05/11/12….New Constituency name to include Thame

IN LINE with proposals by the Local Government Boundary Commission for England, to change constituency boundaries around the country, a request from Thame Town Council to include ‘Thame’ in the constituency name, is being considered.

The Boundary Commssion is recommending that the constituency be renamed from just Henley to ‘Henley and Thame’ in a bid to reflect the significance of both market towns.

Thame Town Council’s first choice was Thame and Henley, with Henley and Thame being its second choice. Another option was ‘South East Oxfordshire’.

The Commission also proposes that the constituency takes in a number of villages currently in the Banbury constituency as well as Radley, which is currently in Oxford West and Abingdon. It has however, rejected a proposal to also include Blackbird Leys, a large estate in Oxford East, following criticism during the public consultation process.

All constituency boundaries are being reviewed in a bid to reduce the number of MPs. Each new constituency will have an electorate of between 95 and 105 per cent of the UK electoral quota of 76,641 electors.

Anyone who wants to comment on the proposals can do so up until December 5. See LINK