|
|
Post by greenhert on Apr 24, 2020 12:12:18 GMT
Truro & Falmouth was created in 2010 from Falmouth & Camborne and Truro & St Austell but it is reminiscent of the Penryn & Falmouth constituency which was abolished in 1950, minus the town of St Austell.
Truro & Falmouth is coterminous with the now defunct district of Carrick in Cornwall. Truro is Cornwall's county town and only city, although its cathedral was not completed until 1910. It also hosts the Royal Cornwall Museum and once hosted the Truro Cathedral School, now closed. The town of Falmouth is very different; it is home to Falmouth University, Cornwall's only significant institution of higher education, and the expansion of its campus has caused local tensions due to locals increasingly being priced out of the housing market as a result, even though it is not a popular destination for holiday homes; Falmouth is more working-class in character traditionally than Truro. Due to the significant expansion of Falmouth University, which has altered demographic dynamics substantially in this constituency despite only having gained university status in 2012, I will not include 2011 census statistics here.
Truro (& St Austell), this seat's closest predecessor, was one of the original constituencies of the Model Parliament of 1295 until 1918 when it was replaced by Penryn & Falmouth; said Penryn & Falmouth switched hands between the Liberals and Conservatives twice but was won by Labour in 1945; the Labour MP in question, Evelyn Mansfield King, was later the Conservative MP for South Dorset from 1964-79. Upon its recreation in 1950 Truro was won by the Conservatives and despite the substantial Liberal strength from the old Cornish liberal tradition Labour were the main competitors and came close to winning it in 1966. In February 1974 David Penhaligon revived said liberal tradition massively when he reduced Piers Dixon's majority to just 2,561, and via a tactical squeeze on Labour he won it in October 1974. The Labour vote proved remarkably elastic as Mr Penhaligon squeezed it to only 7.4% in 1979 and down to 4.6% in 1983. Mr Penhaligon, for a time considered a future Liberal/SDP Alliance leader, unfortunately died in a car crash in 1986, aged only 44, and his assistant Matthew Taylor held on easily in the by-election of 1987. Truro had its name changed to Truro & St Austell in 1997 although the town of St Austell was already in the constituency, and Mr Taylor held on comfortably throughout. He retired in 2010 and Terrye Teverson, wife of former MEP Robin Teverson (who had also failed twice to capture Falmouth & Camborne despite the Liberal Democrats being in a better position than Labour to capture it in 1992 and 1997), lost to the Conservatives' Sarah Newton by just 435 votes. The Liberal Democrats sunk heavily in Truro & Falmouth in 2015 (it was particularly bad in Cornwall as true liberal voters felt betrayed by their coalition with the Conservatives), with Labour and the Green Party being substantial beneficiaries, although amazingly the Liberal Democrats retained second place here that year. The increasing student population proved a boon for Labour in 2017 and 2019, with Labour achieving a vote share increase of as much as 22.5% in 2017, the highest in a seat they did not win or were not defending that year, reducing Mrs Newton's majority to just 3,792 and pushing the Liberal Democrats into third place for the first time in Truro since 1970. Mrs Newton stood down in 2019 and Cherilyn Mackrory succeeded her as Conservative MP despite Labour's best efforts; it was one of a minority of constituencies where Labour's vote increased that year and this seat is now a must-win marginal for Labour. At a local level, the wards in Truro & Falmouth are almost as fickle as anywhere else in Cornwall, although 2017 produced far fewer 4-way marginals than 2013.
|
|
|
|
Post by loderingo on Apr 24, 2020 12:53:47 GMT
This seat and its two neighbours are unusual in that they have two distinct coastlines. I think the only other seat that can lay claim to that is Ross, Skye etc
|
|
WJ
Non-Aligned
Posts: 3,088
|
Post by WJ on May 24, 2020 19:59:27 GMT
Truro & Falmouth was created in 2010 from Falmouth & Camborne and Truro & St Austell but it is reminiscent of the Penryn & Falmouth constituency which was abolished in 1950, minus the town of St Austell. Truro & Falmouth is coterminous with the now defunct district of Carrick in Cornwall. Truro is Cornwall's county town and only city, although its cathedral was not completed until 1910. It also hosts the Royal Cornwall Museum and once hosted the Truro Cathedral School, now closed. The town of Falmouth is very different; it is home to Falmouth University, Cornwall's only significant institution of higher education, and the expansion of its campus has caused local tensions due to locals increasingly being priced out of the housing market as a result, even though it is not a popular destination for holiday homes; Falmouth is more working-class in character traditionally than Truro. Due to the significant expansion of Falmouth University, which has altered demographic dynamics substantially in this constituency despite only having gained university status in 2012, I will not include 2011 census statistics here. Truro (& St Austell), this seat's closest predecessor, was one of the original constituencies of the Model Parliament of 1295 until 1918 when it was replaced by Penryn & Falmouth; said Penryn & Falmouth switched hands between the Liberals and Conservatives twice but was won by Labour in 1945; the Labour MP in question, Evelyn Mansfield King, was later the Conservative MP for South Dorset from 1964-79. Upon its recreation in 1950 Truro was won by the Conservatives and despite the substantial Liberal strength from the old Cornish liberal tradition Labour were the main competitors and came close to winning it in 1966. In February 1974 David Penhaligon revived said liberal tradition massively when he reduced Piers Dixon's majority to just 2,561, and via a tactical squeeze on Labour he won it in October 1974. The Labour vote proved remarkably elastic as Mr Penhaligon squeezed it to only 7.4% in 1979 and down to 4.6% in 1983. Mr Penhaligon, for a time considered a future Liberal/SDP Alliance leader, unfortunately died in a car crash in 1986, aged only 44, and his assistant Matthew Taylor held on easily in the by-election of 1987. Truro had its name changed to Truro & St Austell in 1997 although the town of St Austell was already in the constituency, and Mr Taylor held on comfortably throughout. He retired in 2010 and Terrye Teverson, wife of former MEP Robin Teverson (who had also failed twice to capture Falmouth & Camborne despite the Liberal Democrats being in a better position than Labour to capture it in 1992 and 1997), lost to the Conservatives' Sarah Newton by just 435 votes. The Liberal Democrats sunk heavily in Truro & Falmouth in 2015 (it was particularly bad in Cornwall as true liberal voters felt betrayed by their coalition with the Conservatives), with Labour and the Green Party being substantial beneficiaries, although amazingly the Liberal Democrats retained second place here that year. The increasing student population proved a boon for Labour in 2017 and 2019, with Labour achieving a vote share increase of as much as 22.5% in 2017, the highest in a seat they did not win or were not defending that year, reducing Mrs Newton's majority to just 3,792 and pushing the Liberal Democrats into third place for the first time in Truro since 1970. Mrs Newton stood down in 2019 and Cherilyn Mackrory succeeded her as Conservative MP despite Labour's best efforts; it was one of a minority of constituencies where Labour's vote increased that year and this seat is now a must-win marginal for Labour. At a local level, the wards in Truro & Falmouth are almost as fickle as anywhere else in Cornwall, although 2017 produced far fewer 4-way marginals than 2013. A small point of pedantry, but the rise in the student population is also due the University of Exeter having a major campus in Penryn, shared with Falmouth University. |
|
|
|
Post by yellowperil on May 24, 2020 21:47:42 GMT
Truro & Falmouth was created in 2010 from Falmouth & Camborne and Truro & St Austell but it is reminiscent of the Penryn & Falmouth constituency which was abolished in 1950, minus the town of St Austell. Truro & Falmouth is coterminous with the now defunct district of Carrick in Cornwall. Truro is Cornwall's county town and only city, although its cathedral was not completed until 1910. It also hosts the Royal Cornwall Museum and once hosted the Truro Cathedral School, now closed. The town of Falmouth is very different; it is home to Falmouth University, Cornwall's only significant institution of higher education, and the expansion of its campus has caused local tensions due to locals increasingly being priced out of the housing market as a result, even though it is not a popular destination for holiday homes; Falmouth is more working-class in character traditionally than Truro. Due to the significant expansion of Falmouth University, which has altered demographic dynamics substantially in this constituency despite only having gained university status in 2012, I will not include 2011 census statistics here. Truro (& St Austell), this seat's closest predecessor, was one of the original constituencies of the Model Parliament of 1295 until 1918 when it was replaced by Penryn & Falmouth; said Penryn & Falmouth switched hands between the Liberals and Conservatives twice but was won by Labour in 1945; the Labour MP in question, Evelyn Mansfield King, was later the Conservative MP for South Dorset from 1964-79. Upon its recreation in 1950 Truro was won by the Conservatives and despite the substantial Liberal strength from the old Cornish liberal tradition Labour were the main competitors and came close to winning it in 1966. In February 1974 David Penhaligon revived said liberal tradition massively when he reduced Piers Dixon's majority to just 2,561, and via a tactical squeeze on Labour he won it in October 1974. The Labour vote proved remarkably elastic as Mr Penhaligon squeezed it to only 7.4% in 1979 and down to 4.6% in 1983. Mr Penhaligon, for a time considered a future Liberal/SDP Alliance leader, unfortunately died in a car crash in 1986, aged only 44, and his assistant Matthew Taylor held on easily in the by-election of 1987. Truro had its name changed to Truro & St Austell in 1997 although the town of St Austell was already in the constituency, and Mr Taylor held on comfortably throughout. He retired in 2010 and Terrye Teverson, wife of former MEP Robin Teverson (who had also failed twice to capture Falmouth & Camborne despite the Liberal Democrats being in a better position than Labour to capture it in 1992 and 1997), lost to the Conservatives' Sarah Newton by just 435 votes. The Liberal Democrats sunk heavily in Truro & Falmouth in 2015 (it was particularly bad in Cornwall as true liberal voters felt betrayed by their coalition with the Conservatives), with Labour and the Green Party being substantial beneficiaries, although amazingly the Liberal Democrats retained second place here that year. The increasing student population proved a boon for Labour in 2017 and 2019, with Labour achieving a vote share increase of as much as 22.5% in 2017, the highest in a seat they did not win or were not defending that year, reducing Mrs Newton's majority to just 3,792 and pushing the Liberal Democrats into third place for the first time in Truro since 1970. Mrs Newton stood down in 2019 and Cherilyn Mackrory succeeded her as Conservative MP despite Labour's best efforts; it was one of a minority of constituencies where Labour's vote increased that year and this seat is now a must-win marginal for Labour. At a local level, the wards in Truro & Falmouth are almost as fickle as anywhere else in Cornwall, although 2017 produced far fewer 4-way marginals than 2013. A small point of pedantry, but the rise in the student population is also due the University of Exeter having a major campus in Penryn, shared with Falmouth University. I think Falmouth University is about 6000 undergraduates, while Exeter Cornwall is something over another 2000, split between the Penryn campus shared with Falmouth as you say and the medical campus at Truro, which is also in the constituency therefore? |
|
WJ
Non-Aligned
Posts: 3,088
|
Post by WJ on May 24, 2020 21:57:29 GMT
A small point of pedantry, but the rise in the student population is also due the University of Exeter having a major campus in Penryn, shared with Falmouth University. I think Falmouth University is about 6000 undergraduates, while Exeter Cornwall is something over another 2000, split between the Penryn campus shared with Falmouth as you say and the medical campus at Truro, which is also in the constituency therefore? Yes, although another slight point of pedantry to note that the bulk of the Penryn Campus, including a fair bit of the student accommodation is actually just inside Camborne and Redruth. |
|
|
|
Post by yellowperil on May 25, 2020 8:25:02 GMT
I think Falmouth University is about 6000 undergraduates, while Exeter Cornwall is something over another 2000, split between the Penryn campus shared with Falmouth as you say and the medical campus at Truro, which is also in the constituency therefore? Yes, although another slight point of pedantry to note that the bulk of the Penryn Campus, including a fair bit of the student accommodation is actually just inside Camborne and Redruth. Ah ,if that's true that's more than a minor point of pedantry but is very germane to the constituency profile!- I hadn't spotted that. I'm always being sent loads of guff about University of Exeter and especially the Cornwall campuses , as a very old Exeter alumnus who I'm sure they see as a good bet for a nice hefty bequest anytime soon. Of course when I first went off to Exeter it had only had its charter two years and the undergraduate body had only just reached four figures the year before, and had all the advantages of compactness and intimacy that they now proclaim for the Cornish sites. |
|
WJ
Non-Aligned
Posts: 3,088
|
Post by WJ on May 25, 2020 10:03:49 GMT
Yes, although another slight point of pedantry to note that the bulk of the Penryn Campus, including a fair bit of the student accommodation is actually just inside Camborne and Redruth. Ah ,if that's true that's more than a minor point of pedantry but is very germane to the constituency profile!- I hadn't spotted that. I'm always being sent loads of guff about University of Exeter and especially the Cornwall campuses , as a very old Exeter alumnus who I'm sure they see as a good bet for a nice hefty bequest anytime soon. Of course when I first went off to Exeter it had only had its charter two years and the undergraduate body had only just reached four figures the year before, and had all the advantages of compactness and intimacy that they now proclaim for the Cornish sites. It is and it isn't. While the campus is in the Mabe(?) ward in Camborne and Redruth, it has very little to do with that constituency. Most of the student body not living on site will live in Penryn or Falmouth and a good proportion of the workers and higher ups too. I think I mentioned before how I was an Exeter student here 2009-12. It did feel very small and cosy then and it was nice for us scientists or law students to be mixed with the arty-farty types. In 2012 the whole area was a building site though and now it feels much much larger. |
|
|
|
Post by yellowperil on May 25, 2020 10:33:17 GMT
Ah ,if that's true that's more than a minor point of pedantry but is very germane to the constituency profile!- I hadn't spotted that. I'm always being sent loads of guff about University of Exeter and especially the Cornwall campuses , as a very old Exeter alumnus who I'm sure they see as a good bet for a nice hefty bequest anytime soon. Of course when I first went off to Exeter it had only had its charter two years and the undergraduate body had only just reached four figures the year before, and had all the advantages of compactness and intimacy that they now proclaim for the Cornish sites. It is and it isn't. While the campus is in the Mabe(?) ward in Camborne and Redruth, it has very little to do with that constituency. Most of the student body not living on site will live in Penryn or Falmouth and a good proportion of the workers and higher ups too. I think I mentioned before how I was an Exeter student here 2009-12. It did feel very small and cosy then and it was nice for us scientists or law students to be mixed with the arty-farty types. In 2012 the whole area was a building site though and now it feels much much larger. Much as I experienced with the Streatham campus back in the fifties! My first year at Exeter was mostly spent on the Gandy Street site in the middle of Exeter, certainly for lectures etc, while the Streatham campus was for us only used for social activities -within the laboratory blocks , oddly enough- the Washington Singer laboratories for dancing, the Hatherley bio labs for cinema! Also the Roborough which was the University library before that function was taken over by what I now think is called the Old Library! Some of the key buildings of the Streatham estate were under construction- the Queens Building on the Streatham estate in our second year took over from Gandy Street as the main centre for most Arts / Social Science subjects and also Geography /Geology, while Devonshire House and the Northcote theatre were only finally finished after I had already left in 1960 . If you were an Exeter student at Penryn did you have any contact at all with Exeter itself or was that a completely different entity?I would be quite interested to know. |
|
WJ
Non-Aligned
Posts: 3,088
|
Post by WJ on May 25, 2020 15:53:55 GMT
It is and it isn't. While the campus is in the Mabe(?) ward in Camborne and Redruth, it has very little to do with that constituency. Most of the student body not living on site will live in Penryn or Falmouth and a good proportion of the workers and higher ups too. I think I mentioned before how I was an Exeter student here 2009-12. It did feel very small and cosy then and it was nice for us scientists or law students to be mixed with the arty-farty types. In 2012 the whole area was a building site though and now it feels much much larger. If you were an Exeter student at Penryn did you have any contact at all with Exeter itself or was that a completely different entity?I would be quite interested to know. We basically had no contact at all with the main campus. In the first year, one of the basic biology courses was done partially by video link but after that nothing. Even our graduation was separate; we had our ceremony in Truro Cathedral, which was much more preferable! In fact, I didn't set foot in Exeter, barring changing trains at the station, until I happened to go to a conference that was held there back in 2016. |
|
|
|
Post by Robert Waller on Jun 7, 2021 21:02:59 GMT
2011 Census
Age 65+ 20.9% 98/650
Owner-occupied 67.0% 321/650
Private rented 17.9% 173/650
Social rented 12.4% 471/650
White 97.5% 179/650
Black 0.2% 563/650
Asian 1.1% 496/650
Managerial & professional 32.7%
Routine & Semi-routine 23.1%
Degree level 31.7% 144/650
No qualifications 18.0% 535/650
Students 10.7% 128/650
2021 Census
Owner occupied 66.1% /573
Private rented 21.1% /573
Social rented 12.9% /573
White 95.2%
Black 0.4%
Asian 1.4%
Managerial & professional 34.2% 241/573
Routine & Semi-routine 20.9% 396/573
Degree level 37.7% 139/573
No qualifications 12.9% 519/573
General Election 2019: Truro and Falmouth
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Cherilyn Mackrory 27,237 46.0 +1.6
Labour Jennifer Forbes 22,676 38.3 +0.6
Liberal Democrats Ruth Gripper 7,150 12.1 -2.8
Green Tom Scott 1,714 2.9 +1.4
Liberal Paul Nicholson 413 0.7
C Majority 4,561 7.7 +1.0
Turnout 59,190 77.2 +1.4
Conservative hold
Swing 0.5 Lab to C
|
|
