Peterborough lies halfway between the East Anglian coast and the Midlands; the East Coast mainline which links Peterborough with London in 50 minutes has increased Peterborough’s attraction as a commuter town.
Peterborough was designated a New Town in 1968, and the Peterborough Development Corporation was established with the task of doubling the city’s population in conjunction with the city council. Three new townships - Bretton, Orton and Werrington - were built from scratch. Peterborough is also an "Environmental City".
The town has a significant Asian population; at the last census 10.3% of the population classed themselves as non-white.
The seat has a history of close finishes. In 1966, Peterborough produced jointly the closest contest of any post war election - Sir Harmar Nicholls (the sitting MP) defeated Labour by three votes.