EARLY ONE MORNING.........................
Liberal Democrat Councillor for Stansted North on Uttlesford District Council and former Leader of the Liberal Democrat Group Learn more
by Alan Dean on 13 September, 2011
Proposals from the Boundary Commision for a review of parliamentary boundaries in the eastern region has been published. The Saffron Walden constituency would be eliminated and scattered in three directions. Saffron Walden and Stansted would be joined with Halstead to become North West Essex. Dunmow would be joined to Billericay and parts of Chelmsford to become Billericay and Great Dunmow. The south-west corner of Uttlesford district would be merged into an enlarged Harlow constituency. Stansted airport would effectively be split amongst three parliamentary constituencies in Essex. I anticipate much local debate.
4 Comments
Sounds mad to take away Dunmow and bring in Halstead – the constituency will become more disparate and lacking cohesion. If Dunmow were to join any other constituency, it should be Braintree, not Billericay. Is this one of those consultations where views are ignored? I know some people in Harlow are bemused about the inclusion of highly rural Uttlesford wards.
On the other hand one could argue that this would be similar to the constituency that prevailed 1914-2010. We need to consider the proposals in total.
You can propose keeping the name Saffron Walden if you want.
Stephen: I would prefer a constituency that kept Uttlesford undivided and was contiguous with the M11. In my mind, constituencies need to be based on communities. There’s a good case for Saffron Walden to absorb rural wards of the Hertford and Stortford and North East Herts constituencies, eg the Hadhams, Sawbridgeworth.
Halstead never benefited from being part of Saffron Walden. It was always regarded as being another planet as it had little in common with the rest of the constituency. The same will happen to Dunmow if it is absorbed by Billericay. The way Essex is being carved up is similar to the way France and Britain divided up the Ottoman Empire – no sensitivity to the people who live there. Electorally, it won’t make much difference, though.
[…] Saffron Walden parliamentary constituency intact. The Electoral Commission’s proposals were posted here. I took along to last night’s meeting of Uttlesford’s electoral working group a scheme […]