Boundary changes '˜make no sense' says Derbyshire MP whose constituency would be abolished

Pauline Latham OBE was responding to the publication of a new proposal to redraw the political boundary maps across the county.

The boundary review would see her Mid-Derbyshire constituency abolished and split between three different constituencies.Mrs Latham said she welcomed the principal that all constituencies would have broadly similar electorates and the overall numbers would go from 650 to 600.

But she also expressed disappointment that Mid-Derbyshire would be lost.

“Although I was aware that Derbyshire was likely to lose one of its seats, the details of the plans make absolutely no sense,” she said.

“The constituency will be split across four different councils and there seems to have been a real lack of understanding about the communities themselves.

“These proposals are nothing like the changes suggested previously, and I worry this will result in more confusion for local communities that have only just come to terms with the name Mid-Derbyshire.”

The Boundary Commission has described the proposals as “the most significant change to the map of constituencies since 1944”.

Mrs Latham pledged to seek further clarification on the wider implications for Derbyshire.