2018 Review of Parliamentary Constituencies Response by North West Leicestershire Labour Party to the Initial Proposals We welcome the opportunity to respond to your Initial Proposals and note that they propose a significant level of change for North West Leicestershire and neighbouring constituencies in Leicestershire. We recognise that the need for at least one constituency that crosses the Leicestershire/Nottinghamshire border presents some difficulties, but the Initial Proposals have addressed this by making more change than is necessary. We believe the Boundary Commission’s objectives could be better met by retaining the North West Leicestershire, Bosworth and Loughborough (apart from one ward) constituencies as they are now and forming a new Charnwood & Keyworth constituency based on the Initial Proposals’ Charnwood constituency. This arrangement better retains local ties between communities, reduces the amount of change and keeps alignment with local government boundaries. Proposals 1. North West Leicestershire is retained as it is now. The current arrangement works well for North West Leicestershire with the constituency being co-terminous with the local authority. The villages of Ibstock and Ellistown have much greater local ties with Coalville than either Market Bosworth or Hinckley. Similarly, Shepshed has greater local ties with Loughborough. 2. Bosworth constituency is retained as it is now, again minimising the change. The constituency boundaries are already largely co-terminous with the Hinckley & Bosworth local authority (Groby ward being the exception), a significant improvement over alignment in the Initial Proposals. 3. With the local ties between Shepshed and Loughborough being retained, this presents the opportunity to keep the Loughborough constituency largely as it is now. We are proposing that The Wolds ward is not included in the new Loughborough constituency in order to meet the statutory electoral range. The Wolds ward is the one ward in the current Loughborough constituency that is clearly of a different character than the remaining constituency. 4. Finally, we are proposing that the remaining wards from the Initial Proposals’ Loughborough & South Rushcliffe constituency and Charnwood constituency (plus East Goscote ward) form a new Charnwood & Keyworth constituency. The road communications for the new constituency based on the A46 are better than both Loughborough to Rushcliffe South and from the western to northern parts of the Charnwood constituencies in the Initial Proposals. A detailed breakdown of the proposed constituencies is shown overleaf. Constituency Wards/Divisions Electorate Bosworth Hinckley and Bosworth 78,188 Ambien Barlestone, Nailstone and Osbaston Barwell Burbage Sketchley and Stretton Burbage St Catherines and Lash Hill Cadeby, Carlton and Market Bosworth with Shackerstone Earl Shilton Hinckley Castle Hinckley Clarendon Hinckley De Montfort Hinckley Trinity Newbold Verdon with Desford and Peckleton Twycross and Witherley with Sheepy Charnwood & Keyworth Charnwood 76,462 Anstey Birstall Wanlip Birstall Watermead East Goscote Forest Bradgate Mountsorrel Rothley and Thurcaston Syston East Syston West The Wolds Thurmaston Wreake Villages Hinckley & Bosworth Groby Rushcliffe Bunny Gotham Keyworth & Wolds Leake Sutton Bonington Loughborough Charnwood 71,583 Barrow and Sileby West Loughborough Ashby Loughborough Dishley and Hathern Loughborough Garendon Loughborough Hastings Loughborough Lemyngton Loughborough Nanpantan Loughborough Outwoods Loughborough Shelthorpe Loughborough Southfields Loughborough Storer Quorn and Mountsorrel Castle Shepshed East Shepshed West Sileby North West Leicestershire North West Leicestershire District 71,377 Rutland & Melton Charnwood 71,366 Queniborough Harborough Billesdon Nevill Tilton Melton Borough Rutland County .