AN UNDERLYING threat to the Western Isles constituency must be taken seriously it was stressed this week.
With the Boundary Commission for Scotland now undertaking a review of the constituencies and regions of the Scottish Parliament, local politicians are making moves to ensure the future security of both the constituency and of Comhairle nan Eilean Sia
r.
Concern has also been raised that the Western Isles is the only island constituency to be included in this review as Orkney and Shetland are exempt under terms of the Scottish Parliament (Constituencies) Act 2004.
Commenting that the outcome of the review could have major implications for the Western Isles, senior councillor at Comhairle nan Eilean Siar, Donald Manford said: "The news that the Boundary Commission has informed the Comhairle that they intend to review the constituency boundaries must be cause for major concern.
"The Western Isles, unlike Orkney and Shetland were not given special status in the Scottish Parliament (Constituencies) Act 2004 and the threat of discontinuance of the Western Isles as a constituency is now real. There is a real danger that the Western Isles will be discontinued as a constituency and this will have major implications for the continuation of the Western Isles as an island authority. This threat must be taken seriously if we want to retain the Western Isles as a separate authority."
Admitting this week that 'it almost goes without saying that the constituency geography of Scotland will change' following this review, Secretary of the Boundary Commission Bob Smith said he thought it unlikely that constituencies would be merged.
However he added: "The extent of the possible changes will not be known until the Commission completes its initial analysis and prepares its proposed alternatives."
And so taking steps to protect his constituency, Isles MSP Alasdair Allan has already written to the Boundary Commission on the issue.
He said: "I strongly believe that it would be impossible to merge the Western Isles with another seat and end up with a constituency that could be represented without the aid of a helicopter! It is important that people in Edinburgh understand just how big the Western Isles are. For that reason, I have written to the Boundary Commission making the case for retaining the individual seat, and also using the same Gaelic form of the name - Na he-Eileanan an Iar - that is already in use for the same seat in Westminster."
Explaining why the Western Isles is the only island seat in question, he continued: "The reason that Orkney and Shetland fall outside the scope of the Boundary Commission is because they are mentioned by name in the Scotland Act 1998 which established the Scottish Parliament, where those constituencies are guaranteed. They are mentioned in the Act because the decision was taken there to split the existing 'Orkney and Shetland' single seat that they had at Westminster. So of itself, there is nothing particularly significant about the Western Isles being included in the scope of the Boundary Commission, and I have no indication that there is any plan to merge the Western Isles with any other seat."
Despite this reassurance, Isles MP Angus Macneil pointed out that more should have been done in the past to protect the Western Isles constituency and local authority.
He said: "It is annoying that the Scotland Act gave such status to Orkney and Shetland and those at Westminster at the time did not think or act to ensure the Western Isles was given the same status in law. We know from the past what it was like having the local authority outside the islands especially those who were in the old Inverness-shire County Council (from Harris south), therefore any steps to return to that would not be welcome or sensible.
"Politically, I think that it is unlikely, it would certainly be unacceptable to do anything to the status of the Western Isles while both smaller Orkney and Shetland were left untouched by good fortune of the Law. All the islands, Orkney, Shetland and here need the current set up which evolved due to common sense."
The Boundary Commission review is being conducted within the terms of the Scottish Parliament (Constituencies) Act 2004 which requires the Commission to report to the Secretary of State for Scotland by July 2010. This timetable would allow any revised arrangements to be in place in time for the elections in May 2011.
Provisional proposals for revised constituencies are expected to be published in the spring of 2008. The provisional proposals for the regions are expected to be published in the summer of 2009.
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