[News] New constituency boundary proposals

[Bozza]

Details of the proposals to reduce the House of Commons from 650 MPs to 600 have been published. Additionally the changes attempt to make constituencies more consistent in size. Secretary for the Boundary Commission in England Sam Hartley said the number of constituents for each seat on the UK mainland ranged from about 55,000 to 90-95,000 and the review was an attempt to standardise that. The commission did not take political ramifications into account, but took an independent view, he stressed.

Currently, the biggest constituency is the Isle of Wight over 105,000 registered voters. At the other end of the scale several Scottish and Welsh constituencies have below 50,000 registered voters with the smallest, Na h-Eileanan an Iar, having c21,000. Under the proposals, with four exceptions, every seat in the UK will have no fewer than 71,031 and no more than 78,507 electors.

Labour, who are forecast to be the biggest seat 'losers' under the proposals, have declared the changes to be undemocratic, which is quite notable.

Jon Ashworth, the party's shadow minister, said: "Constitutional changes should be done fairly and consensually, to ensure that everyone is given a voice.

"There is nothing fair about redrawing boundaries with millions left out, and reducing the number of elected MPs while the unelected House of Lords continues to grow."

"These changes are not about fairness to voters, they are about what is best for the Tory Party and they must not go ahead. The commission must rethink and ensure that no elector loses out."

The Libs Dems aren't particularly happy either. "Tory claims that this process will lead to 'equal votes of equal value' are plain wrong," said a party spokesman. "This process will still leave a plethora of safe seats across the country, and millions of votes which don't count."

Locally, it is proposed to have one constituency that contains electors from Brighton and Hove, and East Sussex; it crosses the boundary on the south coast, combining the east of the City of Brighton and Hove with Newhaven and Seaford. It is also proposed to have one constituency that contains electors from East Sussex and Kent; it crosses the boundary at The Weald, combining the towns of Crowborough and Tenterden.

In West Sussex, one of the existing eight constituencies is unchanged and one is reconfigured slightly due to rewarding. A further five are changed only by the transfer of one ward.

Details of the South-East changes here: http://www.bce2018.org.uk/download_document?type=0&document_id=14172

Lots more here > http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-37344525

 

[beorhthelm]

Jon Ashworth, the party's shadow minister, said: "Constitutional changes should be done fairly and consensually, to ensure that everyone is given a voice.

"There is nothing fair about redrawing boundaries with millions left out, and reducing the number of elected MPs while the unelected House of Lords continues to grow."

"These changes are not about fairness to voters, they are about what is best for the Tory Party and they must not go ahead. The commission must rethink and ensure that no elector loses out."

of course its not fair, its going to impact Labour more because they hold more of the smaller seats. chuckled at claims millions will be left out, only those who chose not to be on the electoral role will be missed out.

 

[Notters]

Is there a map of the proposed boundaries anywhere? (It may be [MENTION=6886]Bozza[/MENTION]'s first link which doesn't seem to work?)

 

[GT49er]

Is there a map of the proposed boundaries anywhere? (It may be [MENTION=6886]Bozza[/MENTION]'s first link which doesn't seem to work?)

http://www.bce2018.org.uk/

 

[turienzo's lovechild]

wow, so the east brighton-seaford one is bloody huge!

 

[Ernest]

How can East Brighton be lumped in with Seaford ?

 

[Gwylan]

chuckled at claims millions will be left out, only those who chose not to be on the electoral role will be missed out.

Yes, I was baffled by that, seemed a strange thing to say.

I do agree with Ashworth's point about the House of Lords though: it does seem bizarre to reduce the number of elected representatives while increasing the number of unelected ones.

And I agree with Caroline Lucas when she says it's strange to have a Brighton constituency that doesn't include the seafront, surely a Brighton MP should have some say on coastal matters?

 

[Notters]

http://www.bce2018.org.uk/

wow, so the east brighton-seaford one is bloody huge!

Cool, I'm moving back to Brighton. Is my house price going to quadruple?

And looking at the report it's going to be called Brighton East and Newhaven. The Saltdean/Peacehaven/Seaford yokels won't be impressed.

 

[Triggaaar]

About time.

 

[Bozza]

Is there a map of the proposed boundaries anywhere? (It may be [MENTION=6886]Bozza[/MENTION]'s first link which doesn't seem to work?)

Oops - sorry link fixed (although I know you don't need it any more).

 

[Titanic]

Labour complaints are utter self-interest...

GE2005. Labour lead 2.8%. Seats 413, Majority 66

GE2015. Conservative lead 6.5%. Seats 306, Majority 10

 

[Machiavelli]

of course its not fair, its going to impact Labour more because they hold more of the smaller seats. chuckled at claims millions will be left out, only those who chose not to be on the electoral role will be missed out.

Ah yes, the recently revised electoral role that made it harder for recently arrived and the more transient residents to sign up to who, funnily enough, rarely vote Tory.

 

[Machiavelli]

Labour complaints are utter self-interest...

GE2005. Labour lead 2.8%. Majority 66

GE2015. Conservative lead 6.5%. Majority 10

The Tories, of course, are utterly immune from notions such as self-interest. They're icons of modesty, altruism and community.
PS if you pursue the logic of your argument, you're an advocate of proportional representation, and that so far has been in neither Labour's self-interest nor the Tories', although the former are going to have to wake up to it, while the latter and their vociferous chums will resist it

 

[Titanic]

The Tories, of course, are utterly immune from notions such as self-interest. They're icons of modesty, altruism and community.

So equal constituencies are somehow unfair and gerrymandering then?

 

[Machiavelli]

So equal constituencies are somehow unfair and gerrymandering then?

Ha! See my edit (written before I saw your reply), and prior post for the beginnings of a response.

 

[Titanic]

I am not a fan of PR, because it puts the power in the hands of the party machines to fill their lists with toadies and lickspittles. You would never get the Portillo or Ed Bollx moments.

 

[Titanic]

http://www.bce2018.org.uk/

How can East Brighton be lumped in with Seaford ?

Yes, I was baffled by that, seemed a strange thing to say.

I do agree with Ashworth's point about the House of Lords though: it does seem bizarre to reduce the number of elected representatives while increasing the number of unelected ones.

And I agree with Caroline Lucas when she says it's strange to have a Brighton constituency that doesn't include the seafront, surely a Brighton MP should have some say on coastal matters?

It is a PROPOSAL for CONSULTATION.

I saw an interview with the BCE main man on TV... they are expecting masses of changes and modifications, based on exactly these sort of observations... but the target is 74,769 +/- 5% for each new constituency.

 

[beorhthelm]

Ah yes, the recently revised electoral role that made it harder for recently arrived and the more transient residents to sign up to who, funnily enough, rarely vote Tory.

made harder? you mean individuals having to enrol themselves rather than one person in the house say "yes there's 5 adults living here". yep, harder for some purposes, but not harder to register for real people: want to vote/be on the electoral roll, then register yourself.

 

[pb21]

It is a PROPOSAL for CONSULTATION.

I saw an interview the the main man on TV... they are expecting masses of changes and modifications, based on exactly these sort of observations... but the target is 74,769 +/- 5% for each new constituency.

You would think that he proposals issued for consultation had at least gone through some kind of common sense check though?

 

[Buzzer]

And I agree with Caroline Lucas when she says it's strange to have a Brighton constituency that doesn't include the seafront, surely a Brighton MP should have some say on coastal matters?

I don't see why that is necessary anymore than a Sussex constituency should automatically encompass part of the Downs. And taking it further, a place like the Pier or the Pavilion is emblematic of the entire Brighton and Hove area - should they also be split?

And what exactly prevents Caroline Lucas from commenting about coastal matters even if her constituency wouldn't have the seafront as part of it? She somehow manages to have been extremely vocal about fracking in Balcombe and I'm pretty sure her constituency boundaries fall well short of Crawley.