# Charlotte Cane

Charlotte Kathryn Bourne Cane (née Hilton; born June 1958) is a British Liberal Democrat politician who has been the Member of Parliament for Ely and East Cambridgeshire since 2024.

## Early life and education

Charlotte Kathryn Bourne Hilton was born in June 1958 and 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, 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.
At the time of the general election campaign, Cane had retired from her finance positions which had latterly been in the third sector.

## Political career
### Local council

Cane was elected unopposed to East Cambridgeshire District Council in 1999 representing The Swaffhams. retaining her seat four years later. The following year she resigned her seat and the by-election resulted in a gain by the Conservatives.
By 2011, Cane had returned to Cambridgeshire politics, standing unsuccessfully for East Cambridgeshire District Council in The Swaffhams and coming second to the incumbent Conservative. She stood again in 2015, also coming second. This ward was abolished in 2019 and Cane stood successfully in Bottisham ward topping the poll in a two-member seat. She successfully defended her council seat in 2023.
Cane continues to represent Bottisham ward on East Cambridgeshire District Council claiming an allowance of £650 per month which is declared in the register of interests where she states this is for 40 hours of work a month.
Cane twice stood unsuccessfully for Cambridgeshire County Council in Burwell ward in 2017 and 2021, coming second on each occasion.
In November 2014, Cane joined Reach, Cambridgeshire Parish Council. She stood down from this during the summer of 2024.

### Parliamentary candidate

Cane 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. 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. 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.

### Parliamentary career

On 28 October 2024, Cane became a member of the Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Select Committee.
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. 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.
On 29 November 2024, Cane voted in favour of the historic Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill.

## Personal life

In 1994, Cane moved to Reach, Cambridgeshire, for an arts charity job, where she later raised her two children.