After months of speculation, we now know what the Boundary Commission is proposing in order to get rid of one parliamentary seat in Staffordshire - and I think it is good news for Stone. The government wants to reduce the number of MPs by fifty and to try and standardise the number of electors in each constituency. Stoke-on-Trent cannot justify three seats with its population and so the Commission proposes a reduction to two seats which, of course, impacts on all the surrounding constituencies, including us here in Stone.
The present constituency is enormous with absolutely no geographic logic to it whatsoever. Any improvement is to be welcomed. So what is being proposed? Well, straight away the shape of the seat becomes much more manageable. Stone town is in the south east corner. It then takes in the rural wards in Loggerheads, Swynnerton Barlaston and Fulford as now. But then we get the whole of Newcastle town and surrounding areas such as the traditional mining villages of Silverdale Knutton and Cross Heath. Now that's an interesting mix!
How does this change the political scene? Well, it's my view that there's potential for some interesting times ahead. The Newcastle bits are traditionally Labour although wards like Keele Thistleberry and Westlands have always been fertile ground for the Libdems. And Stone has lost some rich Conservative pickings such as Eccleshall and Gnosall to the proposed new Stafford seat. Add into the mix the fact that the Labour party and the Libdems are much better organised in Newcastle than Stone and you can see why I'm beginning to get excited! Is Stone set to become a marginal seat?
And the biggest question of all - will Bill Cash stay on to fight a trickier seat or will he be looking around for a safer one?
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