Agenda item

Consider report by Chief Executive.  (Copy attached.)

10.1  There had been circulated copies of a report by the Chief Executive providing details of the provisional proposals received from Boundaries Scotland for changes to the Scottish Parliament Constituencies and asked Council to consider what, if any, response it would wish to make.  As required by legislation, this Second review of Scottish Parliament Boundaries was started in September 2022.  In this respect, on 17 May 2023, Boundaries Scotland published its provisional proposals for new constituency boundaries for the Scottish Parliament, and opened a one month public consultation on the proposals, running until the end of Saturday 17 June 2023.  The length of the consultation period was fixed in legislation.  There were currently two Scottish Parliament constituencies which included the Scottish Borders – the Ettrick, Roxburgh, & Berwickshire County Constituency, comprising Wards 4, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 and 11 of Scottish Borders Council (total electorate – 56,409); and the Midlothian South, Tweeddale & Lauderdale County Constituency, comprising Wards 1, 2, 3 and 5 of Scottish Borders Council and Wards 1, 4 and part of Ward 6 of Midlothian Council.  Boundaries Scotland’s provisional proposals made no changes to the Ettrick, Roxburgh & Berwickshire County Constituency, and a map showing this constituency was attached as Appendix 1.  There were however, changes proposed to the current Midlothian South, Tweeddale & Lauderdale County Constituency.  This would be replaced by a proposed Clyde Valley & Tweeddale County Constituency, comprising Wards 1, 2, 3 and 5 of Scottish Borders Council and Wards 2 and 3 of South Lanarkshire Council.  A map showing the new constituency was attached as Appendix 2.  As this was a political matter, no recommendations were provided, but officers had included a number of suggestions.  Members may wish to consider whether to suggest moving part of Ward 5 (Oxton, Lauder, Blainslie and Earlston polling districts) from the proposed Clyde Valley & Tweeddale Constituency into the Ettrick, Roxburgh & Berwickshire Constituency.  It was also suggested that to better reflect the wider Scottish Borders, the name for the Clyde Valley & Tweeddale Constituency was changed to the Clyde Valley, Tweeddale & Gala Water Constituency.  Members needed to decide whether to submit a response to Boundaries Scotland by 17 June 2023.

10.2  Members discussed the proposals and Councillor Sinclair, seconded by Councillor Mackinnon, moved as follows:-

         “Council agrees to object to the proposals for the 2023 Review of Scottish Parliamentary constituencies for the Scottish Borders and Midlothian Council areas by Boundaries Scotland.  The reasons for this objection are as follows:

         Accessibility and connectivity – the current Midlothian South, Tweeddale and Lauderdale constituency is linked through numerous public transport routes.  Borders Buses operate up the A7, A68 and A72, linking the Borders to Midlothian.  Even travelling by car, options are limited across the proposed new constituency.  The current MSP’s constituency office is sited in central Galashiels, which has extensive transport links to the different parts of the constituency, whereas the current MSP for Clydesdale has an office in Lanark where travel to Galashiels would require three separate buses and a journey time of well over two hours, therefore limiting constituents’ access to their MSP.

         Geography ensuring equity of representation for all constituents - The proposed new constituency covers a huge geographical area, meaning connections are more difficult and travel time by MSPs to various parts of the constituency would be greatly increased and people therefore less well represented. 

         Local ties and other inconveniences – NHS services co-ordinate and co-operate currently across Scottish Borders and Lothian, as do other bodies including City Deal, SESTran, South East Improvement Collaborative.

         Consistency and Continuity – Tweeddale and the Central Borders have shared a constituency with the South of Midlothian since the establishment of the current Scottish Parliament in 1999, first as Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale and then in the current Midlothian South, Tweeddale and Lauderdale constituency since 2011.  There has never been a Holyrood constituency which links the Scottish Borders with South Lanarkshire and changing the boundary now would sever the decades-long connection of Midlothian, Tweeddale, Galashiels and Lauderdale in a shared constituency.

         An alternative proposal would be to move part of Ward 5 (polling districts 05A, 05B, 05C, and 05D) into the Ettrick, Roxburgh & Berwickshire constituency, bringing the total electorate closer to the quota of 59,902 at a revised total of 59,676 electors.  This would leave the rest of the Midlothian South, Tweeddale and Lauderdale constituency with a reduction from 65,033 to 60,488.  This would maintain the historic, geographical, connectivity and other benefits and connections between the Scottish Borders and Midlothian and create constituencies with broadly the same number of electors.

         The details of the submission to be delegated to the Chief Executive, in consultation with the Members’ Sounding Board.”

         Councillor Sinclair spoke in support of her amendment and expressed her disappointment regarding the length of the consultation period. 

10.3  Councillor Parker, seconded by Councillor Tatler, moved the following amendment:-

         “That Council agrees to delegate authority to the Chief Executive to make a submission to Boundaries Scotland, in consultation with the Members Sounding Board, where all issues and options will be discussed.”

         On the basis of Councillor Parker’s amendment Councillor Sinclair agreed to withdraw her Motion.

         DECISION

          AGREED to delegate authority to the Chief Executive to make a submission to Boundaries Scotland, in consultation with the Members Sounding Board, where all issues and options would be discussed.