Talk:St Helens South (UK Parliament constituency)

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[edit] Proposed merger

I'm not sure that the new page St Helens South and Whiston (UK Parliament constituency) is really necessary; it could be thought of as a name change as the boundary changes, aren't all that dramatic. The change could be explained in this article, which would then be renamed when the time comes around. --RFBailey 22:11, 14 January 2006 (UTC)

I think the page could be seen as necessary due to the context of the changes. Knowsley North & Sefton East and Knowsley South have been abolished, and the St Helens South and Whiston seat is an entirely new creation.

I know what you mean, though, about a merged article could explain the big changes in Merseyside... Maybe a consensus vote could be held? doktorb | words 07:53, 15 January 2006 (UTC)

From what I am able to make out from the Boundary Commission website, the new constituency will share 7 electoral wards with the old seat. It then will have 3 wards from the Knowsley borough bolted onto it, whereas the old seat had another ward from the St Helens borough I believe. Given that a significant majority of territory is shared between both constituencies, my instinct is to Merge. --New Progressive 12:32, 16 January 2006 (UTC)

The old seat consisted of nine St. Helens wards, but those are the pre-2004 wards, which were smaller than the current ones. The main reason I'd have for opposing merger is the different political context as a result of the boundary change. The two Whiston wards are the two most Lib Dem wards in Knowsley, going into what is already the least safe Labour seat in East Merseyside. While I wouldn't exactly say "marginal", this is no longer the rock-safe Labour seat that Shaun Woodward was handed. Po8crg 01:04, 12 February 2006 (UTC)

No consensus here, so I'll withdraw the proposal. --RFBailey 12:47, 12 February 2006 (UTC)