1979
| Penhaligon | Liberal | 33,571 | 52.8% |
| Brown | Conservative | 24,863 | 39.1% |
| Tidy | Labour | 4,689 | 7.4% |
| Whetter | Cornish Nationalist | 227 | 0.4% |
| Hedger | National Front | 182 | 0.3% |
| turnout | 82.9% |
1983
| Penhaligon | Liberal | 31,279 | 57.3% |
| Buddell | Conservative | 20,799 | 38.1% |
| Beecroft | Labour | 2,479 | 4.5% |
| turnout | 79.6% |
1987
| Taylor | Liberal | 28,368 | 49.0% |
| St Aubyn | Conservative | 23,615 | 40.8% |
| King | Labour | 5,882 | 10.2% |
| turnout | 79.9% |
1992
| Taylor | Liberal Democrat | 31,230 | 50.5% |
| St Aubyn | Conservative | 23,660 | 38.3% |
| Geach | Labour | 6,078 | 9.8% |
| Keating | Green | 569 | 0.9% |
| Tankard | Liberal | 208 | 0.3% |
| Hartley | Natural Law | 108 | 0.2% |
| turnout | 82.4% |
