General election: a guide to recent votes in Cornwall

There are six parliamentary constituencies which are in or cross over into Cornwall: Camborne and Redruth, North Cornwall, South East Cornwall, St Austell and Newquay, St Ives and Truro and Falmouth. They all elected Conservative MPs in the last general election, held in June 2017.

The Conservatives took the largest share of the vote – 48.4 per cent in total, ahead of Labour with 26.7 per cent and the Lib Dems with 23.5 per cent.

This contrasted with the picture in the European Parliament elections this May, the most recent occasion on which the country went to the polls, when the Brexit Party took 41.1 per cent of the vote in Cornwall's local authority area, the largest share.

The Lib Dems finished second, with 20 per cent, and the Greens third with 18.1 per cent.

The South West – the EU constituency in which Cornwall lies – returned three Brexit Party MEPs, two Liberal Democrat and one Green to Brussels in May.

Turnout was, however, much lower in those elections – while 73.2 per cent of the electorate came out to vote across the six constituencies in 2017, just 41.4 per cent did in the local authority for the European Parliament elections this year.

Both those turnouts, however, were beaten by that for the referendum on the topic which will dominate December’s general election: Brexit.

Many commentators think that a decision between leaving and remaining in the European Union will form the basis for many voters’ choices in polling booths this year, rather than traditional party lines.

The major parties have each made significantly different pledges for the UK's departure.

While the Conservatives have said they will push through a departure on the terms of the deal Prime Minister Boris Johnson has negotiated, the Labour Party has said it will agree a closer alignment with the EU and hold a second referendum on its deal against the option to remain.

The Liberal Democrats have pledged to immediately revoke Article 50, keeping the UK in the EU, while the Brexit Party will pursue a "no-deal" departure.

The Brexit referendum in 2016 brought more voters to the polls across the UK than any referendum or general election in 24 years. In Cornwall, 77.1 per cent of the electorate voted, with a majority in favour of leaving the EU, with 56.5 per cent of the vote.

The EU Referendum result in Cornwall in June 2016

Remain: 140,540 (43.5 per cent)

Leave: 182,665 (56.5 per cent)

The vote share for the top three parties in each constituency in June 2017

Camborne and Redruth

Conservative: 23,001 votes (47.5 per cent)

Labour: 21,424 (44.2 per cent)

Liberal Democrats: 2,979 (6.1 per cent)

North Cornwall

Conservative: 25,835 (50.7 per cent)

Liberal Democrats: 18,635 (36.6 per cent)

Labour: 6,151 (12.1 per cent)

South East Cornwall

Conservative: 29,493 (55.4 per cent)

Labour: 12,050 (22.6 per cent)

Liberal Democrats: 10,346 (19.4 per cent)

St Austell and Newquay

Conservative: 26,856 (49.5per cent)

Labour: 15,714 (29 per cent)

Liberal Democrats: 11,642 (21.5 per cent)

St Ives

Conservative: 22,120 (43.2 per cent)

Liberal Democrats: 21,808 (42.6 per cent)

Labour: 7,298 (14.2 per cent)

Truro and Falmouth

Conservative: 25,123 (44.4 per cent)

Labour: 21,331 (37.7 per cent)

Liberal Democrats: 8,465 (14.9 per cent)

Top three parties in Cornwall for the European Parliament in May

The Brexit Party: 41.1 per cent

The Lib Dems: 20 per cent

The Greens: 18.1 per cent