Lucy Nethsingha

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, and leader of the Liberal Democrat group on the council since 2015. She was a Member of the European Parliament (MEP) for the East of England from 2019 until 2020.

Cllr Lucy Nethsingha
Leader of Cambridgeshire County Council
Incumbent
Assumed office 18 May 2021
Deputy	Elisa Meschini
Preceded by	Steve Count
Lib Dem Group Leader on Cambridgeshire County Council
Incumbent
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
Incumbent
Assumed office 4 June 2009
Preceded by	Alexander Reid
Majority	548 (23.0%)
Personal details
Born	Lucy Kathleen Sellwood (1973-02-06) 6 February 1973 (age 52) Southampton, England
Political party	Liberal Democrats
Spouse	Andrew Nethsingha

Early life

Born in Southampton in 1973,^[2] 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

Nethsingha served as a Liberal Democrat councillor on Gloucester City Council from 2004 to 2008.^[3][4] After moving to Cambridgeshire, Nethsingha was elected for the Newnham division on Cambridgeshire County Council as a Liberal Democrat at the 2009 election,^[5] and has been leader of the Liberal Democrat Group on the council since 2015 (she had previously been deputy leader since 2011).^[6][7] At the 2025 Cambridgeshire County Council election she was elected for the Cambourne division and the Liberal Democrats took majority control of the county council. From 2016 to 2024, she also represented the Newnham ward on Cambridge City Council.^[8]

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%).^[9] 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%).^[10]

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.^[11]

Personal life

Nethsingha 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.^[12][13] They have three children.^[14]