St Austell and Newquay is a constituency in Cornwall represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2024 by Noah Law, a Labour MP. It is on the South West Peninsula of England, bordered by both the Celtic Sea to the northwest and English Channel to the southeast.
Contents
Constituency profile
St Austell and Newquay (Cornish: Sen Austel ha Tewynblustri) is a constituency in Cornwall in South West England. It is named after its two main towns, St Austell and Newquay, which each have populations of around 25,000. Other settlements include the towns of St Blazey and Fowey and the villages of Tywardreath, Bugle, Mevagissey, Indian Queens and St Dennis.
This constituency is mostly rural with many small villages. St Austell is a mining town that grew from the extraction of tin, copper and china clay. Large areas north of the town are taken up by clay pits where china clay is still mined today. The Eden Project, a popular visitor attraction which consists of a complex of artificial biomes, is located close to St Austell in a reclaimed clay pit. Newquay is a seaside resort town and tourist destination that was traditionally a fishing port. The main towns have some affluent suburbs, however most of the constituency has high levels of deprivation, especially in the mining district. House prices across the constituency are generally lower than the regional and UK averages.
St Austell and Newquay has a large retired population and a low proportion of young adults. Residents have low rates of income, average levels of homeownership and above-average rates of child poverty. They have low levels of education and a high proportion work in the tourism and retail sectors. The percentage of residents claiming unemployment benefits is below-average. White people made up 97% of the population at the 2021 census and around 20% of residents professed a Cornish national identity, although this proportion was lower in Newquay.
At the local council, most of the constituency is represented by Reform UK with some Conservative councillors elected in St Blazey and Mevagissey. Voters in St Austell and Newquay strongly supported leaving the European Union in the 2016 referendum; an estimated 63% voted in favour of Brexit compared to the UK-wide figure of 52%.
History
2010 election
On its creation in 2010, the constituency had, based on complex forecasts involving its three constitutive seats, which factored in to different degrees the recent local election results, a widely varying notional Liberal Democrat majority (see results below). In analysis, one forecast suggested that St Austell and Newquay would prove to be a safe seat, whereas another suggested an extremely marginal seat. The majority achieved was lower than an average of the two forecasts, but by no means the most slender of majorities achieved in that election.
In 2010, the Labour Party candidate polled in line with results of the recent decades in the forerunner seats, with 7.2% of the vote. Mebyon Kernow, the Cornish devolutionist party, achieved its highest share of the vote in any constituency, but narrowly lost its deposit by not reaching the 5% threshold.
2015 election
The seat was won by a Conservative on a majority of more than 15% which would rarely be termed marginal; however, approximately half the electorate of the seat fell within areas represented by a Liberal or Liberal Democrat MP between October 1974 and 2015 - Truro (later adopting a suffix- and St Austell). In terms of the important consideration of length of tenure the seat fails to be describable as in any analysis "safe".
2017 election
Theresa May announced a snap election would take place on 8 June 2017. In this constituency, Conservative incumbent Steve Double won with an increased majority of 11,142. The constituency also saw a gigantic 18.8% increase in the Labour vote, in common with many south-west seats, pushing the Liberal Democrats into third place.
2019 election
The Liberal Democrats further faded into a more distant third place, with their policy of cancelling Brexit failing to attract voters, in a constituency which voted 64% to Leave the European Union. Unlike many seats across the UK, the Labour vote held up pretty well, with only a 2.6% drop in their vote share.
Boundaries
2010–2024
The Borough of Restormel wards of Bethel, Crinnis, Edgcumbe North, Edgcumbe South, Fowey and Tywardreath, Gannel, Gover, Mevagissey, Mount Charles, Poltair, Rialton, Rock, St Blazey, St Columb, St Enoder, St Ewe, St Stephen, and Treverbyn.
The constituency was created for the 2010 general election, following a review of parliamentary representation by the Boundary Commission, which increased the number of seats in the county from five to six. It has the same boundaries as the former Borough of Restormel, with the exception of the ward of Lostwithiel, which remains in the South East Cornwall constituency. Previously, the historic area was divided between the North Cornwall, South East Cornwall and Truro and St Austell seats.
2024–present
Further to the 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies which became effective for the 2024 general election, the constituency is composed of the following electoral divisions of Cornwall (as they existed on 4 May 2021):
Fowey, Tywardreath & Par; Mevagissey & St Austell Bay; Newquay Central & Pentire; Newquay Porth & Tretherras; Newquay Trenance; Penwithick & Boscoppa; Roche & Bugle; St Austell Bethel & Holmbush; St Austell Central & Gover; St Austell Poltair & Mount Charles; St Blazey; St Columb Minor & Colan; St Dennis & St Enoder; St Mewan & Grampound; St Stephen-in-Brannel.
Minor changes to align with revised electoral division boundaries and bring the electorate within the permitted range.