Big Changes for Hammersmith and Fulham & Chelsea Seats
Boundary commission suggesting radical redrawing of local political map
Local MPs Andy Slaughter and Greg Hands
The political map of West London looks set to be redrawn, and it could have a big influence on who becomes your MP at the next election.
The Boundary Commission is consulting on a new set of proposals for how London should be divided up into 75 different parliamentary constituencies.
It comes as part of their huge and complicated task of evening up the population sizes of the 650 parliamentary seats across the UK.
Each constituency will be made up of 10 to 12 council ward areas, sometimes from more than one council. And they will each have a population of about 75,000 – the size of a large town.
Andy Slaughter’s Hammersmith seat (Labour) would be turned into ‘Hammersmith and Chiswick’.
The main changes here would be the loss of Wormwood Scrubs, East Acton and Wormholt, which would instead be included in ‘Ealing Central and Acton’ which is currently represented by Rupa Huq.
The areas of Chiswick which are in Hounslow Borough, which are all represented by Conservative councillors, would join the ‘Hammersmith and Chiswick’ seat. The southern border of this constituency would go along Talgarth Road and the north side of Charing Cross Hospital.
The proposed Hammersmith and Chiswick constituency
Conservative safe seat, Chelsea and Fulham, held by trade minister Greg Hands, would instead become ‘Fulham and Chelsea’.
With the name swap it would absorb the Brompton area whilst also swallowing up more of North End Road and southern parts of the existing Hammersmith constituency, including Charing Cross Hospital and Margravine Cemetery.
Felicity Buchan’s Kensington seat, which swung from Labour to Conservative in 2019, would be re-christened ‘Kensington and Westbourne’. The new version would take in Westbourne Park, Maida Hill and West Kilburn, whilst losing South Kensington.
Chelsea, the West End, Pimlico, Paddington and Marylebone would all come under ‘Westminster and Chelsea East’.
The West End used to be included in the Cities of London and Westminster constituency, held by the Conservative Nickie Aiken.
The Square Mile would be split from Westminster and instead be included in a new ‘City of London and Islington South’ constituency.
Residents in Paddington and Maida Vale – currently in Westminster North constituency – will see the biggest change. The territory, represented by Labour’s Karen Buck, is set to be split up between three other constituencies.
Lastly, residents in St John’s Wood and Maida Vale would be shifted from Westminster North and placed, with Camden and Hampstead, in a new constituency called ‘Camden Town and St John’s Wood’.
The Boundary Commission has said that London’s would see an overall increase of two constituencies, from 73 to 75. All except two of the existing constituencies would see “significant change”.
Its public consultation begins June 8 and runs until August 2. Visit www.bcereviews.org.uk for more information.
Owen Sheppard - Local Democracy Reporter
June 9, 2021