West Dunbartonshire councillors slam radical plan to change Holyrood boundaries

dailyrecord.co.uk:

Councillors have hit out at plans to radically redraw the Dumbarton Scottish Parliament constituency.Formally submitting their opposition to proposals, deputy council leader Michelle McGinty said it was beggars belief that the changes were even being considered.Currently the Dumbarton constituency, which has been served since its inception by Labour’s Jackie Baillie, covers Dumbarton, Alexandria and Helensburgh.It also includes the smaller villages of Rhu, Garelochhead and Arrochar - and the Rosneath peninsula.However new proposals revealed earlier this year would move areas west of Helensburgh into an enlarged Argyll and Bute seat, which would stretch as far as Tiree.Helensburgh itself, as well as nearby Cardross, would form part of a renamed ‘Dumbarton and Helensburgh’ seat.The seat would continue to include Alexandria, Balloch and Gartocharn, as well as the southern edge of Clydebank as far as the town’s station and town hall.The plans have been met with cross-party opposition at Church Street, with members unanimously backing calls for the boundary to remain as it currently is.Deputy council leader, Labour’s Michelle McGinty said: “We are all pretty settled on where the boundaries are here.“We are six percent below the recommended population number they want to have.“The changes would only change this by one percent.“It seems like a lot of issues for only a one percent change.“When you look at areas like Kilcreggan that they are planning on taking out, the residents there use the Vale of Leven Hospital because of a service level agreement we have with NHS Highland.“The kids who go to St Joseph’s Primary go to Our Lady and St Patrick’s High School, and that’s been the case for a long time.“In areas like Luss the