Election change to split city

Parties slam proposals

Stirling remains split in proposed new parliamentary constituencies published earlier this month.

The Boundary Commission for Scotland published its final recommendations for United Kingdom Parliament elections.

If MPs back the blueprint part of Stirling will be in a new Stirlingshire, Strathearn and Kinross constituency, while the rest of the city will be in Stirling and Falkirk North.

The shake-up is aimed at reducing the overall number of UK constituencies from 650 to 600 and by six to 53 in Scotland.

Under the final recommendations Cambusbarron, Torbrex, part of St Ninians and Chartershall will be part of a large rural constituency which takes in Tyndrum, Crianlarich and Killin in the north-west as well as Crieff, Methven, Auchterarder, Dunblane, Bridge of Allan, Doune and Thornhill.

It will extend as far as Kinross in the north-east and over to Strathblane, Drymen and Balfron to the south-west and be named Stirlingshire, Strathearn and Kinross.

Causewayhead, Cambuskenneth, part of St Ninians, Bannockburn, Plean and Cowie will be part of a new Stirling and Falkirk North constituency which also includes Denny, Dunipace, Bonnybridge, Larbert, Stenhousemuir Fallin, Throsk and Airth.

Stirling Conservative campaign director Alastair Orr said this week: “There are real concerns over these proposals, which appear to cut Stirling city centre in two and separate neighbouring communities such as Braehead and Broomridge into different parliamentary constituencies.

“The present Stirling constituency is a carefully balanced mix of urban and rural areas with distinct and valued characters.

“The Boundary Commission must recognise the need to retain these essential factors when putting forward their proposals.

“Stirling faces the most radical changes to parliamentary boundaries in Scotland.

“Instead of holding a public consultation meeting in Edinburgh, the Boundary Commission should have the courage to come to Stirling, put their case and allow local residents to respond and have their say.”

Stirling SNP branch chair Gerry McLaughlan said the proposals were wrong for the Stirling area.

He said: “These plans essentially carve up the city, placing parts of St Ninians into the same constituency as Kinross.

“Throughout this process Stirling SNP have submitted numerous objections to what has been proposed.

“I am disappointed that the commission appears to have not listened to what we and many other people across the area were saying: that is it not right to split Stirling communities apart.

“This whole exercise is an attempt to reduce the overall number of democratically elected MPs to the Commons at a time when the unelected House of Lords continues to grow in size. The SNP is strongly opposed to such an affront to our democracy.”

Depute chair of the Boundary Commission for Scotland Lord Matthews said: “The commission is extremely grateful to all those who assisted us in developing our final recommendations by submitting views or attending public hearings.

“We listened carefully to comments made on our revised proposals and made a number of changes to boundaries and to constituency names.

“We believe our final recommendations meet the requirements of the legislation governing the review and within those contraints fairly reflect the views expressed to us during our consultations.”