A CONSULTATION on proposals to change House of Keys constituencies has been extended after an angry protest from Onchan Commissioners.
The consultation was due to close on Tuesday, but the Boundary Review Committee has agreed to extend the deadline for responses until tomorrow (Friday).
The consultation period on the first proposals closed on February 20, before which Onchan Commissioners and MHKs held a public meeting with residents of the Birch Hill polling area (which includes the Birch Hill Park estate and other areas north of Hillberry Road and Avondale Road) and the parish who were destined to be transferred to the ‘East’ constituency with Laxey and Lonan.
On March 26 the Boundary Committee announced changes to their plans. Birch Hill was to be retained within the Onchan constituency, but Howstrake and Parish were now to be moved to the East constituency.
In a press statement, the local authority says: ‘Onchan Commissioners are very concerned that this information was released during the Easter holidays with a closing date for comments of April 9.
‘It has not been possible within this timescale to arrange a public meeting for Howstrake residents to express their views and members feel that the people of Onchan are not being treated in an equitable manner.’
Sally Bolton, chairman of the committee, told the Manx Independent: ‘Far from there being a lack of consultation, the committee has provided two periods of consultation on its proposals in respect of Onchan, the first for six weeks and the second additional period for two weeks, as notified directly to the commissioners on Tuesday, March 26.
‘After discussion with the commissioners we have been happy to extend the deadline for responses until this Friday, April 12, and indeed would welcome views from all residents affected up to and including April 15, after which time the committee will need to start drafting its final report for Tynwald.’
The chairman of the commissioners, Robin Turton, said: ‘I urge all those residents of Howstrake and the parish who are concerned by these changes to make their opinions known to the Boundary Committee.’
The committee itself says it would welcome views from residents affected up to and including April 15, after which time it will need to start drafting its final report for Tynwald.
The committee invited those affected by the changes to examine the revised draft maps on the boundary review website at www.gov.im/cso/brc/ or at the commissioners’ offices in Onchan and, if they wish, to respond with their views by email or letter.
Responses should be received by 5pm on Monday, April 15.
The committee’s original proposals attracted two main criticisms: the division of Onchan and the size of the north constituency, which originally brought together Ayre, Michael and Maughold (which is currently with Laxey and Lonan in Garff).
The committee responded by moving Maughold into the East constituency and by changing the proposals for Onchan, keeping Birch Hill within the Onchan Urban constituency but moving the smaller (in population terms) Howstrake and Lakeside Gardens, along with the rural parish areas into ‘East’.
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Why House of Keys needs electoral reform
THE boundary review is meant to make voting in the island fairer.
It recommends replacing the current system with 12 two-seat constituencies with roughly the same number of voters.
In the 2011 general election 23 per cent of the electorate, who live in Rushen and Onchan, had three votes each. But 22,000 (37 per cent) had only one vote each, in Ayre, Castletown, Garff, Glenfaba, Michael, Peel, Malew and Santon, and Middle.
It means, for example, that an elector in Onchan has three votes and is represented by three of the 24 MHKs, while an elector in Garff has one vote and one MHK. The system has long attracted criticism that it breaches the fundamental democratic principle of ‘one person, one vote’.
Based on 2010/11 figures the average number of voters per House of Keys seat is 2,548.
However, in Middle there are 3,794 voters per seat – 48.9 per cent more than the average.
The constituency with the fewest voters per MHK is Glenfaba, with 1,880 voters per seat – half the number of Middle and 26.2 per cent below the average.
Under the proposals, Rushen would lose Arbory to become a ‘South West’ constituency. Arbory, Malew and Castletown would be ‘South’.
Santon would join Middle to create ‘Central’ and Peel, Glenfaba and a small part of north Malew would join to create ‘West’.
Ramsey is unchanged and there are minor alterations in Douglas.
The proposals must still be backed in Tynwald.