South East Cornwall voters struggling to decide which way to go in General Election

The General Election is fast approaching on July 4, when voters will take to the polling stations and decide who they want to be the next Prime Minister. But with less than a week until election day, some voters in South East Cornwall have said they still don’t know who to vote for.

Among those we spoke to when we visited Saltash and Torpoint this week, several said they had little faith in any of the candidates to deliver on the promises in their manifestos. Some of the hot topics in the area include the Tamar tolls, the availability of NHS dentistry for children and road improvements on the A38.

Conservative Sheryll Murray has held her seat in the constituency since 2010, but she is facing a tough battle from Labour's Anna Gelderd, who the polls suggest could just inch it. Other candidates for the area include Liberal Democrats ’ Colin Martin, Reform UK’s Paul Wadley, the Green Party’s Martin Corney, and the Heritage Party’s Graham Cowdry.

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Prior to Ms Murray's incumbency, the seat was held for 13 years by Lib Dem MP Colin Breed and before him by Tory Robert Hicks through the 1980s. If Ms Gelderd is successful, it will prove historic in the area for the Labour Party.

The constituency covers Saltash and the Rame Peninsula, including Torpoint, Liskeard and Looe, Callington and Calstock, and Lostwithiel. It’s often been labelled as the "forgotten corner of Cornwall" as many claim it has been put on the periphery of thinking by the county’s central powers in Truro and Mid Cornwall.

We visited some towns in the constituency this week to find out how people plan to vote, why and what issues are most important to them. Here is a selection of comments from some of those we spoke to, first off in Saltash.

Roxy Curry and Carolann McCormack

“With the parties, a lot of them say what they want people to hear,” Roxy said. “There needs to be a person who represents the people put in charge. The whole country is struggling.

“There also needs to be a permanent office in [Saltash] where people can go in and raise concerns. It’s important because they [candidates] only care when they gain something but I want to see someone here listening to our views all the time.”

Carolann added that she will be voting Labour because she aligns best with their policies as a whole. She said: “I’ve had pamphlets through the door for them all and the Lib Dem man [Colin Martin] came to speak to people and he seems nice but I’ll probably vote for Labour.”

When asked what issues were important to them that need to be addressed by the next Prime Minister, Roxy said: “Minimum wage should be the same regardless of age. Someone who is 16 years old can have the same bills to pay as someone who is 18 years old.

“Wages and benefits also need to go up with inflation, people can’t survive when they are counting pennies. It’s better to stay on benefits now.”

Meanwhile, Carolann said she thinks there should be a shift in the national curriculum to teach children skills they could use later in life. “Schools need to shift their curriculum to teach useful subjects like how to do your taxes, or cooking, or applying for jobs”, she said.

Simon, a local retired artist

“Honesty, integrity, and transparency are important characteristics to have in the next Prime Minister,” Simon said. “I haven’t made up my mind yet as to who to vote for because I have not found a political party that represents those characteristics.”

When asked which issues he thought are important to address locally by the next MP for the constituency, he said: “Saltash has been on the right path over the last few years or so. Of course, there is lots of work to be done and people need to understand that.

“One problem is the amount Covid cost and it is going to cost a lot to get out of the debts incurred during the pandemic. Things aren’t going to be easy for whoever becomes Prime Minister.”

Over in Torpoint, there were some common themes raised. Some residents here were also unsure who to vote for next week, with many believing that there is a lot of work to be done by the next Prime Minister.

Tracy Hough, works in a local nursery

“I don’t know who to vote for,” Tracy told CornwallLive. “None of the candidates appeal to me. We don’t vote for who we want to be Prime Minister, we vote for the party and they all say these things they think we want to hear and then it doesn’t happen.

“Sherryl Murray doesn’t help the people, so we need a change. The Tories help small businesses but if Labour gets in, that probably wouldn’t happen.”

As a nursery school teacher, Tracy said funding for nurseries is also important. “The government proposed funding for free childcare in nurseries, which sounds good but it’s not. The minimum wage is around £11.50 but we get £4 [in funding] per child.

“The number of children you would need to have means it's not worth it. The free funding does not cover ratios. A lot of [private] nurseries in the area and Plymouth have had to close. We’ve got people from Devonport coming to our nursery because the ones near them have closed.”

Anonymous resident

Another woman, who did not wish to be named, also said she was not sure who to vote for in the General Election on July 4. She said: “I’ve always voted Conservative but I’m not sure what to do now.

“Everything is a mess and it needs looking at. It feels pretty hopeless unless we get some sort of miracle. It feels like we’re in a similar situation to America with the candidates and it makes you wonder if this is the best we can do.

“We need to give young people a future. A lot of them struggle to find jobs after leaving education. They all need help.

“I moved here from Sussex where it’s all go, go, go but here, the shops close at 4pm. It’s forgotten Cornwall here and it’s sad.”

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