Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said that Cornwall will get replacement EU funding as promised but from funding streams which are also available to other parts of the UK.

Cornwall had received millions in funding from the European Union for more than 20 years after it was recognised as being one of the poorest regions in Europe.

When the UK left the EU Boris Johnson made a pledge that Cornwall would not lose out on additional funding after Brexit.

Cornwall Council had set out a bid to secure a dedicated pot of money which it said would be needed to replace the lost EU funding, totalling £100m a year.

Boris Johnson speaks to business owners at Lemon Quay Market yesterday. Pippa Fowles / No10 Downing Stre

Boris Johnson speaks to business owners at Lemon Quay Market yesterday. Pippa Fowles / No10 Downing Stre

However Mr Johnson today indicated that the lost funding would be made up through funding provided through schemes which are also available to all other parts of the UK with no special allowance for Cornwall.

Speaking in Truro’s Lemon Street Market during a day visit to Cornwall, the Prime Minister highlighted money announced for Truro’s Town Deal, funding provided to Newquay Airport for improvements for the G7 summit and other town deal cash as examples of how the Government is replacing the lost EU funding.

He said: “Our intention was that the EU funding would be more than made up for by the commitments  that we have made so the £90m growth fund and getting building fund obviously goes a long way then we have talked about the £23m growth fund for Truro and the various other funds I have mentioned, the £10m for Penzance, the £7.8m for the airport and spaceport as it will be, next year.”

Boris Johnson speaks to business owners at Lemon Quay Market yesterday. Pippa Fowles / No10 Downing Stre

Boris Johnson speaks to business owners at Lemon Quay Market yesterday. Pippa Fowles / No10 Downing Stre

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However the PM then went off on a strange tangent and started asking why Cathedral City cheese does not have Truro Cathedral as its logo.

He said: “I have one question for you, one of the things we are funding through the LEP is the dairy industry in this part of the world, several million pounds to support local creamery at Davidstow, so here is my question, Cathedral City is just about the most popular Cheddars, well one of the most popular, I have to be careful, one of the popular Cheddar brands in this country and I personally am an avid consumer of it, far more than I should do, right?

"But Truro is obviously the cathedral city in question, isn’t it? It must be as that is the local city, so why does the packet of Cathedral City Cheddar not resemble Truro Cathedral?”

A quick search on Google reveals that the image on the packets is Wells Cathedral in Somerset, where the original producers were based.