Cornwall’s losing Conservative MPs have commented on their defeats, with one crying on TV as she said she was “swimming against the tide”, writes Local Democracy Reporter Lee Trewhela

All five of the Duchy’s standing Tory MPs lost their seats during the night in an extraordinary rout of the Conservative Party in Cornwall.

St Austell and Newquay’s Steve Double, who has already seemingly deleted his Facebook page, said: “I want to thank the more than 13,000 people in St Austell and Newquay who did vote for me. It was the largest vote share of any sitting MP in Cornwall and I’m grateful for those who wanted to keep me as their MP. Sadly it was not enough but we can hold our heads high for the campaign we ran.

He added: “Being the MP for my home constituency for the past nine years has been an incredible honour. It is the best job I could ever have imagined. But it was so much more than a job for me. Serving and representing the place I belong went far deeper than work or politics.

“I am incredibly proud of all we achieved. Especially the funding for new roads, railway upgrades, new schools, a new college campus, hospital improvements, flood defences, new job opportunities and much more. I hope the new Labour government will still fund all these that are still to be completed as they will truly be life changing for many local people.

“It’s also been a huge honour to help so many local people. With my amazing office staff we have assisted more than 40,000 people, households and businesses. For some our help has changed their lives.”

The sixth Conservative MP, George Eustice, had announced he was retiring from the Camborne / Redruth seat, but his hopeful replacement Connor Donnithorne was beaten by Labour’s Perran Moon.

South East Cornwall’s Sheryll Murray, who lost to Labour’s Anna Gelderd and has also appeared to have deleted her Facebook page, got tearful as she told the BBC: “When you’re swimming against the tide and the tide is that strong then you’re never going to overcome it, so thank you South East Cornwall because I’ve had a ball.”

North Cornwall’s Scott Mann, whose seat was stolen by Lib Dem’s Ben Maguire, took to Facebook to say: “Thank you to everyone who voted for me yesterday. It has been an honour to represent North Cornwall for the last nine years. I would like to extend my best wishes to our new MP, Ben Maguire, along with his husband and family, as they start their journey in Westminster. We share political differences, but we must now come together for our community.”

Cherilyn Mackrory, who lost the Truro and Falmouth seat to Labour’s Jayne Kirkham, also took to social media: “I’d like to say a huge thank you to everyone who voted for me yesterday and to those who have supported me throughout. It has been a huge honour to have served as the MP for Truro & Falmouth; to have represented our part of Cornwall to the very best of my ability in Westminster. I wish Jayne all the best for her new chapter.”

Derek Thomas faced a resounding loss to returning Lib Dem MP Andrew George in the St Ives constituency. He said: “Yesterday the majority of people of West Cornwall and Scilly decided that I’m no longer the man to represent them in Westminster. I respect this outcome and wish Andrew George every success as he serves on behalf of this amazing corner of Great Britain.

“I’ve always felt honoured to serve as the MP – it has been an extraordinary journey and I’m privileged to have met with lots of you from every walk of life. It’s been a privilege to work in the best way I knew how on behalf of you and I’m grateful for the opportunity I was given.

“A special thank you to all those who still put their trust in me on their ballot paper. I’m sorry that I could not secure the outcome we’d hoped to. Thank you also to my fantastic staff who have worked so hard for us all over many years. And to my family, friends and volunteers who have given so much.”

Reaction to the election result outside politics is now starting to filter through. John Brown, the new CEO of Cornwall Chamber of Commerce, said: “Cornwall has spoken. Politically, Cornwall may have changed colour, but crucially the issues remain the same.

“The needs of business and the needs of society can’t be separated. The private sector needs talent, investment and infrastructure. That means people need homes, a healthcare system that works, an education system that provides opportunity and a local infrastructure that supports a thriving economy not creaks and cracks underneath it.

“As the dust settles the Cornwall Chamber of Commerce will be working hard to ensure that our new MPs pay attention and get to work straight away to deliver what’s needed so that levelling up the Duchy goes beyond rhetoric and into reality.”