SLOUGH Council has said it is “sorry” to see town’s integrity “damaged” over plans to split Langley in two in England’s 2023 electoral map.
Last month, the Boundary Commission for England published their initial nationwide review into Parliamentary constituencies, which involved redrawing the political map to give each MP a roughly similar number of voters.
The total number of seats in the House of Commons will stay at 650 – but England could get an extra 10 parliamentarians, Wales losing eight, and Scotland could lose two.
In the major boundary shake-up, Slough could lose nearly 9,000 electorates in Langley Kedermister and Foxborough to Windsor. The borough will keep Langley St Mary’s.
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If approved, this means the two wards will no longer be represented by Labour MP Tan Dhesi – but instead will have representations made by Windsor’s MP Adam Afriyie.
This is to make Windsor have around the same number of electorates as its neighbours in Slough where there is a higher population thanks to its density and regeneration schemes.
Speaking at a full council meeting on Thursday, July 22, the leader of the council James Swindlehurst (Lab: Cippenham Green), said: “We could’ve recommended that they try Langley St Mary’s instead, but looking at it, the boundaries left behind and the proximity to Windsor makes Kedermister the least bad choice.
“We have drafted up a regretful response that says, ‘we’re sorry to see the integrity of Slough damaged – but we reluctantly understood how they arrived at the place they have and therefore support their findings’.”
However, the leader of the opposing Conservatives, councillor Wayne Strutton (Haymill and Lynch Hill), said he would have preferred either Chalvey, Cippneham Meadows, or Upton ward to move as they are “the real borders” with Windsor.
But Cllr Swindlehurst argued giving up Upton would “divorce” Langley from the rest of the borough.
In the past, the council has made strong objections against the removal of Cippenham Meadows and Chalvey – and Cllr Swindlehurst said it would be “absurd” to contradict their previous representations.
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In 2016, the Boundary Commission for England was eyeing to transfer Chalvey from Slough to the area – but did not go through.
Meanwhile, Langley Kedermister councillor Chandra Muvvala (Con) said there is “no logic” to move his ward and his residents would feel “disconnected” from the rest of Langley.
Foxborough councillor Madhuri Bedi (Ind) added breaking up Langley would be “very, very unfair” to residents as her ward is “integral” to the area.
A consultation is running and residents can have their say on the proposed changes via www.bcereviews.org.uk.
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