Bracknell Parliamentary Boundary

10.49.29am GMT Fri 19th Feb 2010

The concerns expressed by local residents about the transfer of Warfield and Binfield to the Windsor parliamentary constituency are perfectly understandable.

This decision was taken by the Boundary Commission for England in 2003 without any real public consultation. There were exchanges with Bracknell Forest Council but there was little public involvement and even less contact with the Boundary Commission.

The ruling Conservative Group on the council at the time argued that if reductions in the size of the Bracknell constituency had to be made, as the Boundary Commission wished, it would prefer to lose Crown Wood and Harmanswater rather than Warfield and Binfield. This politically expedient proposal was rejected by the Boundary Commission.

The Liberal Democrats argued that all four wards were part of Bracknell Forest and that it made no sense to lose any of these wards while Finchampstead and Wokingham Without remained within the Bracknell constituency boundary. Geographical and local ties were of paramount importance but this argument too was dismissed.

Carving up constituencies simply to make them the same size was never going to appeal to electors who are already disenchanted and disillusioned with the political process. At least when it does come to the General Election, voters in Crown Wood and Harmanswater will know who their friends were!

Ray Earwicker

Lib Dem Prospective Parliamentary Candidate for Bracknell