Forum Topic

Chiswick to join Hammersmith in Constituancy Change?

Can anyone clarify this changewhich I believe I read somewhere in recent times.The three Chiswick Wards to link up with the Hammersmith at the next General Election?Chiswick to remain in the London Borough of Hounslow ?One Chiswick Ward now eats into the upmarket Brentford East area around Kew Bridge.What's the score ... in case I need to explain to someone? Thanks

Jim Lawes ● 1148d25 Comments

I get the impression that we are being booted out of Brentford & Isleworth constituency after all these years.

Susan Kelly ● 1148d

The ward changes within Hounslow borough were decided by the Boundary Commission for local Government. The charitable interpretation of the changes in Brentford/Chiswick results from Brentford having a large population compared to the 3 Chiswick wards. Brentford was split into 2, and chunks of Brentford awarded to Chiswick - Gunnersbury Park and its surrounding roads, and a large chunk of the new developments by the river.This was a sensible change reflecting changes in population over recent years: the actual changes were bizarre, and appeared designed to protect Chiswick as a Tory stronghold (the Commission swallowed the Conservative submission) though the elections last year began the move from Chiswick towards progressive councillors.The parliament changes were imposed by the Boundaries Commission for England, and reflected a plan to equalise the population (roughly) between constituencies. This has led to another result, so that chunks of Hounslow borough, previously being represented by 2 MPs whose constituencies mapped the borough precisely, will now have 3 constituencies  - Brentford and Isleworth including a bit more of Hounslow and without Chiswick (and less the bits of Brentford now classified as Chiswick); Feltham and Heston - I think unchanged apart from bits of Hounslow moving to B&I; what is now Hammersmith and Chiswick, comprising of the Chiswick bits of Hounslow and a chunk of Hammersmith and Fulham borough.

Guy Lambert ● 1148d

The final proposals were submitted recently but I believe they were unchanged from those outlined in this report:http://www.chiswickw4.com/default.asp?section=info&page=conboundary014.htmRupa Huq's Ealing Central and Acton constituency which includes parts of Chiswick remains unchanged.

Mark Evans ● 1148d

So parts of Brentford TW8 (by the Riverside) will be in the new Hammersmith Constitutuancy...but will be locally governed by the Borough of Hounslow ?Got it!

Jim Lawes ● 1147d

Presumably Chiswick's Ward Councillors will still sit on Hounslow Council ?

Jim Lawes ● 1147d

AFAIK Jim it only affects Parliamentary boundaries no council ones. I was hoping to move into Rupa Huq's constituency, but sadly not to be.

N V Brooks ● 1147d

Yes, everything east of Waterman's Park on the south side of Kew Bridge Road seems to be in "Hammersmith and Chiswick" constituency according to the interactive map at https://www.bcereviews.org.uk/

Tim Henderson ● 1147d

Isn't it (see Mr Lambert's post) interesting that the left defines itself as "progressive" which is dictionary-defined as "advancing in civilisation"? There are, however, all sorts of changes in society/to society advanced by the right which are progressive but denied by the virtue-seeking left.

Robin Knight ● 1147d

And a lot of changes promoted by the parties not in Govt and taken up by those in Govt!

Philippa Bond ● 1146d

We had both Ruth Cadbury, Andy Slaughter and entourage at our door a couple of weeks ago, just to let us know this was happening.

Jan Porter ● 1146d

Not a fan of politics or politicians in many respects but Andy Slaughter was someone who was willing to engage back in the days of stop the Third Runway. Obvs you might consider that a vote against him, but he's not a Nadine Dorries figure he puts in the work.

Tessa Russell ● 1146d

The ready acceptance if the boundary changes signals either resigned acceptance or a seriously missed lobbying opportunity by opposition parties.

N V Brooks ● 1146d

Lambert never misses a trick to promote himself and his party. Constant gripes about non-Labour government for 13 years but not a word about labour controlled councils for equally long periods. As if the left has a monopoly on sensible policies? The LTN fiascos are ample evidence of the ‘we know what’s best for you without listening’ attitude.There are good reasons why socialist utopias don’t exist, and Lambert is the embodiment of that.

Simon Hayes ● 1146d

The isdue is that it not just Labour councils that are incompetent, paticularly financially. Its across the board from Tory run Thurrock and Northampton to LibDem(formerly Tory) controlled Woking to Labour 'run' Croydon, Slouugh and Nottingham.

N V Brooks ● 1146d

I’ve always found Guy Lambert’s  posts more informative than self promoting. Will it be Slaughter standing for the Hammersmith and Chiswick constituency? I met him a few times when he was my MP and I was always impressed with him. He claims few expenses and doesn’t have second jobs. You can check what MPs earn on second jobs on sky news -link below. Tories generally top the list of high second earners especially those with ministerial experience, though both Starmer and Corbyn are doing alright. As for Dorries she should get an award for scrounger of the year. https://news.sky.com/story/westminster-accounts-number-10-says-mps-should-focus-on-serving-constituencies-after-sky-news-reveal-second-jobs-earnings-12920913#:~:text=Research%20by%20Sky%20News%20shows,more%20than%20the%20national%20average.&text=MPs%20should%20%22focus%20on%20serving,to%20reports%20from%20Sky%20News.

David Turner ● 1146d

"The LTN fiascos are ample evidence of the ‘we know what’s best for you without listening’ attitude."Agreed, but they originated from a Tory transport secretary, with the threat of grant cuts if councils didn't conform.

Richard Jennings ● 1146d

Yes aint that the truth but the Tory malcontents on this forum always gloss over this just like the 60% cut in Central Government grant.

David Burke ● 1146d

Not me, but when I look at, as example, Ealing's published accounts and see that core services are maintained and cash reserves have been increased it does make you wonder on what that extra 60% was spent. Really obvious though that the Eric Pickles 'light touch'  management system needs to be scrapped in the light of financial mismanagement by so many councils.

N V Brooks ● 1146d

If ALL the money from the sale of Council homes had been able to be used to build Council homes then they wouldn't have had to look to find ways and means to try and become the developers to build the affordable homes it appears some have tried to. The homes that are still very much needed.Hasn't Rishi Sunak announced that he wants to follow in Margaret Thatcher's footsteps to create more home owners (presumably in the belief that they will vote Tory)?  Unfortunately so many homes that are now and have been built are just unaffordable.  It is also a shame that so many home owners who rent out their properties don't look after these properties as well as they might and that Section 21 which favours the landlords so much to the detriment of the renters is still causing problems.  What would be a happy compromise?

Philippa Bond ● 1145d

The changes in the constituency boundaries are set by the Independent Boundary Commission which is apolitical.IMO this is a good thing, the USA shows what happens when you let politicians set voting district boundaries and it rapidly reduces democracy.Of course it is going to be a bit odd for Chiswick, or at least most of it, to be part of Hammersmith for national politics and part of Hounslow for London politics, but I suspect that is not that unusual and if we are being honest, Chiswick has no influence whatsoever over Hounslow politics currently and this is not going to change

Justin Stephenson ● 1144d

That's exactly right. We will be part of the new constituency of Hammersmith and Chiswick, while remaining part of the London Borough of Hounslow.The current MP for Hammersmith and Fulham is Andy Slaughter (Labour).In separate changes, Chiswick Riverside ward now stretches along the London Road as far as the start of Watermans Park on the south side, so includes all the new flats along that stretch, and the houseboats.

Mary Brown ● 1144d

Isn't Andy Slaughter also trying to bang heads together over the Hammersmith bridge impasse/scandal?

Robin Knight ● 1143d

I would like Acton Green to be twinned not with some French ghetto but S.Ruislip and Uxbridge,normal people running our lives

Pete Docherty ● 1143d

Walpole Ward in Ealing is moving back from Rupa Huq's constituency to Virendra Sharma's Ealing Southall constituency.

Philippa Bond ● 1143d

They will most certainly notice the difference. Rupa is an excellent constituency MP. The other little chap doesn't actually know he has a constituency east of the Iron Bridge and really should have thrown in the towel long ago

N V Brooks ● 1143d