‘Cigarette packet’ jibe at boundary changes
Northolt councillor’s anger at constituency proposal
CONTROVERSIAL plans to rip up parliamentary constituencies and redraw boundaries across the UK look like they were “drawn up on the back of a cigarette packet”.
That’s according to a Labour councillor in Northolt, who stood unsuccessfully against Boris Johnson in Uxbridge & South Ruislip at the 2015 general election.
Chris Summers is particularly riled about the proposed changes in Northolt, where he says the diverse urban population would be lumped together in a new constituency alongside rural folk with whom they have little in common.
“The proposed changes to west London, and Northolt in particular, are totally ridiculous and look like they have just been drawn up on the back of a cigarette packet with scant regard for what voters want or how they feel about their TJG1ST communities,” he said.
“The people of Northolt have been part of the Ealing North parliamentary constituency since 1950, two years after the NHS was created.
“The Boundary Commission is now proposing, in its infinite wisdom, to transfer the wards of Northolt Mandeville and Northolt West End to a new constituency which is entirely from Hillingdon borough.
“I urge ordinary people in Northolt, whichever side of the A40 they live on, to email the Boundary Commission and let it know that they want to be represented by an Ealing MP, not a Hillingdon MP.” DRAFT proposals for a major shake-up of the nation’s voting boundaries were unveiled by the Boundary Commission for England, and its counterparts elsewhere in the UK, on ANGER: Tuesday, September 13.
The changes are being introduced to even up the population of constituencies and to reduce the number of MPs from 650 to 600, saving costs.
They are largely supported by Conservative politicians - who stand to benefit most – despite the seats of some high profile Tory MPs like George Osborne being scrapped.
But they have come under fire from those within the Labour ranks, who say two million newly registered voters have been ignored and cutting the number of MPs while creating many new unelected Tory peers undemocratic.
A 12-week consultation on the initial proposals is under way, and the final recommendations are due to be made to parliament in 2018.
The changes could be introduced in time for the next general election, due in 2020. is