It’s a familiar pattern. In the early nineties, three crashing by-election results (including one in Tamworth) in three years forecasted the end of the then Conservative government. This time, momentum is building with three big swings in a matter of months. All of this is good news for those of us who want to see a Labour government rebuild a better Britain after years of Tory neglect. Living in Cornwall, it is easy to see how urgently we need a political party to take the housing crisis, the environment, our NHS, our young people and many other issues seriously.

But politics needs people. In all recent by-elections, voter turnout has been down by around 30% from the 2019 election, with 60% of voters choosing not to join in a conversation that affects them directly. If you look around you and see that something needs to change, engaging in the political process is as easy as casting your vote. You can decide who it is who represents you, locally and nationally, by taking your photo ID to your local polling station, or sending off a postal vote.

And with such large swings, who knows what might happen in Cornwall? In recent times, Cornwall has voted Conservative, but we have excellent Labour candidates selected. Perran Moon for Camborne and Redruth, and Jayne Kirkham for Truro and Falmouth are both passionate about representing their constituents. As more Cornish candidates are selected in the coming months, keep an eye out for your local South East Cornwall Labour representative as we approach a 2024 General Election – they will be working for you. Use your vote to make your voice heard. Let’s get Cornwall’s future back.