The Boundary Commission for England (BCE) has published its initial proposals for new constituency boundaries.
These include a change for Thanet from North and South constituencies to East and West. Currently the North Thanet MP is Sir Roger Gale and the South Thanet MP is Craig Mackinlay.
The majority of the isle falls into the East constituency which will contain the following wards:
Beacon Road
Bradstowe
Central Harbour
Cliffsend and Pegwell
Cliftonville East
Cliftonville West
Dane Valley
Eastcliff
Kingsgate
Margate Central
Nethercourt
Newington
Northwood
Salmestone
Sir Moses Montefiore
St. Peters
Viking
The West Thanet area covers wards
Birchington North
Birchington South
Garlinge
Thanet Villages
West Bay
Westbrook
Westgate-on-Sea
The constituency also includes Sandwich, Reculver and Herne Bay wards.
The number of constituencies in the South East will increase from 84 to 91 (including two that must be given to the Isle of Wight).
The public are now able to view and provide feedback on the proposed constituencies as part of an eight-week consultation process.
The 2023 Review of Parliamentary constituencies was formally launched in January this year. The Commission is required to ensure that the number of electors in each constituency is more equal; in doing so, the number of constituencies in England will increase from 533 to 543.
The Commission is undertaking an independent review of all constituency boundaries in England and will present final recommendations to Parliament by July 2023. Publication of the initial proposals is the first time people get to see what the map of new constituencies might look like. The rules that the Commission work to are such that wide scale change is inevitable.
Under the proposals, just under 10% of the existing 533 English constituencies remain unchanged. Members of the public are encouraged to visit www.bcereviews.org.uk to view maps showing the proposed new boundaries and provide feedback before the consultation closes on 2 August 2021. People can comment on anything from where the proposed new boundary lines are to the names of the constituencies. There will be a further two rounds of consultation in 2022. Following the conclusion of all three consultation periods, the Commission will look at all the evidence received and form its final recommendations
Hard copies of the proposals can be viewed at places of deposit in each constituency.
In early 2022, there will be a six week secondary consultation, including holding a number of public hearings across the country, in which the public is invited to respond. After the publication of the revised proposals in the autumn of 2022, the Commission will conduct a four-week written consultation and invite the public to respond to these proposals. 7
The Commission must then submit its final report and recommendations to the Speaker of the House of Commons by 1 July 2023.
