Let the great boundary rejig commence

[minionofmidas]

New ward maps for Cheshire and Shropshire.

Actually, those are the current Cheshire wards - the two Cheshire councils are having new wards drawn up.  I think the relevant Boundary Commission has finalised its recommendations and the report is on Eric Pickles' desk waiting to be signed off.

I know. These are the wards currently in force - the ones we have populations for. (Yes, for Shropshire these are not the interim wards but the Commission-drawn ones - but that's because they're already in use.)

[minionofmidas]

Next project:

"Worcestershire 5.73, Warwickshire 5.37. Bit of a no-brainer, although there's the issue of p'raps putting part of rural west Worcestershire into one of the Herefordshire seats again: 1.84.
West Midlands 25.33 : Coventry 2.89, Solihull 2.10 (so one Meriden ward is put into a Coventry constituency. Bearable.), Birmingham 9.57, Sandwell 2.91 (could stand alone), Dudley 3.17 (couldn't), Walsall 2.49, Wolves 2.22. The minimum destruction approach is still pairing Birmingham with Walsall and surreptitiously dropping part of Wolves into Staffordshire. Lol. And Sandwell with Dudley o/c.
Staffordshire 8.61 + Stoke 2.44. I don't want to drop part of Wolves into here. "

Whether I will really put part of Wolves with Staffordshire remains to be seen. Might also be linked with Walsall and Brum. Of course, previous commissions would have wanted to keep 10 seats in Birmingham and create 5 seats in Walsall and Wolves, but we have a fixed national target now and besides, the Birmingham seats would be barely on target on average and the Walsall and Wolves seats not even that.

[doktorb]

Can I just say how great it is that we three have managed to keep this thread going for nearly 18 pages? This is before the Bill is even debated, how longer will it get by December?

[minionofmidas]

Turns out all three Coventry seats are barely within tolerance at 72,490 Northeast, 73,030 Northwest, 73,346 South. So we might instead transfer anything between 2745 and 3017 of the voters of Blythe ward (10,047) from Meriden (currently 82,400) to Solihull (76,638) - perhaps Monkspath (which has a hilarious wiki page, check out the notable residents section!), or else Dickens Heath + some random rural residents if Monkspath is too large.

[minionofmidas]

Can I just say how great it is that we three have managed to keep this thread going for nearly 18 pages?

No. Shut up. [/postpad]

[doktorb]

=<

[minionofmidas]

Dudley and Sandwell might conceivably go

Dudley North 70,594+x
Gains the Coseley East ward currently in a Wolves constituency, and part of Brockmoor & Pensnett (9732) from Dudley S
Dudley South 71,788+x
Loses part of Brockmoor & Pensnett, gains Amblecote and Quarry Bank & Dudley Wood from Stourbridge
Stourbridge (& Cradley?) 78,649
loses Amblecote and Quarry Bank & Dudley Wood, gains Belle Vale, Hayley Green & Cradley South, and Cradley Heath & Old Hill. All three are currently in Halesowen & Rowley Regis, but the last is in Sandwell while the other two are in Dudley like the remainder of the constituency.
West Bromwich East 74,015
gains Wednesbury North and South from West Brom W but loses Greets Green & Lyng in exchange.
West Bromwich West & Rowley Regis 73,153+x
loses Wednesbury, gains Greets Green & Lyng, Rowley, Blackheath, and part of Langley (9109)
Warley & Halesowen 73,549+x
gains Halesowen N and S in Dudley; loses part of Langley

[doktorb]

I would rename the West Brom seats. Isn't it the case that WBW (as is) doesn't cover any of Brom itself?

[minionofmidas]

I would rename the West Brom seats. Isn't it the case that WBW (as is) doesn't cover any of Brom itself?

I'd been wondering that. Not sure how much exactly of Sandwell is West Brom proper? Part of the problem is that the Black Country went through so many amalgamations of local government units even before 1974...

[doktorb]

WBW could be "Tipton" or "Tipton and Wednesbury" at the moment.

[minionofmidas]

Where does that leave Oldbury?

[minionofmidas]

Birmingham has 40 wards with an average population of 18,000. Until and unless they decide to split each ward in three and go single-member, every redistricting in Birminham is bound to produce nothing but horrors. Especially if done by someone with a map and next to no knowledge of the city - I think the best historical parallel to what I'm trying to do here is with the partitition of Punjab.

Six of the ten constituencies are currently legal, actually, but usually not by much, and I'm trying to draw seats somewhat above quota.
I've decided to go with what looks neat and can be done while remaining clueless. I've identified two 13 ward clusters consisting of a central ward that will be split three ways, and 3x4 wards around it. In a third similar cluster, one of the constituencies is actually one Brum ward + most of Aldridge-Brownhills. Sutton Coldfield has been left alone (involving it would have meant splitting it in two or three.) West of that I have two alternative versions for two Wolves Proper seats - either e and w or n and s - a seat of the numerous towns between Walsall and Wolves (Edgefield, Willenhall, Darlaston - I had to include a bit of Walsall itself though), a Walsall seat. I still need to see what those Brum seats I have in mind actually come out as pop.-wise.

[minionofmidas]

Birmingham Selly Oak 73,548+x
Minus most of Selly Oak (18,297), plus Kings Norton. The other wards are Billesley, Bournville, and Brandwood.
Birmingham Northfield 72,809+x
minus Kings Norton, plus Bartley Green and western parts of Selly Oak
Birmingham Edgbaston 68,905+x
minus Bartley Green, plus Ladywood and central/northeastern portions of Selly Oak
77,853 on average.

The Eastern cluster (Hodge Hill, Yardley, Hall Green, and Nechells ward) doesn't work though - too many people.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

I'd been wondering that. Not sure how much exactly of Sandwell is West Brom proper?

More or less the southern half (geographically) of the West Brom East constituency. Though it depends how you define West Brom; I think the old county borough may have gone further north than that.

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To an extent, yes (even the stupid name 'Sandwell' hints at the dominance of West Brom, btw). But also, I think West Brom West of 1983-1997 did contain a small part of West Brom proper.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

WBW could be "Tipton" or "Tipton and Wednesbury" at the moment.

No it couldn't. Oldbury is pretty big, and they'd lynch you if you included those places and left them out.

[doktorb]

Heh, I get criticised for inventing too long names, too short names, I can't win

I've been quite hungover throughout the day, so not been in the mood for looking at Gtr Manchester. Will look tomorrow. I have some ideas which could mean massive surgery in the Manchester area....

[minionofmidas]

Birmingham Hodge Hill Hall Green. I meant to say Hall Green. 76,620
minus Sparkbrook, plus Acocks Green, this is now the four ward constituency.
Birmingham Yardley 71,968+x
minus Acocks Green, plus Shard End and part of Bordesley Green (19,690)
Birmingham Perry Barr 70,133+x
minus Oscott, plus Soho and part of Aston (19,252)
Birmingham Central(?) 57,575+x
Washwood Heath, Nechells, Sparkbrook and remainder of Aston and Bordesley Green
79,539 on average - this would have to be very finely sliced, or alternatively yet another ward split with a portion going to Hodge Hill Hall Green.

Birmingham Erdington 67,342+x
Plus Hodge Hill, minus part of Kingstanding (17,109)
Birmingham Sutton 74,877+x
Plus part of Kingstanding (which means it's not identical to the old UD anymore which means there's a pretext to give it a Brummie name, yay! )
Aldridge, Brownhills & Oscott 68,015+x
Loses Pelsall and Rushall-Shelfield, gains Pheasey Park Farm in Walsall and Oscott and part of Kingstanding in Birmingham
75,781 on average.

Walsall 73,410+x
Birchalls Leamore and Blakenall from Walsall N, Pelsall and Rushall-Shelfield from Aldridge-Brownhills, Paddock, Palfrey, Pleck and St Matthews from Walsall S.
Darlaston, Willenhall, Wednesfield & Bloxwich 82,739-x
Also includes Short Heath ward. Bloxwich East would be divided between this and Walsall. Suggestions for a shorter name welcome - this sounds Scottish.

Wolverhampton South 77,485
Current SE constituency minus the bit in Dudley plus Graiseley, Merry Hill and Penn
Wolverhampton North 73,658
remainder

or alternatively
Wolverhampton West 74,863
Current SW constituency plus Blakenhall and Oxley
Wolverhampton East 76,280
remainder

[doktorb]

You will be hunted down and killed for "Birmingham Sutton" you know

[Filuwaúrdjan]

More serious comment later, maybe.

Birmingham Yardley 71,968+x
minus Acocks Green, plus Shard End and part of Bordesley Green (19,690)

LOL
 

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Birmingham Handsworth

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Constituencies in Birmingham are traditionally named for wards. Sparkbrook is a nice name and an important one (at least as regards constituency names) in Birmingham's history.

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haha

But if you're going to do that, part of Erdington ward (which has community of interest with Slutton) rather than part of Kingstanding (which... erm... doesn't).

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Yo-Yo with Yam-Yam?

[minionofmidas]

More serious comment later, maybe.

Birmingham Yardley 71,968+x
minus Acocks Green, plus Shard End and part of Bordesley Green (19,690)

LOL

What's so funny?

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Constituencies in Birmingham are traditionally named for wards. Sparkbrook is a nice name and an important one (at least as regards constituency names) in Birmingham's history.[/quote]Suggestion accepted.

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Yo-Yo with Yam-Yam?
[/quote]Suggestion certainly not accepted. Especially as I don't get the reference.

[minionofmidas]

But if you're going to do that, part of Erdington ward (which has community of interest with Slutton) rather than part of Kingstanding (which... erm... doesn't).

Now that I think about it... it's perfectly unnecessary to involve Sutton Coldfield. And if I'm leaving the constituency unchanged, I'm leaving the name unchanged too.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Birmingham Selly Oak 73,548+x
Minus most of Selly Oak (18,297), plus Kings Norton. The other wards are Billesley, Bournville, and Brandwood.

There was a Kings Norton constituency until the early 50s. Sort of like current Northfield, but bigger. Surprisingly, was actually the first part of Birmingham to elect a Labour MP and in 1924 of all years. Herbert Austin (yes, that one) was the Tory incumbent and his defeat was entirely his own making.

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Hahahaha... oh... dear Lord... I mean, there's a certain logic there but... LOL. The reaction would be something to see!

Also, pro-German gerrymandering obviously.

[minionofmidas]

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Hahahaha... oh... dear Lord... I mean, there's a certain logic there but... LOL. The reaction would be something to see!

Also, pro-German gerrymandering obviously.

Had to be done. Lest that bitch comes back and messes up our politics.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

What's so funny?

Many, many things, thus the bolding. The most blatant white-flight territory in Birmingham itself (most of the Sheldon ward, parts of the Stechford & Yardley North ward) in the same constituency as the Small Heath area? Epic. And there's screwing incumbents and there's screwing incumbents . And this one happens to be quite a whiner. 'twud be fun to watch.

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Ever heard anyone from the Black Country talk?

[Chancellor of the Duchy of Little Lever and Darcy Lever]

What's so funny?

Many, many things, thus the bolding. The most blatant white-flight territory in Birmingham itself (most of the Sheldon ward, parts of the Stechford & Yardley North ward) in the same constituency as the Small Heath area? Epic. And there's screwing incumbents and there's screwing incumbents . And this one happens to be quite a whiner. 'twud be fun to watch.

Remind me, what's John Hemming's majority these days?