Was it really 5 years ago? Robert Hayward did mention to me that he was going to mention it, but somehow I’d not seen it till just now…
The Boundary Commission guidance quite reasonably identifies that wards are an
indication of communities. But if wards are an indication of communities then
boroughs and counties are an even stronger indication of often long-standing
loyalties and communities, and I just referred to specifically Warwickshire and
Worcestershire looking in very different directions. What I found interesting on the
first day of the West Midlands hearings was the contribution from Adrian Bailey, who
was a completely independent person, and in his submission, and I have got it here
just as a reminder, Mr Bailey referred to the Boundary Commission proposal as an
‘amorphous blob-ism’, and actually I share that view. With the exception of
Staffordshire, we have a position where Shropshire is linked with Herefordshire,
Herefordshire is linked with Worcestershire, Worcestershire is linked with
Warwickshire, Warwickshire is linked with Coventry, Coventry is linked with Solihull,
Solihull is linked with Birmingham, Birmingham is linked with Sandwell and
Birmingham is linked with Walsall, and just for completeness, Sandwell is linked with
Wolverhampton, and, sorry, I forgot, Birmingham is also linked with Dudley. So we
have this amazing position, and as I say, Mr Bailey as an independent commentator,
analyst, made reference to describe the proposals of the Boundary Commission as
‘amorphous blob-ism’ and I agree with it. They are not the oddest constituencies
that the Boundary Commission has proposed anywhere in the country, I would
regard that as Colne and Clitheroe in the north west and the associated North
Lancashire seats, but for me these are the second-oddest collection of seats and I
refer specifically to Birmingham.
The proposals include 11 constituencies within the city of Birmingham,
six of which cross one borough boundary or another. And it seems really odd to be
in a position whereby so many constituencies have to cross the boundary of one
major city, the second city of the country, to create what I describe as ‘weird’, Mr
Bailey described as ‘amorphous blob-ism’ collection of constituencies. It would be
much more sensible if the wards in Birmingham were split in some form. We heard
from the leader of Solihull council last week, who was complaining last week that his
constituency went off into three different constituencies in different directions. If I
were Solihull I would actually feel rather like Poland of the 18th Century, you know, a
convenient ‘bit in the middle’ of other people’s empires which you chopped up at
convenience, and that is actually what the leader of Solihull council said.”
(14 November 2016, Source)
Locus 