Alternative GLA Setup

[Filuwaúrdjan]

UNDER CONSTRUCTION

This will be cleaned up and a proper introduction will be added soon.

Work will start again on the other Regions, but for now the London idea. Basically the GLA would have the same powers as now, but the electoral setup would be very different, based around an uncertain number of single-member districts, rather than the current hybrid of huuuuuuuuge FPTP seats and a top-up list.

Ward electorates will be those used by the Boundary Commision in the last House of Commons boundary review.

The City of London has been paired with Tower Hamlets.

Seats per borough:

Barking & Dagenham: 4
Barnet: 6
Bexley: 5
Brent: 5
Bromley: 6
Camden: 4
Croydon: 7
Ealing: 6
Enfield: 5
Greenwich: 5
Hackney: 4
Hammersmith & Fulham: 3
Haringey: 4
Harrow: 5
Havering: 5
Hillingdon: 5
Hounslow: 5
Islington: 4
Kensington & Chelsea: 3
Kingston: 3
Lambeth: 6
Lewisham: 5
Merton: 4
Newham: 5
Redbridge: 5
Richmond: 4
Southwark: 5
Merton: 4
Tower Hamlets & The City of London: 5
Waltham Forest: 5
Wandsworth: 6
City of Westminster: 4

That's around 185 I think. Anyways, let's keep the topup for the number between that number and 200.

Naming Guidelines

1. Avoid Borough compass pointing wherever possible.
2. Generally a good idea to use historical Borough or Constituency names (eg; Barons Court).

District Drawing Guidelines

1. Community cohesion more important than electorate numbers.
2. Districts should be reasonably equal in electorate within each borough.
3. If possible Districts should reflect historical Borough or Constituency boundaries.
4. Obviously no gerrymandering, although I might draw up a few examples.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Barking and Dagenham

Quota: 28,619.75

1. Barking North

Wards: Abbey, Longbridge, Mayesbrook, Becontree
Electorate: 27,088

2. Barking South

Wards: Gascoigne, Eastbury, Thames, Goresbrook
Electorate: 25,815

3. Chadwell Heath & Becontree

Wards: Chadwell Heath, Whalebone, Valence, Parsloes, Heath
Electorate: 33,773

4. Dagenham

Wards: River, Village, Alibon, Eastbrook
Electorate: 27,803

Note: obviously some of these are pretty undersized, but I think community identity has been reflected fairly well...

[Harry Hayfield]

The City of London and Tower Hamlets??

The two have got nothing in common, now The City of London and Islington, that's nearer the mark

[minionofmidas]

The City of London and Tower Hamlets??

The two have got nothing in common, now The City of London and Islington, that's nearer the mark

I suppose he went by what makes the best numbers ... although it may have been geographical shape.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

I paired the City with Tower Hamlets for a couple of reasons:

1. Because in terms of residential areas, the City is closer to Tower Hamlets than any other borough (the Peabody flats are right on the border between the two).

2. Because the two are already linked at GLA level (City & East).

3. Because it allows me to get away with giving Tower Hamlets another seat.

4. And because of the Tower actually.

It could also have been paired with Islington I guess (to form a City & Finsbury district) but that would look a little odd on a map. Not as odd as City & City of Westminster o/c...

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Tower Hamlets & The City of London

Quota: round about 26,000

1. City of London & Whitechapel (or City of London & Stepney West)

Wards: The City of London, Spitalfields, Whitechapel, St Katherine's & Wapping
Electorate: 25,508

2. Limehouse (or Stepney East)

Wards: Shadwell, St Dunstan's & Stepney Green, Limehouse
Electorate: 23,532

3. Poplar (or Poplar South)

Wards: Millwall, Blackwall & Cubitt Town, East India & Lansbury, Bromley-by-Bow
Electorate: 29,920

4. Bow & Mile End

Wards: Bow East, Bow West, Mile End East, Mile End & Globe Town
Electorate: 29,125

5. Bethnal Green

Wards: Bethnal Green North, Bethnal Green South, Weavers
Electorate: 23,258

Notes:
1. An alternative Tower Hamlets (without the City) will be done soon.
2. Things would have been much easier with the pre-2002 wards...