Roll up for the boundary change
So here is the story that got the county talking today.
The heart of Gloucester could be represented in Parliament by the Forest of Dean MP! That's the main impact here in the county following national plans to cut the number of MPs from 650 down to 600.
Gloucestershire wont lose an MP - but the small Forest of Dean constituency needs more people ...so the proposal is to move Gloucester's Westgate ward - including the Cathedral and the docks...here is today's reaction.
Ray in Gloucester thinks they should explain why they are putting another 160 unelected people into the House of Lords rather than trying to chop down elected mps in the commons by 50.
Marge in Gloucester lives in Westgate Street right by the cathedral and is not a forester. if they do this she wont vote.
Michael emails to ask would Richard Graham become MP for Barton st Marys if the boundary commission remove Westgate, the historic centre of Gloucester and call it the Forest of Dean? Removing Westgate from Gloucester is like cutting its heart out.
John in Kingsholm questions that if the Westgate ward covers west Kingsholm and therefore Gloucester rugby club do we need to change our chant from "glawster glawster" to "fawrster fawrster" ?
Roger from Hucclecote thinks it's all being suggested to ensure that certain mps retain their seats.
Colin in Ruspidge says he was born in the old hospital at the dock end of Southgate Street...will the proposed change now make him a Forester?
Graham in Gloucester says if someone asked you to chop out the middle of your house to balance it up, you would have something to say about it and it wouldn't be the same. if you take the middle out of Gloucester the same applies.
Graham in Ruspidge says many years ago the forest of dean area was known as west Gloucestershire including Churchdown...this is all a fuss over nothing and something somewhere in the UK and probably Gloucestershire will have to give.
Michael in St Michael's square says as a city centre resident he feels disenfranchised by the boundary commission's bonkers plan to move the whole of Westgate ward into the forest...would that not mean there was not an mp for Gloucester? How can you have an mp for gloucester when the whole of the city centre is apart of the forest of dean?
Dave in Longlevens says given most of the issues we have in Longlevens relate to Gloucester and it is perceived that writing to the Tewkesbury mp is a waste of time. why? because the Tewkesbury mp could be embroiled with a city issue and well away from his patch. to complicate it even more in Longlevens we pay our council tax to Gloucester.
Bob in Rodborough says if this is all the government can come up with then they need to get rid of the boundary commission. They trying to make things equal and in reality that can never be fully achieved. it's more important to keep communities together.
What do you reckon? cummings@bbc.co.uk
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