In the biggest shakeup of the electoral system in a generation, the Boundary Commission for England has recommended 502 new larger parliamentary constituencies in England, 31 fewer than at present, which, together with proposed changes in other parts of the UK, would have the effect of reducing the total number of parliamentary seats from 650 to 600.
Among the proposed changes, Oxford West and Abingdon will become Oxford North and Abingdon, but is largely unchanged, except that Radley will move to an enlarged Henley constituency, which will also extend northwards taking in Middleton Stoney, Launton and part of the northern outskirts of Bicester. See map. The neighbouring parishes of Kennington and Sunningwell, would remain in the Abingdon and North Oxford constituency. |
At present, these are initial proposals but changes are not straightforward to make as the number of electors in each constituency has to be maintained. (The problem would be that Oxford West and Abingdon has too many electors, so something somewhere else would have to change.) A public consultation is currently taking place. To find out more about the proposed changes and why they are being made, and, to have your say, visit http://consultation.boundarycommissionforengland.independent.gov.uk/. The consultation is open until 5th December 2011. |
Update 04 November 2012 |
If you thought that the Boundary Commission would quickly see the absurdity of the proposal and leave Radley where it belongs, think again! |
The Commission has published its latest report following the 2011 public consultation. While there have been some revisions affecting Oxfordshire, mostly relating to the naming of revised constituencies, the Commission has retained the proposal to move Radley Ward into Henley, despite strong representations by our MP and by the Liberal Democrats. The fact that Radley is completely divided from Henley by the River Thames and neighbouring parishes, which would remain in Oxford West and Abingdon, and has no strong community and cultural links with the neighbouring Henley ward (Nuneham courtenay and Culham) and that the proposals would therefore make Radley a detached ward (one with no physical connection with the constituency in which it lies) seem to have been ignored in the interests of expediency. |
At paragraph AC420 in their report on the post consultation revisions, the Commission states
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Strangely, in relation to analternative proposal to attach Littlemore, Northfield Brook, Blackbird Leys and Barton to Henley, the Commission, at para AC406, cites, in support of rejecting the proposal, Andrew Smith MP who states,
Surely much the same can be said of Radley in relation to its ties with Abingdon and the neighbouring rural parishes of Kennington and Sunningwell? It just needs to be said a bit more loudly. |
The proposals, in more or less their present form, are likely to be put to a House of Commons vote next year. |
However the result may not be a foregone conclusion. Lib Dem MPs have vowed to vote against the proposals in retaliation for the defeat over the House of Lords reform. If they do and if Labour vote against them as well, they may well not get through. However boundary changes to equalise constituency sizes will happen sooner or later and it is important that objections to the currently proposed changes are registered now in order that more sensible solutions be found. |
A final consultation on the revised proposals is open until December 10. See http://consultation.boundarycommissionforengland.independent.gov.uk. DO TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE YOUR VIEWS KNOWN. It may be your last opportunity. It is also worth emailing our MP, nicola.blackwood.mp@parliament.uk |
Update 14/02/2013 |
True to their word, the Lib Dems have effectively seen off these proposals. On the 14th January, the House of Lords passed an amendment to the 2013 Electoral Registration and Administration Bill effectively postponing any boundary changes for 5 years until 2018. A vote in the Commons on 29th January failed to defeat the amendment. On 31st January, the Bill received Royal Assent and the four Boundary Commissions announced the termination of the 2013 Review. |
Thus the parliamentary boundaries in the UK will remain as they are for now, but the proposal (to move Radley “across the river” into Henley) seems likely to reemerge in 2015, which is when the Boundary Commission will present their proposals under the next review. |
Related Links Abingdon Herald 24 October 2012 Boundary Commission for England website The new political map at Guardian,co.uk Another version of it at Telegraph.co.uk Map of the proposed Henley constituency (pdf) Map of proposed Oxford North and Abingdon constituency (pdf) |
Constituency Boundary Changes – Radley to become part of Henley constituency
Permanent link to this article: http://www.radleyvillage.org.uk/constituency-boundary-changes-radley-to-become-part-of-henley-constituency/