North consituency could be bigger than Jamaica
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FURIOUS Highlanders have slammed planned constituency boundary changes that will leave communities nearly 180 miles apart with the same MP – who will be representing an area larger than Jamaica.
The Electorial Commission this week published proposed new boundary changes which are intended to cut the number of MPs in Westminster from 650 to 600.
The changes are aimed at creating constituencies with similar population sizes.
But this has caused consternation among parts of the UK with lower population densities, which are facing a cull in the number of their MPs.
The Highlands is among those areas being hit, with its MPs being cut from three to two – should the recommendations be approved.
Drew Hendry, the MP for Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey, said the proposals "defy logic".
He said: "We should be working to bring democracy closer to people not further away.
"These proposals show a complete lack of understanding of the Highlands and Islands, our communities and our landscape. As I outlined in my response to the consultation, the proposed changes defy logic and geography."
His anger was shared by Ross, Skye and Lochaber MP, Ian Blackford, who added:
"My constituency is already 12,000 sq km. It is 15 per cent of the land mass of Scotland. Contrast that with Northern Ireland, which has a land mass of just over 14,000 square kilometres, you can see that the current situation in itself is bad enough.
"But to then make those areas even larger, where you’re getting to a situation where three Highlands and Islands MPs are covering an area larger than Belgium, then you really are getting into a situation that is beyond all reproach."
One of the new constituencies, Highland North, is larger – at 12,985 sq km – than countries such as Jamaica, Qatar, Lebanon and Cyprus.
The Highland Central constituency, in which Inverness will sit, also features some lengthy distances. Grantown-on-Spey and Dunvegan on Skye will both find themselves with the same MP under the proposals – despite being separated by 158 miles.
The Boundary Commission for Scotland has defended its proposals, arguing that population limits for each new constituency had tied its hands over the revised boundaries.
It said: "We noted that many respondents had objected to the size of the constituencies in the revised proposals, particularly Highland North, and that these objections were understandable.
"We considered, however, that the requirements in legislation with regard to the number of electors in each constituency and the low population density of the areas in question meant creating large constituencies could not be avoided."
