since 2021, as leader of the Liberal Democrats in the council since 2015, and as a councillor since 2009. She was a Member of the European Parliament (MEP) for the East of England from 2019 until the United Kingdom's withdrawal from the EU in 2020.[2] She was chair of the Parliament's Committee on Legal Affairs (JURI).[3]
Lucy Nethsingha | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Leader of Cambridgeshire County Council | |
| Assumed office 18 May 2021 | |
| Deputy | Elisa Meschini |
| Preceded by | Steve Count |
| Lib Dem Group Leader on Cambridgeshire County Council | |
| Assumed office May 2015 | |
| Deputy | Maurice Leeke David Jenkins Lorna Dupré |
| Preceded by | Maurice Leeke |
| Member of the European Parliament for East of England | |
| In office 2 July 2019 – 31 January 2020 | |
| Preceded by | David Campbell Bannerman |
| Succeeded by | Constituency abolished |
| Cambridgeshire County Councillor for Newnham | |
| Assumed office 4 June 2009 | |
| Preceded by | Alexander Reid |
| Majority | 548 (23.0%) |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 6 February 1973 Southampton, England |
| Political party | Liberal Democrats |
| Spouse | Andrew Nethsingha |
Early life
editBorn in Southampton in 1973,[4] she attended the comprehensive Penair School, in Truro, to the age of 16. She attended the sixth form of the independent Truro School, then gained a BSc degree in Psychology from the University of Southampton.
Politics
editNethsingha served as a Liberal Democrat councillor on Gloucester City Council from 2004 to 2008.[5][6] After moving to Cambridgeshire, Nethsingha was elected for the Newnham division on Cambridgeshire County Council as a Liberal Democrat at the 2009 election,[7] and has been leader of the Liberal Democrat Group on the council since 2015 (she had previously been deputy leader since 2011).[8][9] From 2016 to 2024, she also represented the Newnham ward on Cambridge City Council.[10]
She unsuccessfully contested the North East Cambridgeshire parliamentary constituency in the 2015 general election, finishing in fourth place out of five candidates with 2,314 votes (4.5%).[11] In the snap general election held two years later, she contested South East Cambridgeshire and finished last out of three candidates with 11,958 votes (19.0%).[12]
Nethsingha became a Member of the European Parliament in the 2019 elections, until 2020 when the United Kingdom left the EU.
After the 2021 Cambridgeshire County Council election she became leader of the council after agreeing a deal with the Labour and Independent groups.[13]
Personal life
editNethsingha grew up in Cornwall, which she states made her aware of the importance of caring for the environment. She is a teacher by profession and holds a master's degree from the University of Cambridge.
In 1996 she married Andrew Nethsingha, who has been organist and master of the choristers at Westminster Abbey since 2023.[14][15] They have three children.[16]
References
edit- ^ "European Parliamentary Election – Eastern Region, Thursday 23 May 2019 Statement of Parties and Individual Candidates Nominated and Notice of Poll", Cambridge City Council, 25 April 2019. Retrieved 27 May 2019.
- ^ "The UK's European elections 2019". BBC News. Retrieved 26 May 2019.
- ^ "New Chair and Vice-Chairs of the JURI Committee". European Parliament. 10 July 2019. Retrieved 13 July 2019.
- ^ "Lucy NETHSINGHA | MEPs". www.europarl.europa.eu. European Parliament. 6 February 1973. Retrieved 10 July 2019.
- ^ "Council agenda, 22 June 2004" (PDF). Gloucester City Council. Retrieved 26 June 2022.
- ^ "Council minutes, 13 March 2008" (PDF). Gloucester City Council. Retrieved 26 June 2022.
- ^ "Councillor Lucy Nethsingha", Cambridgeshire County Council. Retrieved 27 May 2019.
- ^ "County Council: Minutes, 12 May 2015", Cambridgeshire County Council, p. 10. Retrieved 27 May 2019.
- ^ Councillors Neil McGovern, Andy Pellew, Simon Brierley, et al., "County Council Liberal Democrats name their new team", Focus on King's Hedges, 22 June 2011. Retrieved 27 May 2019.
- ^ "Councillor Lucy Nethsingha", Cambridge City Council. Retrieved 27 May 2019.
- ^ "North East Cambridgeshire"[usurped], Democratic Dashboard. Retrieved 27 May 2019.
- ^ "Cambridgeshire South East parliamentary constituency – Election 2017", BBC News. Retrieved 27 May 2019.
- ^ Hatton, Benjamin (20 May 2021). "Lib Dem Lucy Nethsingha officially selected as leader of Cambridgeshire County Council". Cambridgeshire Live. Retrieved 14 June 2021.
- ^ "Nethsingha, Andrew Mark", Who's Who (online ed., Oxford University Press, December 2018). Retrieved 27 May 2019.
- ^ "Register of members' disclosable pecuniary interests", Cambridgeshire County Council, 6 May 2017. Retrieved 27 May 2019.
- ^ "Lucy Nethsingha", Liberal Democrats. Retrieved 27 May 2019.