Highland Lib Dems reject ludicrous boundary proposals - Rimell

12.00.00pm BST (GMT +0100) Wed 24th Jun 2009

The Highland Council will tomorrow (Thursday) debate the revised recommendations of the Boundary Commission for Scotland's report on the changes to the Scottish Parliamentary Constituencies.

Despite disappointment that the commission will not accept the preferred option of 4 constituencies in Highland the Lib Dem group will accept the revised proposal for 3 constituencies but not the current composition which places Badenoch with Skye and Lochaber and Strathspey in the proposed Inverness and Nairn constituency.

Badenoch and Strathspey councillor Gregor Rimell said:

"These proposals have been applied with no thought to the geography and cultural traditions of the area.

"Currently there are broad similarities between council wards and parliamentary constituencies. These ensure that all levels of government from community to ward to council to parliamentary level can work together.

"We fought previous ludicrous boundary proposals and Carrbridge stayed with Badenoch and Strathspey. Another onslaught by the chalk and cheese aficionados in the bureaucracy just shows that they find it irresistible to produce totally alien revisions.

"I am sure that Highland Council members of all persuasions will agree with the Lib Dems and reject the Boundary Commission's review"

ENDS