WITH the UK heading back to the polls on December 12, we have looked at what has happened in recent votes in Flintshire and Wrexham.

There are two Westminster constituencies which are in or cross over into Flintshire - Alyn and Deeside and Delyn. They each elected Labour MPs in the last general election, held in June 2017.

Labour took the largest share of the vote – 52.1 per cent in total, ahead of the Conservatives with 40.9 per cent and Plaid Cymru with 3.2 per cent.

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 the largest share of the vote in Flintshire’s local authority area with 38 per cent.

Labour finished second, with 15.6 per cent, and the Lib Dems third with 14.5 per cent.

The two Westminster constituencies which are in Wrexham include Clwyd South and Wrexham. They also each elected Labour MPs in the last general election, held in June 2017.

Labour took the largest share of the vote – almost half – with 49.8 per cent in total, ahead of the Conservatives with 41.3 per cent and Plaid Cymru with 5.6 per cent.

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 the largest share of the vote in Wrexham’s local authority area with 37 per cent.

Labour finished second, with 15.3 per cent, and Plaid Cymru third with 14 per cent.

Wales – the EU constituency in which Flintshire and Wrexham lies – returned two Brexit Party MEPs, one Labour and one Plaid Cymru to Brussels in May.

Turnout was, however, much lower in those elections – while 71.9 per cent of the electorate came out to vote across the two Flintshire constituencies in 2017, whilst just under a third (32 per cent) did in the local authority for the European Parliament elections this year.

Wrexham paints a similar picture with 69.3 per cent of the local electorate came out to vote across the two constituencies in 2017, whilst just over a third (33.8 per cent) did in the local authority for the European Parliament elections this year.

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.