Gloriously awkward photos from past general election visits

VaselineMay 26, 2024

0 5 minutes read

Gloriously awkward photos from past general election visits

In the immortal words of Brenda of Bristol: “Not another!” In the last ten years we have endured three general elections and in less than six weeks the country will head to the polls for a fourth.

On Wednesday (May 22), Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced that the date for the long-awaited general election would be July 4. And while this will be good news for many who see the election as a chance to make their votes count, the launch of mandatory campaign trails will be among other collective sighs of relief.

Once described by a Cornish parliamentary candidate as a “love bomb”, the upcoming general election is seeing a huge increase in political party tourism to our otherwise neglected part of the country. One of the top ten things you’re most likely to see in Cornwall before voters go to the polls is a potential Prime Minister sporting a pasty.

However, as odd as this man-of-the-people-for-eating-half-pasta cliché is, there are far more cringe-worthy scenes as high-profile political candidates love-bomb the Duchy and do their best to win the hearts and minds of Cornish voters.

Read more: Meet the candidates in Cornwall’s general election

Fortunately, they are almost always surrounded by cameras. So, to lighten our spirits and prepare us for the inevitable influx of battle buses and pasty pictures, here are some gloriously awkward photos from previous visits to the vote-hungry General Election.

There are 19 images in this photo story – click the “Next” button at the bottom of the page to see them all.

1 of 19

With the general election looming on the horizon, then-sthe Secretary of State for the Environment, Liz Truss, visited Hayle on 8 January 2015. While being presented with a cauliflower by Little did David Simmons, managing director of Riviera Produce, know that it would eventually become closely associated with another green, leafy vegetable.

(Image: Greg Martin / Cornwall Live)

2 of 19

Keen to break free from the two traditional main parties ahead of the general election, Queen’s legend Brian May visited Penwith College in Penzance on 17 April 2015 to lend his support to Liberal Democrat candidate Andrew George and talk to students about a political movement called Common Decency. Describing itself as “colorblind politics,” this movement focused on individual candidates, and particularly their green credentials.

3 out of 19

After speaking passionately about the environment, Brian May then left in his private helicopter and his own credentials came under pressure.

4 out of 19

Meanwhile, the leaders of the coalition government split up and began their campaigns across the country. All was going well for Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg as he posed for photographs next to fishing boats during a stunning sunrise at Newlyn Harbor on April 21, 2015. But then he was handed a massive wet fish and heard that pained sound of cameras clicking.

(Image: Greg Martin / Cornwall Live)

5 out of 19

Trying to escape the stereotype of retired Tory voters, David Cameron takes the chance to take a selfie worthy of delight with a fan club of teenagers during a campaign event held at a scaffolding depot in Penzance on April 23, 2015.

(Image: Greg Martin / Cornwall Live)

6 out of 19

With the camera on his face, Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg closes his eyes for a moment of concentration as he is given the countdown to go live on the national morning news at Land’s End on May 5, 2015, kicking off the final 48 campaign hours before the general election.

Was he thinking about his key party commitments or wondering what he was doing sitting on a windy cliff top at 6.30am?

7 out of 19

Later that day, Tory leader David Cameron stepped up his last 48 hours of campaigning with a theatrical rally held at St Ives Guildhall.

Surrounded by supporters, he gave an impassioned speech about what the next prime minister should be like.

(Image: Greg Martin / Cornwall Live)

8 out of 19

However, a few meters away from the stage-managed photo shoot, the large rally of supporters looked a little less impressive.

(Image: Greg Martin / Cornwall Live)

9 out of 19

Just two years after the Conservatives won the 2015 general election, Prime Minister Theresa May surprised everyone by calling a snap general election for June 2017.

While the campaign is underway, Theresa May visited AP Diving in Helston on 2 May 2017. But the CornwallLive team were not happy, with our reporters locked in a room during the tour and photographers kept at bay while they first – the minister laughed.

(Image: Photographer: Greg Martin 07963563618)

10 out of 19

Later, the same, and apparently more relaxed, Prime Minister Theresa May stopped for some chips in Mevagissey, where Dylan Martinez of Getty Images captured this wonderful photo.

(Image: Getty Images)

11 out of 19

Channeling his inner emotion, Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron tries to get his act together with children at Penwith College in Penzance on May 9, 2017.

(Image: Greg Martin / Cornwall Live)

12 out of 19

In an attempt to bolster support for the Conservatives in Cornwall, then Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson visited St Ives with parliamentary candidate Derek Thomas on 22 May 2017 and was given a tour of the town’s library.

(Image: Greg Martin / Cornwall Live)

13 out of 19

Full of confidence after losing the 2017 general election by not as much as everyone expected, Labor leader Jeremy Corbyn came to Cornwall and mingled with his people after giving a speech at Heartlands on August 10, 2017.

(Image: Photographer: Greg Martin 07963563618)

14 out of 19

After two votes of no confidence, Theresa May announced her resignation in May 2019. With a Tory leadership contest in full swing and rumors of another general election on the horizon, Brexit Party MEP Ann Widdecombe visited Newlyn Harbor on 27 June 2019 , to ensure that Brexit remained at the top of any potential voters’ priorities. However, as is often the case with an afternoon visit to The Swordfish, the topic of conversation soon moved on to some lighter topics.

(Image: Greg Martin / Cornwall Live)

15 out of 19

After announcing yet another general election and not one to be drunk under the table by Ann Widdecombe, new Tory Prime Minister Boris Johnson held a rally at Healeys Cornish Cyder Farm on November 27, 2019. After touring the business and sampled quite a bit of their Rattler cider.

(Image: Greg Martin / Cornwall Live)

16 of 19

Later that day, looking like an overworked geography teacher who refuses to hand out exam papers until the class settles, Labor leader Jeremy Corbyn visited Cornwall to address a Labor rally at the Princess Pavillions in Falmouth.

(Image: Greg Martin / Cornwall Live)

17 of 19

Now, with another general election looming, Cornwall can expect to be visited again by the leaders of the main political parties. Before becoming Prime Minister, one of Rishi Sunak’s first official visits to the Duchy was during his leadership campaign tour, when he tried to win the hearts and minds of Conservative Party members with his pasta-making skills at the Tre , Pol & Pen – Farm Shop & Restaurant in Lezant on August 2, 2022.

Unfortunately, Rishi’s paste looked more like a dead wig wrapped in a wet rag, and the party members decided that Liz Truss was the strongest candidate.

(Image: Greg Martin / Cornwall Live)

18 of 19

Cornwall tends to be overlooked by Labor leaders and their visits are few and far between. Only time will tell if Labor leader Sir Keir Starmer will make another visit to the Duchy before the general election.

Here he is posing for a photo by Getty Images’ Hugh Hastings on Falmouth’s Gyllyngvase Beach on July 29, 2020, looking as if his wife has just asked him if he’s feeling relaxed on his third day of holiday.

(Image: Getty Images)

19 of 19

Learning from the mistakes of the past, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak left the pasta-making to the experts during a visit to Hayle on February 8, 2024. However, he then tried to eat it like a watermelon, which was unconventional.

Image by Edward Massey / CCHQ

(Image: Edward Massey)

VaselineMay 26, 2024

0 5 minutes read

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