St Austell and Newquay
- Party
- Labour
- Region
- South West
The cost of Brexit · UK-wide
Brexit's estimated hit to UK economic output (GVA) in 2023
−£188.8bn
−7.7% of output
That's about £2,835 for every person in the UK, compared with an estimate of where the economy would have been without Brexit.
Source: Brexit Cost Project (Alabrese, Edenhofer, Fetzer and Wang, 2026), real terms at 2019 prices
What rejoining could mean · UK-wide
Long-term boost to the UK economy (GDP) from EU membership
+£92bn
at least
Plus at least £43bn a year more in UK exports.
What rejoining could mean here
Estimated boost to the South West's economy (GVA) each year from EU membership
+£639m
a year
Source: Frontier Economics
What voters think in St Austell and Newquay
Which EU relationship people in St Austell and Newquay most want the UK Government to propose
When they had to choose one
About this survey
YouGov surveyed 11,927 people. The survey was carried out between 27th May – 11th June 2026.
The survey was conducted using an online interview of members of the YouGov Plc GB panel of 400,000+ individuals who have agreed to take part in surveys.
Voices from St Austell and Newquay
St Austell and Newquay, and Cornwall as a whole, was a net recipient of EU funding, from subsidies to farmers that have not been matched by the UK government since Brexit, to investment in infrastructure like roads and mobile and internet connectivity. Brexit meant we lost all that. Rejoining the EU would mean more support for our farmers, more investment in infrastructure, and more opportunities for our young people to work and study abroad. My business struggled after Brexit, due to the loss of easy access to both customers and suppliers in EU countries. While rejoining the EU wouldn't undo that damage, it would create more confidence and opportunities for more startups in industries Cornwall excels at, including critical minerals and the creative industries.
A. T.
8 November 2026
Which sectors could benefit most from EU membership?
St Austell and Newquay has:
people employed in manufacturing, mining and utilities
people employed in retail and wholesale
people employed in accommodation and food services
19th highest of 632 constituenciesas its biggest employing industry
Why these jobs matter for our relationship with Europe
These three industries employ people in every constituency, and each depends on how easily goods, services and people move between the UK and Europe.
Manufacturing: Frontier Economics found that 81% of the £43 billion a year growth in exports from EU membership would come from manufacturing.
Retail: Rejoining the EU would remove the customs checks and paperwork that have added red tape and costs for shops and their suppliers since Brexit, making it cheaper and simpler to stock goods from Europe.
Food services: Pubs, restaurants and hotels have struggled to fill vacancies since free movement ended. EU membership would let them recruit seasonal workers from across Europe again and help bring down costs for hospitality businesses across the country.
Sources and methodology
- GVA gap caused by Brexit: Brexit Cost Project
- People employed by industry and biggest employing industry: Census 2021, Office for National Statistics
- People employed by industry in Scotland: Scotland's Census 2022, National Records of Scotland
- Support for full EU membership: YouGov for Best for Britain
- Regional GVA boost: Frontier Economics for Best for Britain
- Postcode lookup: postcodes.io, using ONS data
- MP details and photos: UK Parliament Members API
Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right 2026. Contains Royal Mail data © Royal Mail copyright and database right 2026. Contains NRS data © Crown copyright and database right 2026. Source: Office for National Statistics licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.