Redistricting - English Style

The process of redistricting has begun in the United Kingdom, though it is referred to as a "Boundary Review". The Boundary Commission for England has produced a 30 page document which explains the process - and the way that it will be approached in the next few months.

If you are in the USA, you might this interesting as a comparison to the process being undertaken in your State. In the UK we have separate Boundary Commissions for each of the four nations in the United Kingdom - England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. However they are required to work using the same principles - the key one being that elected politicians are kept at arms length. The Commissions are non-partisan - and it is not allowed to work for the Commission, let alone be a Commissioner, if you have had any partisan political involvement in recent years.

If you are in England - then this is a guide to how the process which will determine the makeup of our next few Parliaments will operate. I know friends who will be reading this document VERY CAREFULLY. I have read it, but am no longer chairing a local Labour Party committee which has been considering the Milton Keynes approach to the process.

The Boundary Commission for England's Guide to the Review is available here.

Constitutional Reform returns

The House of Commons, but NOT the House of Lords, return for two weeks on Monday. I will be watching closely the activity on constitutional reform.

The Parliamentary Voting System and Constituencies Bill is due to have its Second reading on Monday. On Tuesday at 10am the Political & Constitutional Reform Committee will take evidence from Malcolm Jack, Clerk of the House; and Professor Robert Blackburn Professor of Constitutional Law at King’s College London. This session will concentrate on the Fixed-term Parliaments Bill. This Bill is due for its Second Reading on Monday 13th September.

The committee will meet a second time on Thursday at 10.15. In this meeting they will consider the Government's proposals for voting and parliamentary reform - which is contained in the Parliamentary Voting System and Constituencies Bill. The first set of witnesses will represent the Boundary Commissions for England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. At 11.00 they will take evidence from Ipsos MORI and Dr Stuart Wilks-Heeg, Director of Democratic Audit - which is based at the University of Essex..