Ainsdale In Southport Abandoned Tomorrow
All politicians in Southport will have their eyes fixed on tomorrow’s publication of the Boundary’s commission report that will fix the size and shape of the new Southport constituency. Preliminary recommendations last year suggested Ainsdale would be dumped into the Sefton Central constituency and the rest of Southport would form part of a new Southport County constituency.
This would include Banks,Hesketh Bank,Tarleton and Rufford. All political parties in Southport opposed the proposals and it remains to be seen whether the Boundary Commission listened. Either way it will make a big difference to parties' chances of securing an MP slot at the next election.
John Pugh who represented Southport as a Liberal Democrat MP for 16 years believes that the status quo is not an option the Boundary Commission will accept as Southport’s current population falls just below the stated minimum required for a constituency.
“Something has to give, but let’s hope its not Ainsdale,” he states, “ the hope is that the Commission has had second thoughts having listened to the arguments. 50% of preliminary proposals get changed. However, any revised proposals we get tomorrow are far less likely to be changed .Only about 5% of those get changed in this process. What we get tomorrow will probably stick.
We suggested the possible incorporation of Banks into Southport and keeping Ainsdale which fits with the required numbers.. We’ll be disappointed if that argument isn't accepted and Ainsdale which is an integral part of the Southport constituency abandoned. “