General election: a guide to recent votes in Burnley

In the last general election, held in June 2017, Burnley elected a Labour MP, with 46.7% of the vote – ahead of the Conservatives with 31.0% and the Lib Dems with 15.0%.

This contrasted with the picture in the European Parliament elections this May, the most recent occasion on which the country went to the polls, when the Brexit Party took 39.4% of the vote in Burnley's local authority area, the largest share.

Labour finished second, with 25.6%, and the Lib Dems third with 9.7%.

The North West – the EU consituency in which Burnley lies – returned three Brexit Party MEPs, two Liberal Democrat, two Labour and one Green to Brussels in May.

Turnout was, however, much lower in those elections – while 62.3% of the electorate came out to vote across the Burnley constituency in 2017, just 32.9% did in the local authority for the European Parliament elections this year.

Both those turnouts, however, were beaten by that for the referendum on the topic which will dominate December’s general election: Brexit.

Many commentators think that a decision between leaving and remaining in the European Union will form the basis for many voters’ choices in polling booths this year, rather than traditional party lines.

The major parties have each made significantly different pledges for the UK's departure.

While the Conservatives have said they will push through a departure on the terms of the deal Prime Minister Boris Johnson has negotiated, the Labour Party has said it will agree a closer alignment with the EU and hold a second referendum on its deal against the option to remain.

The Liberal Democrats have pledged to immediately revoke Article 50, keeping the UK in the EU, while the Brexit Party will pursue a "no-deal" departure.

The Brexit referendum in 2016 brought more voters to the polls across the UK than any referendum or general election in 24 years. In Burnley, 67.3% of the electorate voted, with a large majority in favour of leaving the EU, with 66.6% of the vote.

The EU Referendum result in Burnley in June 2016

Remain: 14,462 (33.4%)

Leave: 28,854 (66.6%)

The vote share for the top three parties in the Burnley constituency in June 2017

Labour: 18,832 votes (46.7%)

Conservative: 12,479 (31.0%)

Liberal Democrats: 6,046 (15.0%)

Top three parties in Burnley for the European Parliament in May

The Brexit Party: 39.4%

Labour: 25.6%

The Lib Dems: 9.7%