Acton's Name Could Disappear from Parliament

New proposed constituency to be Ealing Central and Shepherd's Bush

Ealing Central Acton Boundary Changes
Current boundary in blue. Proposed boundary in red. Picture: Google

Initial proposals released by the Boundary Commission are recommending changes in the Ealing Central and Acton constituency which would see the incorporation of wards from the Shepherd’s Bush area.

However the Commission are not proposing to resurrect the former constituency name of Ealing, Acton and Shepherd’s Bush.

Three Hammersmith constituency wards – Askew, Wormholt and White City, and Shepherd’s Bush Green – have been included in a constituency with six wards from Ealing borough called Ealing Central and Shepherd’s Bush constituency which will replace Ealing Central and Acton currently represented by Rupa Huq MP. Walpole ward from the existing Ealing Central and Acton seat is being moved to a new Southall and Heston constituency.

The current split between the parts of Chiswick in Ealing and Hounslow Borough would disappear with Ealing’s Southfield ward moved out of the Ealing Central and Acton constituency to the current Brentford and Isleworth constituency which would be renamed Brentford and Chiswick.

Rupa Huq commented, "It does seem that the proposed seat most closely aligned to my current one resembles the old Ealing Acton and Shepherd's Bush constituency from the 90s but this is only an initial version of the proposals. Last time there were quite significant changes between the first and final ones.

"We in the Labour party are opposing these changes as unnecessary and unfair. The Tories claimed they wanted to cut the cost of politics but they have flooded Parliament with peers – 16 in the resignation honours of Cameron alone (a PM who seems to have left the crime scene completely) all with a daily allowance of £300 as well as gongs for Samantha Cameron’s stylist and prizes for Remain campaigners thereby rewarding failure. It doesn’t add up, has been done as a gerrymander to damage Labour and we will fight this all the way."

The rules set out in the legislation on boundary changes state that there will be 600 Parliamentary constituencies covering the UK – a reduction of 50 from the current number. This means that the number of constituencies in England must be reduced from 533 to 501.

Each constituency has to have an electorate that is no smaller than 71,031 and no larger than 78,507.

The Boundary Commission are consulting on their initial proposals for a 12-week period, from 13 September 2016 to 5 December 2016. Their web site has more information about how to respond as well as details of where and when they will be holding public hearings.

September 15, 2016