Editing Cambridge (section)

== Governance ==
{{main|Cambridge City Council}}
[[File:Cambridge UK ward map 2010 coloured on Cambridge-Openstreetmap-08-06-13.svg|thumb|upright=1.1|Map showing the 2010 electoral boundaries of the city (prior to 2021 ward boundary changes) with [[postcode district]]s superimposed]]
There are two main tiers of local government covering Cambridge, at [[non-metropolitan district|district]] and [[non-metropolitan county|county]] level: [[Cambridge City Council]] and [[Cambridgeshire County Council]]. Since 2017, both authorities have been members of the [[Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority]]. The [[leader of the council|leader]] of the city council is the city's representative on the combined authority, which is led by the directly-elected [[Mayor of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough]].<ref>{{cite legislation UK|type=si|si=The Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority Order 2017|year=2017|number=251|access-date=13 June 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|date=31 January 2017|title=Cambridgeshire and Peterborough make devolution history – Politics – Cambridge Independent|url=http://www.cambridgeindependent.co.uk/news/politics/cambridgeshire_and_peterborough_make_devolution_history_1_4788095|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170131184922/http://www.cambridgeindependent.co.uk/news/politics/cambridgeshire_and_peterborough_make_devolution_history_1_4788095|url-status=dead|archive-date=31 January 2017|access-date=22 April 2021}}</ref> The district covers most of the city's urban area, although some suburbs extend into the surrounding [[South Cambridgeshire]] district. The city council's headquarters are in the [[Cambridge Guildhall|Guildhall]], a large building in the market square.<ref>{{NHLE|num=1268372|desc=Guildhall|access-date=4 January 2018|mode=cs2}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Council offices |url=https://www.cambridge.gov.uk/council-offices |website=Cambridge City Council |access-date=14 June 2023}}</ref>

=== Westminster ===
{{See also|Cambridge (UK Parliament constituency)}}
The [[British House of Commons|parliamentary]] [[Cambridge (UK Parliament constituency)|constituency of Cambridge]] covers most of the city; [[Daniel Zeichner]] ([[Labour Party (UK)|Labour]]) has represented the seat since the [[2015 United Kingdom general election|2015 general election]]. The seat was generally held by the [[Conservative Party (UK)|Conservatives]] until it was won by Labour in 1992, then taken by the [[Liberal Democrats (UK)|Liberal Democrats]] in 2005 and 2010, before returning to Labour in 2015. A southern area of the city, Queen Edith's ward and Cherry Hinton ward,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.election-maps.co.uk/ |title=Ordnance Survey |publisher=Election maps |access-date=17 July 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080307072911/http://www.election-maps.co.uk/ |archive-date=7 March 2008 |url-status=dead}}</ref> falls within the [[South Cambridgeshire (UK Parliament constituency)|South Cambridgeshire]] constituency, whose MP is [[Pippa Heylings]] ([[Liberal Democrats (UK)|Lib Dems]]), first elected in 2024.

The University of Cambridge formerly had two seats in the House of Commons; Sir [[Isaac Newton]] was one of the most notable MPs. The [[Cambridge University (UK Parliament constituency)|Cambridge University constituency]] was abolished under 1948 legislation, and ceased at the dissolution of Parliament for the [[1950 United Kingdom general election|1950 general election]], along with the other [[university constituencies]].

===Administrative history===
Cambridge was an [[ancient borough]]. Its earliest known [[municipal charter]] was issued by [[Henry I of England|Henry I]] in the early 12th century.<ref>{{cite book |title=Report of the Commissioners appointed to inquire into the Municipal Corporations in England and Wales: Appendix 4 |date=1835 |page=2185 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=MHBTAAAAcAAJ&pg=PA2185 |access-date=23 December 2024}}</ref> A subsequent charter from [[John, King of England|King John]] in 1207 permitted the appointment of a mayor;<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.cambridge.gov.uk/ceremonial-maces-chain-of-office-city-chest | title=Ceremonial maces, 1207 charter and the city's coat of arms | publisher=Cambridge City Council | access-date=8 June 2015 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151016055235/https://www.cambridge.gov.uk/ceremonial-maces-chain-of-office-city-chest | archive-date=16 October 2015 | url-status=dead | df=dmy-all}}</ref> the first recorded mayor, Harvey FitzEustace, served in 1213.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cambridge.gov.uk/ccm/content/council-and-democracy/how-the-council-works/the-mayor/mayors-of-cambridge.en |title=The mayors of Cambridge |publisher=Cambridge City Council |access-date=4 March 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090923003216/http://www.cambridge.gov.uk/ccm/content/council-and-democracy/how-the-council-works/the-mayor/mayors-of-cambridge.en |archive-date=23 September 2009}}</ref> Until the 20th century, the borough covered the same area as Cambridge's fourteen [[ancient parish]]es.{{efn|[[All Saints' Church, Cambridge|All Saints]], [[Church of the Holy Sepulchre, Cambridge|Holy Sepulchre]], [[Holy Trinity Church, Cambridge|Holy Trinity]], [[St Andrew the Great]], St Andrew the Less, [[St Bene't's Church|St Bene't]], [[St Botolph's Church, Cambridge|St Botolph]], [[St Clement's Church, Cambridge|St Clement]], [[St Edward King and Martyr, Cambridge|St Edward]], [[St Giles' Church, Cambridge|St Giles]], [[Church of St Mary the Great, Cambridge|St Mary the Great]], [[Little St Mary's, Cambridge|St Mary the Less]], [[Michaelhouse, Cambridge|St Michael]], and [[St Peter's Church, Cambridge|St Peter]]}} The borough did not include Cambridge Castle, which was in the neighbouring parish of [[Chesterton, Cambridge|Chesterton]].<ref>{{cite book |title=Parliamentary Papers: Volume 26 |date=1837 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=iEwSAAAAYAAJ&pg=PP232 |access-date=23 December 2024}}</ref><ref name=VCHgrowth/>

The borough was reformed to become a [[municipal borough]] in 1836 under the [[Municipal Corporations Act 1835]].<ref>{{cite book |title=Municipal Corporations Act |date=1835 |page=456 |url=https://archive.org/details/statutesunitedk35britgoog/page/456/mode/2up |access-date=23 December 2024}}</ref> The borough's responsibilities were primarily judicial and regulatory rather than providing public services or infrastructure. A separate body of [[improvement commissioners]] was established in 1788 to maintain the city's streets, and the commissioners were gradually given other local government functions relating to sewers and public health. The commissioners were abolished in 1889 and their functions taken on by the borough council.<ref>{{cite web |title=Local Government Board's Provisional Orders Confirmation (No. 15) Act 1889 |url=https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukla/Vict/52-53/116/contents/enacted |website=legislation.gov.uk |publisher=The National Archives |access-date=23 December 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |editor1-last=Roach |editor1-first=J. P. C. |title=A History of the County of Cambridge: Volume 3 |date=1959 |publisher=Victoria County History |location=London |pages=101–108 |url=https://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/cambs/vol3/pp101-108 |access-date=23 December 2024}}</ref>

The borough was enlarged in 1912 to take in Chesterton to the north and some areas from neighbouring parishes to the south.<ref>{{cite web |title=Local Government Board's Provisional Orders Confirmation (No. 10) Act 1911 |url=https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukla/Geo5/1-2/185/contents/enacted |website=legislation.gov.uk |publisher=The National Archives |access-date=23 December 2024}}</ref> It was extended again in 1934 to take in [[Cherry Hinton]], [[Trumpington]], and parts of several other neighbouring parishes.<ref>{{cite web |title=Cambridge Municipal Borough |url=https://visionofbritain.org.uk/unit/10201391#tab02 |website=A Vision of Britain through Time |publisher=GB Historical GIS / University of Portsmouth |access-date=23 December 2024}}</ref> The borough was awarded city status in 1951.<ref>{{London Gazette|issue=39201|page=2067|date=13 April 1951}}</ref> In 1974, Cambridge was made a [[non-metropolitan district]]; it kept the same boundaries, which  had last been expanded in 1934, but there were changes to the council's responsibilities.<ref>{{cite legislation UK|type=si|si=The English Non-metropolitan Districts (Definition) Order 1972|year=1972|number=2039|access-date=31 May 2023}}</ref>