With the UK heading back to the polls on December 12, we have taken a look at what has happened in recent votes in Worcester.

In the last general election, held in June 2017, Worcester elected a Conservative MP, Robin Walker, with 48.1% of the vote – ahead of Labour with 43.2% and the Lib Dems with 3.4%.

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 32.9% of the vote in Worcester's local authority area, the largest share.

The Lib Dems finished second, with 19.8%, and the Greens third with 16.9%.

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

Turnout was, however, much lower in those elections – while 69.6% of the electorate came out to vote across the Worcester constituency in 2017, just 35.1% 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 Worcester, 73.9% of the electorate voted, with a majority in favour of leaving the EU, with 53.7% of the vote.

The EU Referendum result in Worcester in June 2016:

Remain: 25,125 (46.3%)

Leave: 29,114 (53.7%)

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

Conservative: 24,731 votes (48.1%)

Labour: 22,223 (43.2%)

Liberal Democrats: 1,757 (3.4%)

Top three parties in Worcester for the European Parliament in May

The Brexit Party: 32.9%

The Lib Dems: 19.8%

The Greens: 16.9%