Break up of the Lewes Constituency

Help stop some crazy changes to our local area! Can you send your views by 5th Dec?


Please would you urgently consider sending an e-mail to the UK government's Boundaries Commission regarding changes they are proposing which will dramatically alter the way in which our MP is elected and how the Lewes area and its villages are treated at national level. Every few years a review is carried out and quite often some ridiculous results emerge. Unless we speak out, they are likely to make a decision which will seriously affect Lewes and its villages.


Unless enough people  object to their proposals Lewes will be split up and absorbed into East Brighton AND THE LEWES AREA WILL LOSE ITS VOICE FOR EVER.  Although the Commission are calling it “Lewes & East Brighton” the truth of the matter is that East Brighton (Moulsecoomb, Whitehawk & Woodingdean etc) would dominate the voting with about 70% of the electorate. This would leave Lewes and a few villages like Kingston,  Barcombe & Plumpton etc unable to be properly represented.


At the same time the Commission proposes removing Ringmer, Glynde & Firle from the Lewes Constituency  which would be hived off and lumped into a very large constituency  stretching from Cuckmere Haven in the south to Forest Row in the north.  Ringmer, Glynde and Firle have very close links with Lewes. 


An alternative has been put forward by local campaigners to conform to the new requirements of enlarged constituencies.  It proposes that  the Lewes constituency be retained and  that small changes are made bringing Uckfield into the Lewes constituency and releasing Polegate to become part of the Wealden constituency. This would retain the nature of the area we live in and mean that our MP can clearly speak for the towns and villages that make up this semi-rural constituency.


Public consultation closes on the 5th Dec (next Monday) so we haven't got much time. Please would you support the retention of Lewes and its towns and villages as one constituency by giving your views to the commission directly on their website: 
http://consultation.boundarycommissionforengland.independent.gov.uk


To make things easier, I set out below my draft letter which can be cut and pasted and put on their web. Please feel free to modify and change and use this letter. You can submit your views at:
http://consultation.boundarycommissionforengland.independent.gov.uk/have-your-say/step-1/
Whatever you say will be kept confidential  but it is important that they understand the weight of opinion there is from the Lewes area.


I hope you will have time to send something off in the next few days. Please also send this e-mail to your contacts in the area.


See the draft letter below


Thank you






DRAFT LETTER


Dear Southeast Commissioners.


I would like to object to the proposals put forward by the boundary commission to reorganise Parliamentary constituency boundaries in the south-east.


Your proposal would see many existing communities split apart, most notably it  will rip apart  Lewes constituency, dumping rural Lewes and neighbouring villages into urban East Brighton with Moulsecoomb & Whitehawk etc. This is unacceptable and breaches many of the guidelines  which the Commission claims to be working to. 


Not only does the proposed ‘Lewes and East Brighton Constituency’ completely disregard existing constituency boundaries, it also bridges the local authority boundary between East Sussex and the City of Brighton & Hove. It breaks up Lewes District and merges part of it with urban Brighton. At the same time the Commission proposes removing Ringmer, Glynde & Firle from the Lewes Constituency which completely disregards local ties that the Commission says it supports.  


Most importantly it shows no regard whatsoever for the natural community and cultural connections Lewes shares with local villages as mentioned above and with towns like Newhaven and  Seaford. By contrast, Lewes and its surrounding villages have very little in common with the urban city of Brighton. Nor does Seaford or Newhaven have anything in common with places like Forest Row on the Surrey borders. By any measure, the proposal to force together such clearly different areas makes no sense at all.


I support the alternatively proposal that would see Lewes constituency retain its natural community with existing transport, community & cultural links across Lewes constituency. That plan would see the nearby town of Uckfield joining Lewes constituency and Polegate moving into Wealden. That way there is no need for Brighton to swallow up other communities like Lewes. This plan respects the semi-rural nature of our area, and recognises the character of the Lewes area and avoids fusing together such incompatible areas. It also allows Brighton to spread west into places like Shoreham and Portslade that already have close links to Brighton and it continuous urban environment.


I hope you will give strong consideration to these views when making your final consideration.


Regards etc

Voting Reform - AV

Simply put - “AV” is designed to ensure whoever is elected has the broad support of the majority of people in the constituency.

All you do is to say who you would prefer to be your MP by writing 1 against the name. Then you say who you would have as your 2nd & 3rd choice etc. You don’t have to put down a 2nd or 3rd choice if you don’t want to.

This short video clearly explains AV: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FstA45lxgFs

Who uses AV now? -
• Leadership elections for Labour and Liberal Democrats
• Elections for UK parliamentary officials including Select Committee Chairs.
• Elections for the Academy Award for Best Picture
• Australian House of Representatives.
• Millions of people in membership organisations, such as my one – the British Computer Society.
• Most Student Union elections.
• Irish Presidential election.
• Numerous American City, Mayoral and district elections.

Australia has used AV for 80 years

If you want the view of the Electoral Reform Society click on this link; http://www.electoral-reform.org.uk/article.php?id=55
Or go the yes vote web site: http://www.yestofairervotes.org/