Europhiles shouldn’t be surprised that Cornwall supports Brexit

As a proud Cornishman I was delighted earlier this month to be chatting to a young American fashion designer who excitedly told me about his growing label. ‘We’ve just taken on two students from Foolmoof, that’s how you say it right?’ I think he meant Falmouth whose university – specialising in creative industries – has been one of the recent success stories in Cornwall. I’ve also come across graphics designers for Pixar in the badlands west of Penzance. They have been using the superfast broadband network to pass their animations back and forth with LA.

For all its Doc Martin appeal, Cornwall is not a parochial backwater, and thanks to European Union investment, stories like the ones above are becoming more commonplace. Unfortunately that is where the success of this European largesse ends. This week the FT asked why, after receiving so many millions from the EU (I count at least £1 billion since the year 2000 but estimates vary wildly which is perhaps indicative of the problem), Cornish folk are so overwhelmingly behind Brexit.