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Thursday, October 20, 2016
Westminster boundary changes - Nairn getting slung out of the Highlands?
Just a quick look at the map in the facebook post by Drew Hendry seems to indicate that that is the case. We are going to be part of Moray now for Westminster purposes?
Drew Hendry is - perhaps understandably - taking a biased and partisan view of the proposed changes. His reference to the House of Lords is both ignorant and irrelevant, since as he of all people ought to know, they are not elected from constituencies.
The electoral-boundary reforms, right across the UK, are driven by the principle of fairness and democracy: that each MP should be elected by, and should represent, roughly the same number of constituents. As people move, new towns grow in some areas, and populations decline in others, the number of voters in each existing constituency changes. Unless boundaries are amended to reflect this, we'll end up with "rotten boroughs" again, with some MPs elected by no more than a handful of voters, while others have disproportionately populous constituencies.
Highland constituencies are all being realigned. In the case of Nairn - and its nearby neighbouring communities - this has nothing to do with the speaking of Gaelic. One essential criterion is voter numbers. If Nairn were to remain within the new Inverness and Skye constituency (or to be linked - even less logically - with Ross, Caithness and Sutherland) then some 10,000 voters from somewhere else in that area, like Badenoch and Kingussie, would have to be reassigned to Moray.
Which highlights the other criterion: constituencies should, broadly speaking, reflect the characteristics and communities within them. In terms of interests, issues and needs, Nairn and Nairnshire have much more in common with Moray - coastal, agricultural, with significant urban populations, and smallish businesses - than with either Inverness (large city, industrial and commercial economy) or the NW Highlands (mountains, moorlands, sparse populations, issues of access and isolation).
So Drew is wrong. The proposed redrawing of boundaries is fairer, more sensible, and timely.
Creating such huge constituencies in terms of area means that MPs will be severally challenged to travel to meetings, surgeries and campaigns etc
It's very hard for me to see this proposed changed as anything other than the Tories seeking to maintain their power in Westminster for as long as possible
Remote constituencies such as those we have in the Highlands will suffer under these changes.
If you want to explore 'fairness and democracy' might I suggest Westminster change to a voting system such as that adopted by Holyrood rather than Westminster's first past the post?
Dem O'Crat explains it very well indeed. Prior to 1975, Nairnshire had a long historical connection with Morayshire both in local government and in Central Government. Well do I remember the Moray and Nairn Joint Education Committee. The title was printed on all our jotters in school! Nairnshire folk need have no fear in joining up with Morayshire for electoral purposes.
Inverness council are a stones throw from being bust too....if you take in Raigmores debts ....they went bust a long time ago. Years of bad housekeeping... .and paying councilers for doing nothing ...too many Indians and no real chief.
in the words of another local worthy "I am a proud highlander and always will me I belong to Nairnshire in the Highlands of Scotland and will never consider myself anything else as a highlander"
Still will be the same old SNP MP wanting Indie 2, Indie 3 Indie 4 Indie 5 referendum yawn yawn yawn, whilst our schools need cash, NHS struggling, roads pitiful state
Drew Hendry is - perhaps understandably - taking a biased and partisan view of the proposed changes. His reference to the House of Lords is both ignorant and irrelevant, since as he of all people ought to know, they are not elected from constituencies.
ReplyDeleteThe electoral-boundary reforms, right across the UK, are driven by the principle of fairness and democracy: that each MP should be elected by, and should represent, roughly the same number of constituents. As people move, new towns grow in some areas, and populations decline in others, the number of voters in each existing constituency changes. Unless boundaries are amended to reflect this, we'll end up with "rotten boroughs" again, with some MPs elected by no more than a handful of voters, while others have disproportionately populous constituencies.
Highland constituencies are all being realigned. In the case of Nairn - and its nearby neighbouring communities - this has nothing to do with the speaking of Gaelic. One essential criterion is voter numbers. If Nairn were to remain within the new Inverness and Skye constituency (or to be linked - even less logically - with Ross, Caithness and Sutherland) then some 10,000 voters from somewhere else in that area, like Badenoch and Kingussie, would have to be reassigned to Moray.
Which highlights the other criterion: constituencies should, broadly speaking, reflect the characteristics and communities within them. In terms of interests, issues and needs, Nairn and Nairnshire have much more in common with Moray - coastal, agricultural, with significant urban populations, and smallish businesses - than with either Inverness (large city, industrial and commercial economy) or the NW Highlands (mountains, moorlands, sparse populations, issues of access and isolation).
So Drew is wrong. The proposed redrawing of boundaries is fairer, more sensible, and timely.
@Dem O'Crat
ReplyDeleteCreating such huge constituencies in terms of area means that MPs will be severally challenged to travel to meetings, surgeries and campaigns etc
It's very hard for me to see this proposed changed as anything other than the Tories seeking to maintain their power in Westminster for as long as possible
Remote constituencies such as those we have in the Highlands will suffer under these changes.
If you want to explore 'fairness and democracy' might I suggest Westminster change to a voting system such as that adopted by Holyrood rather than Westminster's first past the post?
Dem O'Crat explains it very well indeed. Prior to 1975, Nairnshire had a long historical connection with Morayshire both in local government and in Central Government. Well do I remember the Moray and Nairn Joint Education Committee. The title was printed on all our jotters in school!
ReplyDeleteNairnshire folk need have no fear in joining up with Morayshire for electoral purposes.
Careful what you wish for. Moray council along with several others in Scotland are about to go bust
ReplyDeleteInverness council are a stones throw from being bust too....if you take in Raigmores debts ....they went bust a long time ago.
ReplyDeleteYears of bad housekeeping...
.and paying councilers for doing nothing ...too many Indians and no real chief.
in the words of another local worthy "I am a proud highlander and always will me I belong to Nairnshire in the Highlands of Scotland and will never consider myself anything else as a highlander"
ReplyDeleteNous sommes Teuchters! Nairnshire was, is and always shall be Highland.
ReplyDeleteNairn being aligned with Moray is logical. We have more in common with Forres than the Inverness city slickers.
ReplyDeleteStill will be the same old SNP MP wanting Indie 2, Indie 3 Indie 4 Indie 5 referendum yawn yawn yawn, whilst our schools need cash, NHS struggling, roads pitiful state
ReplyDelete