I NOTE that Bolton South East MP Yasmin Qureshi is objecting to plans from the independent and impartial Boundary Commission to review the size of existing parliamentary constituencies.
She calls it Tory Gerrymandering. As an MP she knows full well that the review is totally independent. Does she think it fair that on the latest figures available one constituency, Wirral West has only 55,377 voters whilst Manchester Central has almost twice as many 98,435?
Is she unhappy that in the draft plans to be announced shortly under rules agreed by parliament to give fairer, equal representation no constituency will be smaller than 71,031 and no larger than 78,057? These draft proposals will need to follow the strict procedure approved by Parliament and will be open to public scrutiny at local hearings before being put before parliament for approval. As with every boundary review there will be parties which gain and those that lose but that is what happens with population changes.
Does she also oppose plans to reduce the number of MPs from 650 to 600 because I can find no record of her speaking against this when the matter was approved by Parliament in 2011?
Councillor John Walsh
Astley Bridge Ward
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