Cllr Teresa Murray Letter

The responses to the Boundary Commission have been well aired but one from the former Labour Parliamentary candidate for Rochester & Strood is particularly important.

It is worth remembering that the Medway Labour and Medway Liberal Democrat position is to effectively support the impartial recommendation of the Boundary Commission.

It is not seeking to make partisan gain; only the Conservatives are seeking to gerrymander wards.

Dear Editor,

Please add this to the Letters Page in the Medway Messenger.

I saw that in Friday’s Medway Messenger last week that a former Councillor, Mrs Goulden joined local Tories in rejecting the Electoral Boundary Commission proposals

What the Commission have suggested after working within the government’s guidelines, is that the centre of Chatham and Rochester are recombined as they used to be and that central Gillingham is put with Luton to make another town centre constituency.

It is difficult to see how this doesn’t make a good deal of sense.

Their proposals result in two strong constituencies in the centre of the Medway Towns recognising the heart of our urban areas.

The Boundary Commission could see how preposterous it is to stay with the present boundary where some of the centre parts of the Medway towns are combined with the village of Aylesford to form the Chatham and Aylesford constituency. Furthermore, the wards they want to move in the direction of the North Downs have common boundaries with Tonbridge and Malling.

Medway council have spent a lot of council tax payers’ money promoting the town centres of Medway, submitting an application for World Heritage Status and campaigning for a City of Medway.

Real Regeneration, so badly needed just now when unemployment is high and local businesses are suffering, depends on developing strong centres in Medway and renewing the old industrial unused sites.

The Labour party is in fact simply agreeing with the findings of the independent Boundary Commission whilst working to support people in the hearts our towns in their struggle to survive these difficult economic times.

Having more sensible parliamentary boundaries that recognise our historic identities won’t solve all of the problems but it will help potential investors and developers to understand where most people live and plan new infrastructure accordingly.

From

Cllr Teresa Murray

Labour Parliamentary Candidate for Rochester & Strood