Apparently boundaries for the next parliamentary election have changed. The boundary commission had a review and this village has moved from what was called Central Suffolk and North Ipswich to the new Waveney Valley Constituency - even though we are not really in the Waveney valley. This new Constituency covers a big area from Stowmarket in the South right up and across the border into South Norfolk.
This is the description of the actual River Waveney Valley online..........
Running along the border between Norfolk and Suffolk, the Waveney Valley is an unspoiled haven with idyllic villages and unique market towns including
No mention of Stowmarket or the villages in Mid Suffolk although I think maybe one small river here eventually flows into the River Waveney via several other rivers on the way. But in Stowmarket the River Rat goes into the Gipping and the Gipping goes East to Ipswich. So calling this new area the Waveney Valley constituency is a bit of a misnomer for many places.
The old area had a population of 80,000 but the new area, which takes chunks of 5 old constituencies will have a population of around 70,540 and population change is the reason that boundaries have to change as villages grow and the number of people living in town centres gets smaller while new estates are built on the outside of towns and huge new towns pop up here and there. Our MP at the moment is a Conservative Dr Dan Poulter he had a majority of 23,000 in 2019. Rather odd is that there is still going to be a Central Suffolk and North Ipswich constituency and I suppose that's where he'll stand again so we will have a new selection of hopefuls!.
I've always been out to vote in elections -General, County Council and District Council, ever since being old enough to do so. It's often meant a drive to a village hall or school but now it's just a walk up the road. The few times I've not voted were due to working as a poll clerk and forgetting to apply for a postal vote or the special envelope that lets those working on election duty vote in a different area to their home village.
There's no date set for the next General Election yet and I've only heard of one candidate so far. He will be representing the Green Party. We will have to wait and see which other candidates stand and who is voted in to represent us sometime next year. Boundaries might change but I doubt traditional voting will, in which case it could well be a person representing the Conservative Party although the Green Party did very well in the County Council elections last year.
Having listened to the Covid Enquiry reports, I am just hoping and praying for more of those people concerned with justice, integrity, and genuine concern for the nation to be the ones elected to power.
ReplyDeleteWe can only hope.
DeleteI have a funny feeling our county boundaries have changed in that respect too. Pembrokeshire is cut in half. I am still in the same section. so I still have the same waste of space for an MP. I obtained a postal vote when I was a caregiver for my late mother. I haven't bothered changing it. Sometimes the weather is so bad here, it would put off even the most stalwart voter from attending the booths in person!
ReplyDeleteI like going to vote as it gives the people there something to do - it was always good actually having people come in when I was being a polling clerk on very quiet election days
DeleteI expect that I will toddle off to register my vote no matter what the weather, though I can't get very enthusiastic about any of the parties at the moment. As for constituency boundaries I live in South Cambridgeshire and the parliamentary constituency is called South Cambridgeshire, so no complaints there. My postal address is Hertfordshire though!
ReplyDeleteIt's controversial that our new area has both parts of Suffolk and Norfolk - we usually need passports at the border!
DeleteI have never not voted, and when I was a student at Essex university I used to go back to my home constituency of Richmond upon Thames (then a marginal seat) on polling day and vote there too. I was probably breaking the law but as I was given two voting cards I used them. Nowadays I am thoroughly disillusioned with politicians and view them all as mendacious and self-serving. Our current MP lent his swanky Chelsea house to Boris Johnson for his campaign headquarters when he ran successfully for leader of the Conservative party. Enough said. Sarah in Sussex
ReplyDeleteI always hope that people become politicians to help others. Have to have hope that they are not all greedy idiots
DeleteThere are some worthy MPs but they don't capture the headlines.
ReplyDeleteYou make a very good point - some work very hard in their constituencies, but don't flaunt themselves at Westminster, whilst others take the opposite approach
DeleteGood post.
ReplyDeleteI have just finished reading The Abuse of Power by Theresa May, followed by Politics on the Edge by Rory Stewart and am also following along with Nadine Dorries rubbish in the Daily Wail.
Stewart’s book is fascinating and very depressing.
And now we have a Home Secretary saying rough sleeping is a life style issue!
Goodness - I'm not keen enough to read politicians biographies.
DeleteI read the Rory Stewart book and, like you Traveller, was depressed by the waste of talent, time and money that The System encourages. Lesley
DeleteI live in a province that always (well for the last 35 years) votes conservative. Even if they don't do anything at all for their constituents.
ReplyDeleteGod bless.
Only the County town of Ipswich tends to change between two parties here , other wise it's Conservative everywhere
DeleteVoting is always a priority for me too. You are fortunate to only have to walk down the street to cast your vote. Strong candidates are so important, I wish there were more choices.
ReplyDeleteMy brother-in-law has never voted and he is 65!
DeleteWe will near soon a out our new constituency too. We have the added elections in Scotland on 26th May 2026 if the present ineffectual government hasn’t been brought down before then! People age sixteen and over may vote in these elections. I voted for the first time in June 1970 when I was twenty-the voting age having been reduced to 18 in 1969. I went up in my academic dress between having my photos taken and graduation. Catriona
ReplyDeleteOur local elections are tomorrow. We'll vote, but our stance on things means that we are in the minority. Our vote will not change anything, but it is still important.
ReplyDeleteElections - groan. I'm sure that's all we'll hear about here next year!
ReplyDelete