BOUNDARY review public hearings got under way today to examine the fate of south London’s parliamentary constituencies.
The Boundary Commission for England has been tasked with drawing up a new constituency map, reducing the number of MPs in England from 533 to 502.
Initial proposals published last month would see the town of Greenwich having two different MPs.
The Greenwich West council ward would become part of a new Deptford & Greenwich constituency while east Greenwich’s Peninsula ward would become part of a new constituency simply called Woolwich.
Parliamentary constituencies are put together by grouping council wards, and under the new review, every constituency should represent a number of registered electors btetween 72,810 and 80,473.
Current MP Nick Raynsford addressed the hearings today, taking place at Lewisham Town Hall, and outlined his own alternative proposal.
Raynsford suggests that the Greenwich & Woolwich constituency be maintained, with the addition of the Kidbrooke & Hornfair ward, and also Lewisham’s Blackheath ward. He proposes that Glyndon ward at the very east be moved into a different constituency.
Other political representatives and members of the public are expected to put forward their responses at the hearings which will conclude tomorrow.
Nick Raynsford’s proposal was also submitted in writing to the Boundary Commission and can be seen in full below:
You can also have your say via the Commissions website – submissions will be accepted until 5th December.
I was at Lewisham Town Hall today. I thought the Labour proposals were pretty good for the north-west side of the Borough, less good (but not outrageous) for the south and north-east. I suspect the problem will be the knock-on effects in other parts of SE London, especially in Bromley.