St Ives MP: The bottom of Cornwall demands change at the top at the election

With less than two weeks to go before the General Election I visited the St Ives constituency to find out how people plan to vote, why and what the pressing issues are which will force their political hands. The big takeaway is that the bottom of Cornwall wants to see change at the top and the Tories are in trouble.

I didn't find one person who said they were voting Conservative and those who have previously said it was unlikely they would again on July 4. Not good news for incumbent MP Derek Thomas, who has held the seat for nine years.

The latest YouGov poll suggests that Liberal Democrat candidate Andrew George will snatch back the seat he held from 1997 to 2015 from Mr Thomas with 53.4 per cent of the vote. That compares to 22.2 per cent for Tory candidate Mr Thomas, 11.6 per cent for Reform's Giane Mortimer and 8.7 per cent for Labour's Filson Ali.

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According to YouGov, that leaves the Green Party's Ian Flindal with a 3.1 per cent share with Independent David Laity, the Liberal Party's Paul Nicholson, UKIP's Jason Saunders and The Common People's John Harris sharing the rest of the votes. Other polls are also suggesting a Lib Dem win.

The constituency covers a huge area from Helston and the Lizard Peninsula to the Isles of Scilly, incorporating Penzance, St Ives, Lelant, Carbis Bay, Pendeen and St Just; from coastal tourism and fishing areas to rural Cornish farming heartlands. I visited opposite ends of the constituency - Helston, home of RNAS Culdrose and the Flora Dance, and fishing port and arts haven Newlyn.

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The main themes which arose while talking to a broad array of people included housing and tactical voting, in a constituency where a few people said they'd like to vote Labour but felt they had to stick their cross next to Lib Dem in order to keep the Conservatives out. Here is a selection of comments from some of those I spoke to, first off in Helston.

Lynda Blencowe , lives between Helston and Penzance

"I'm going to vote tactically for the Lib Dems. I would vote Labour out of preference, but there's no chance here. I wouldn't vote Conservative because of Derek Thomas. The Conservative Party has no interest in services and the state, it's only interested in profit. The corruption is shocking and we've had how many years of it, starting with austerity which doesn't get enough blame - Cameron and Osborne.

"Locally, housing is an issue and health. If I want to see a doctor now, there's a challenge ... and poverty; food banks have more people visiting them in this area than they ever did before the Tory government started. It's all the things the Tories stripped away like Sure Start for children.

"Andrew George was a very good MP when he was an MP. I wouldn't vote for Derek Thomas anyway, but his voting record on things like child poverty...."

Vicky Williams , a practice nurse at Meneage Street Surgery, Helston

"I tend to vote for the party as opposed to the person, but I'm finding it very difficult as right now there isn't anybody that I've got any faith in. I tend to vote Labour and I would have thought I will again. I'm from Gloucester originally so for me there was always a heavy Labour thing there but I have noticed since living here for ten years that my vote tends to get lost. It's a difficult one.

"Working in healthcare, that's a big thing for me. I've also got an autistic son so that's an important area. Also, the local facilities are closing down, especially for the older generation - there are just not those facilities nearby. Similarly, the younger generation are not staying in this area because there's nothing for them.

"The traditions are good in Helston, it's a very lovely community but in terms of keeping people here year-round it's very difficult. You have to go out of the area. They are building more houses but actually they're not affordable. I'm not able to own my own house - I rent - and I'm in my 40s.

"There aren't the facilities to accommodate all these new houses that are being built. We haven't got the staff - we do everything we can to accommodate people and work flat out. Then you get the public feeling they can't get to see a GP or nurse, but it's just because we don't have the capacity.

"I'd like to see a change at the top - it's all very well making promises about what they're going to do but those at the bottom can only do what we can do. Things are not right, it's not good - for our children we need things to get better. We're well past Covid now so they can't keep using that as an excuse for everything."

Wayne Gilbert , working on a house in Coinagehall Street

"Nothing ever really changes, whoever you vote in, so if I vote for anybody it will be for someone different - probably Reform. On the basis that they're going to up the tax threshold to £20,000 which is one thing which would make a massive difference to all of us. There needs to be change anyway, so anything that shakes things up a bit is a good idea."

Anna Harris , an artist who lives in Nancegollan

"I need to sit down and look at all the candidates as I don't know a huge amount about them personally. Broadly speaking, I would have been Labour but I don't really like them so much recently with the stuff that they've said about Palestine and their stance has drifted a bit more centre.

"I'd like to vote Green but there's the whole tactical voting thing. I'll look at the local candidates' details. Environmental issues should be top of most people's agendas, but everything seems to be falling apart like the NHS and education. As an artist, I'd like to see more funding for the arts.

"I think a lot of people have been put off politics and have decided not to vote, but I think it's important that everyone votes as the number of people who don't could massively swing the election if they decided to vote. It's an important privilege that we have."

Cora Wherry , a pensioner who works for the NHS in a care home

"I don't vote. I haven't got faith in none of them. I think the world is that bad, who's going to repair it? People are still working at their pension ages, bills have gone up. I don't think much of the Tories over the past few years. I think whoever gets in needs to help pensioners, people who are single parents, to cut prices of electric and food. We all struggled this last year when the prices went up. Are they going to get it back down, that's the thing. Housing is another big issue - with the prices of houses and rent going up."

I then drove down the coast road to Newlyn passing the odd Derek Thomas and Andrew George billboard and a surprising number for Independent David Laity.

Elaine Lorys , became first woman master fishmonger in the whole country in 2019

"Neither party (Conservative or Labour) seem to have come out with anything to so with fishing, whether there is going to be anything to help. In the past, with all the things that have been promised to help fishing and have not materialised ... to be honest, unless someone does come out and say something, I'm undecided.

"In the past, I've always voted Conservative but I'm waiting to see what everyone is offering. Fishing is often used as a bargaining tool to try and get votes - it doesn't mean anything will happen."

Kevin Brownridge lives locally and was buying fish from Elaine, who works for Stevenson's in the town

"I'm going to vote Labour - they've got the best policies in the country. I've always voted Labour but I have voted Liberal occasionally down here tactically, but you've got to be loyal. I have got loads of Labour Party friends who are voting Lib Dem and I haven't got a problem with that. If you never vote Labour down here, then you'll never get any change. It looks like we could get Labour in Redruth and Truro - that's better than six Tories."

Andy Magin , lives in the Newlyn area

"I'm voting Lib Dem - 100 per cent - because the Conservatives are a shambles, an utter disgrace. I've never voted Tory but even if I was a Tory voter I'd be less inclined to now. Fourteen years of mayhem. I'm embarrassed for my country - we go abroad quite a bit and the Europeans talk about us in disbelief. I'll be staying up on election night and cheering every single one of them losing their seat.

"I think Andrew George is a really good man. You can trust him, local guy - he wouldn't vote for sewage to be pumped into the sea which Derek Thomas did. What Andrew George can actually do is probably quite small, but at least you know he'd be trying.

"Housing is an obvious issue - local people can't get anything. Our kids are both very lucky because we were in a position to help them. We're all in a really dodgy position for our kids now. I'm trying not to get too worried about it, but I am."

Joshua Nawras , lives in Penzance and runs The Ladder creative space in Redruth

"I'm going to vote for Andrew George. Personally, I would love to be able to vote Green or Labour but Andrew George is a good man and he cares deeply about the issues down here and I think for a progressive change, he's probably our best bet.

"Has anyone seen Derek Thomas? I think other than giving out some buns at the retirement homes, he's basically given up.

"Housing is a massive thing and it's at the forefront for everyone. I look at how difficult it was for me and my partner to get a house. I think about our kids and unless something changes, how does the next generation ever hope to live down here? We need to do something drastic with some radical thinking if we're going to fix that problem.

"I’m hoping we get a government which takes the creative industries seriously, it’s one of the biggest employers in Cornwall but so often dismissed as arty farty nonsense! I'd love someone who will advocate for the sector."

Jess Glynn , lives in Newlyn (an 'e' less than the pop star)

"I would vote for David Laity - he's an Independent candidate - because I don't think any of the other guys cut the mustard. My arm's being twisted up my back to vote for Andrew George, who I don't think is really any good, but I can't stand the Tories and I want to get them out, so unfortunately I would vote for David Laity but I can't. I have to vote for Andrew George."

Tim Wyatt , made his feeling known in Newlyn by wearing an anti-Tory T-shirt

"It's all about protest votes here, so it's going to be Lib Dem. Personally I would rather have PR (proportional representation) but we have to vote the way we do at the moment because there's no other opportunity. I'm out leafleting for the Lib Dems - they're not really my party of choice but what else can you do?

"If it was 'old Labour' I'd probably vote for them; I would vote Labour if I could but down here every vote really counts, so you have to vote Lib Dem to get rid of the Tories. It's anything but Tory. They're crooks. They shouldn't be in government - why do we have to suffer these people? They're stealing money from the public. That's the way I feel.

"It's not even apologetic anymore. There was a time when a politician would make a mistake and they would apologise and stand down, but this lot don't do that. It's that level of assuredness that they have, which is wrong. Down here we had Brexit which hasn't helped the fisheries at all. It's got to change.

"I spoke to a lad this morning who said he wasn't going to vote and I persuaded him. You have to vote - people fought for democracy. I told him I'd rather he voted Tory than nothing at all. Just vote - it's really important."