Where old constituencies go to die...

[afleitch]

As new consituencies are almost certain to become law, some old names will soon dissapear. This thread is for them and others before them

Eccles Constituency and Normanton Constituency. Both formed in 1885 and are probably some of the oldest losses. In 2005 Scotland 'lost' Dumfriesshire, Linlithgow, Perth and Roxburghshire/Berwickshire, all survivors from the 1708 parliament. Of course they still live on in Holyrood.

Some 1997 losses

Carmarthen 1542-1997.

Some names now lost include Langbaurgh that only lasted one review alongs with a fair number of 1983 creations and Norwood. Other lossed included the little lamented Glasgow Central which was recreated in 2005 alongside Westminster North in the current review. Hamilton was also abolished (for shame!) and the comissions have resisted attempts to recreate it.

1983

Bedford, Oxford 1295(!)-1983
Maldon 1332-1983

This saw the deathknell of many constituencies as the nation conformed to imposed new local government boundaries. Some other lost gems include Barkton Ash, Chester-le-Street, Clitheroe, Denbigh, Ince, Morpeth and Petersfield.

More reminiscing soon I'm sure

[afleitch]

Oxford is too big for one seat. It has two seats now (Oxford West and Abingdon, and Oxford East).

I awlays feel they should do what they have now down in York- make some 'donutt' shaped constituencies.

[afleitch]

Oxford is too big for one seat. It has two seats now (Oxford West and Abingdon, and Oxford East).

I awlays feel they should do what they have now down in York- make some 'donutt' shaped constituencies.

That makes for uncompetitive seats, though. You'd end up with a lot of blue-yellow-red concentric circles. "Oxford Centre" would be fairly solidly Labour, and "Oxford Outer" would be solidly Lib Dem, whereas right now Oxford East is a Lab-Lib marginal, and Oxford West is fairly solidly Lib Dem but competitive for Labour.

Problem is, east west or north south splits are usually not competitive anyway. and are often artificial carving down town centres and attaching on suburbs. If Swindon was 'concentric' we would have a central Labour core seat that would still be competititive and a likely Tory held outer seats that again would still be competitive.

[afleitch]

Probable casualties if the Arbuthnott Commission (a love letter to the unitaryauthorities) is followed through

Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley (formerly Ayrshire South) - crossing an imposed council boundary is a no no even if it makes perfect sense to do so, Renfrewshire West will share a similar fate unless West Renfreshire Council is 'donut-ed' to make a Paisley constituency and an outer constituency.

But we could be saying hello again to:

Monklands East and Monklands West; back again as two pointless constituencies due to Lanarkshire collectively loosing 1 MSP because of the council split. The knock on effects will also likely see the return of Hamilton and also Lanark, as Clydesdale expands and swallows most of the southern two thirds of East Kilbride.

Glasgow Gorbals - a population boom and a reogranisation south of the river as Glasgow looses another seat could see this consitituency reformed and expanded.

[afleitch]

Some of the other new names could make me puke: the "Name of Existing Constituency and Name of New Added, Rather Small and Superfluous Area" ones are the worst.

Sometimes that makes a lot of sense... and other times (like when the constituency name was only vaguely descriptive in the first place) it... doesn't.

It can be a bugbear of mine. Two perfect examples at Holyrood; Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse. Given that the latter have been in Hamilton centred seats in the past, why they were added escapes me. On the flip side there's Rutherglen, despite the fact that Rutherglen proper makes up less than a third of the seat. Cambuslang and Blantyre are both bigger.