Drastic shake up to the Stoke North Constituency including Tunstall and the splitting of Burslem

It's an odd one this. The new boundaries will mean fairly equal constituencies all over the country, but they take very little regard of 'communities'. The needs of Tunstall are very different to the needs of Madeley. Already our constituency covers 3 different local authorities which means that issues to be dealt with by the MP are very different. We have an excellent MP in Joan Walley but whether she could carry that over in the more rural part of the new boundaries is hard to know. From what I have seen in the press today the changes will probably mean a Tory government for at least 2-3 more elections.
It reminds me a bit of the Poll Tax, which on paper was fair to all, i.e. everyone paid the same whatever their income or household circumstance. However good that looked on paper it was not fair, the millionaire living alone in a mansion paid the same as each individual living in a terrace house. It was unworkable. This looks a bit like that. Over many years MP's constituencies have reflected the communities they represent, of course these have changed, less people live in the city centres than the edges of cities, and there have been many minor changes to reflect this. This major change appears to be as much politically motivated as it is to equalise constituencies.
The changes in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland will be even greater, their representation in a Parliament for all of Great Britain lessened and will call into question the future of the Union.
I suppose the question that needs to asked and answered is whether we want less MP's and fewer and less representative constituencies. These changes will make Tory governments almost inevitable for nearly a generation and smaller parties such as the Greens and probably the LibDems will be squeezed out. The only truly fair way would be a proper system of proportional representation, but then we would lose constituencies altogether and have a panel of MPs representing the area.
Difficult isn't it?

This is a national campaign by Cameron as he knows he won't get into power again unless he steals it and makes it easier for his party.

he has just helped get rid of a dictator in Libya yet he is a dictator in his own country. He was wrong to get involved in Libya he was wrong to make so many cuts to public sector workers he was wrong to employ Andy Coulson, he has been wrong to say biggest budget deficit in peacetime, well forgive me if I'm wrong but we have been at war since 2003 he can't even get that right.

The seat of Stone & Newcastle will go to 1 so you can imagine that Paul Farrelley will be out and Tory boy will get the nod this is nothing short of an outrage I'm surprised the country hasn't got up in arms about it.

I'm sorry but where was this outcry during local ward changes?

Our Local Council couldn't even submit a response to the consultation on those boundary changes, now it wants to remove committee powers and given them soley to Leader and Cabinet.

Where the democracy in that at least committees are cross party, but now just leader and his chosen few.

So there scared Stoke might not be the Safe Labour vote any more.

Or are Councillors involved as there scared of losing there Labour MPs, they often use have a Labour MP and Labour councillor as plus point during elections.

thanks for newcastle link

Labour/Conservatives/Liberals are the three tails on the same pig.
Pull any one you get the same result while the front end keeps shovelling in the food (our money) from the trough.
There is no difference in their tactics.
As Ian has stated look to the boundary changes that favoured a Labour victory.
Democracy is a foreign concept to these three party's.
Their bank accounts take precedence over the public's needs.
As for their sixty year track record, well look around at the city?
Goering could not have done a better job.

W/M Its certainly a record they can't shout about.