Commenting on proposed constituency changes in Brighton and Hove, Caroline Lucas, MP for Brighton Pavilion, said:
“While I strongly believe in equal constituency sizes – the proposals in this review for Brighton and Hove are plainly wrongheaded, and plans to reduce the number of MPs will damage, not enhance our democracy.
“In their current state these proposals would merge the heart of Brighton with Hove, places with quite different identities. The proposals would also leave an entire Brighton Constituency without a seafront at all – clearly taking away one of the defining characters of the area. The idea that any Brightonian’s constituency will be separated from the sea shows a real lack of understanding of our city.
“These proposals are also based on inaccurate data from 2015 – rather than reflecting the huge changes to the electoral roll that have taken place this year. In Brighton & Hove we have a particularly high population of students and young people, so to base our constituency boundaries on this old data is profoundly undemocratic.”
Jonathan Bartley, co-leader of the Green Party, went on to comment on the review as a whole:
“I still cannot comprehend why the Government think that reducing the amount of MPs will somehow enhance our democracy. Equalising constituency sizes makes sense – but reducing people’s representation in the Commons will limit their access to it.
“Only a Government with a profoundly skewed set of priorities would plough ahead with this boundary review while ignoring the deep rooted sickness that afflicts our democracy. If Ministers were in the least bit serious about enhancing our democracy then they would immediately bring forward proposals for an elected second chamber, rather than continuing to use the House of Lords as a retirement village for their friends. And if they want to seriously give each and every voter an equal say then surely the only solution is to have a fair voting system for the House of Commons.”
“Whatever the eventual results of the boundary changes it’s crystal clear that progressives need to be working from the grassroots to find the best way to beat the Conservatives at the next general election. Our public services – and in particular our NHS – will not survive another Government like this one. We need to urgently look at how we can work together to bring about a progressive Government and a fair voting system.”