BOUNDARIES SCOTLAND ANNOUNCMENT OF LOCAL INQUIRY INTO PROPOSED CONSTITUENCY FOR THE SCOTTISH PARLIAMENT

SNP MSP Colin Beattie has welcomed the announcement today that Boundaries Scotland are including Midlothian North and Musselburgh as one of the 6 proposed constituencies that will have a Local Inquiry into the provisional proposals for the Second Review of the Scottish Parliament constituency boundaries.

The Local Enquiry for Midlothian North and Musselburgh will take place on 7 December 2023 at Musselburgh Racecourse. Colin Beattie MSP has announced his intention to speak at the enquiry.

Commenting, Colin Beattie MSP said,

“I welcome the opportunity to speak at the Local Enquiry into the proposed boundaries of the Midlothian North and Musselburgh constituency.

Whilst i understand the need for balancing numbers I believe that the proposed boundaries need reconsidered as to how it can link communities with common values and culture so that the constituency itself makes sense. This should be about the people and the communities; it should not be purely a numbers-based exercise.”

During the initial consultation Colin Beattie MSP provided feedback to Boundaries Scotland regarding the Second Review of the Scottish Parliament Boundaries.

I have read through the proposals to change the boundaries of my constituency of Midlothian North and Musselburgh and considered the impact of such changes carefully. I now feel I must raise my objections.

I object on the following grounds:

• Uniquely the new constituency will now cover no less than three council boundaries: Midlothian Council, East Lothian Council and City of Edinburgh Council. The logistical issues around administering cases through three disparate councils cannot be underestimated. The need to understand the policies and philosophies of three councils, and keep them up to date, should not be underestimated.
• Dealing with three councils will be cumbersome and is unprecedented. I hold regular meetings with Council Chief Executives and other Council Officials. To do this over Councils will likely prove unmanageable.
• The constituency proposal results in a loss of balance between being an urban and rural constituency and essentially becomes an urban constituency.
• We seem to have swept up communities and lumped them together based on numbers, and not on connections and traditional ties. For example, Mayfield and Easthouses has been cut away and added to Midlothian South, whereas their support and connections are all with Dalkeith with nothing (not even buses) connecting them to Midlothian South. Now Dalkeith remains in the new constituency of Midlothian North and is arbitrarily attached along with Danderhall.
• Portobello is very much an urban environment within Edinburgh City Council and does not have strong ties with the rest of the proposed new constituency that retains the name Midlothian North and Musselburgh.
• Accessibility within the proposed constituency is poor. Public transport between Portobello and Dalkeith or Danderhall and Prestonpans would be incredibly complex to navigate. This would be the same across many areas of the proposed new constituency.

If the Commission makes changes to its Initial Proposals, regardless of whether a Local Inquiry has been held, it will consult for a further period of one month in 2024.

Anyone wishing to speak at an inquiry is invited to contact the Commission on 0131 244 2001 or email [email protected]

ENDS