Monday 27 March 2017

Labour has it both ways again

Welsh Labour's official response to the Boundary Commission's proposals for the definition of the new, larger Westminster constituencies required by legislation accepts the carving up of Port Talbot and the consigning of Skewen to Swansea East (pdf here). The only counter-proposal they make in respect of the Bay region is a minor adjustment of one of the Swansea wards. The introduction to the document states:
This submission is made on behalf of the Labour Party and the Welsh Labour Party. It is being presented as an overall response to the Initial Proposals of the Boundary Commission following a detailed consultation process within the Labour Party involving all Members of Parliament, Constituency Labour Parties and others within Wales.

Yet local Labour representatives (no names, no pack-drill as they used to say in the army) seeking re-election make a show of objecting and claim that they were always opposed to the Neath and Port Talbot proposals.

Even if I were not a member of the party, I would be impressed by the Liberal Democrat counter-proposal (pdf here) which was drawn up by an expert in the field of local authority mapping. It genuinely has taken into account local views and I am happy to fall in with it.


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