Comment DBCC-8392

After the initial proposals I'm still staggered that the Commission have made zero changes to the map with the exception of Cardiff. There has been significant opposition in many consituencies to your proposals after your initial consultation, yet you've seen it fit to ignore virtually all feedback - which does make one wonder really if you're even inclined to listen to any feedback, or is it another case of the Cardiff Bay bubble being the only voices that get through to you. If you were going to ignore all feedback then what's the point of a consultation?

Moving on, I'm going to concentrate on your proposal for Dwyfor-Meirionnydd as that's my consitutency.

Despite strong opposition in the original proposal (with 71.4% of respondents disagreeing with your suggestion) you've still seen it fit to completely ignore the people's feedback and make no changes.

I reject your idea that no alternatives are available, and your justification of not being able to pair Ynys Mon with Dwyfor-Meirionnydd due to the bridges being sllightly over the border in the constituency in Bangor is quite frankly laughable. It ignores all traffic flows and patterns for people travelling to work, as well as cultural factors such as education, Welsh language, and Healthcare. Bangor itself is much more closely tied with Llangefni, Holyhead and Caernarfon than the outskirts of Ruthin and Denbigh, which gravitate towards Wrexham and Llangollen.

On your current proposal for Dwyfor-Meirionnydd and Glyndwr - this is a failure of the Commission's duty to represent the interests of the people. The decision to pair the Dwyfor Meirionnydd and Montgomeryshire and Glyndŵr Parliamentary constituencies is a gross misjudgment, and you've (initially at least) decided to completely ignore the overwhelming opposition from the public.

According to yourselves, 45 out of 63 (71.4%) of respondents opposed your initial proposal, with 31 of those suggesting alternative arrangements that would better respect the cultural, linguistic, and historical ties of the regions. The Commission's dismissal of these concerns is a slap in the face to the people who took the time to engage with the consultation process.

Furthermore, the Commission's justification for the pairing, citing "reasonable road links" between the areas, can't be described as anything better than an utter lack of knowledge of the quality of roads in the area. The fact that there are road links between Machynlleth and Dolgellau is hardly a compelling reason to create a massive constituency that ignores the natural boundaries and identities of the regions. In fact the A487 north of Machynlleth was recently closed due to a landlside, and the A470 in Talerddig is going to be closed for 3 months due to an urgent repair for a retaining wall collapse between January and April 2025. I would appreciate an explanation as to how you have come to the conclusion that these "reasonable road links" are somehow better than the two bridges connecting Ynys Mon to Gwynedd.

The Commission even admitted in their own initial proposal that the proposed constituency is "not ideal" - so why do you continue to refuse to refine or change it? Your current proposal for my constituency is a mess, a Frankenstein's monster of a constituency that will only serve to disenfranchise and disempower the people it is supposed to represent. Aberdaron to Church Stoke, by road, is 101 miles in distance and nearly 3 hours in travel time.

The consideration of alternative pairings, such as combining Dwyfor Meirionnydd with Ceredigion Preseli, and Montgomeryshire and Glyndŵr with Brecon, Radnor and Cwm Tawe, is a clear indication that the Comission felt this proposal was flawed from the start. The fact that you chose to ignore these alternatives and push forward with this ill-conceived plan is a demonstration of a lack of care to the people of these constituencies. I would strongly recommend you revisit the alternatives and have an in-depth look at whether they are more suitable or not, as if you asked me to grade all available proposed pairings for DM and Glyndwr, the one you've currently proposed would be at the bottom of the list in terms of suitability.

You should go back to the drawing board and start again, taking into account the concerns and suggestions of the people who will be affected by this decision. Anything less would be a betrayal of the public's trust. The people of Dwyfor Meirionnydd, Montgomeryshire and Glyndŵr deserve better than this half-baked proposal. They deserve a constituency that respects their economic, transport, education and healthcare needs, along with their cultural, linguistic, and historical ties. Not this abomination.

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