Brave New World

Southport politicians are coming to terms with the new reality of Southport politics as in all probability the next General Election will be fought on different boundaries from the last one, as a whole chunk of Lancashire is added and Ainsdale is sliced off.

 " Mathematics has triumphed over community,” say former MP John Pugh , “but this is a brave new world for all local parties and changes their focus”. 

" Instead of the neat open plan of estates of Ainsdale, party workers will have to cope with farms, rural cottages and village communities as most of the Southport County Constituency geographically isn’t in Southport,( not in population terms).

   It might seem absurd to slice off Ainsdale just to make the national numbers fit , but absurdity is what we have to cope with. The temper of rural Lancashire politics and some of the issues differ from seaside Southport. It represents a challenge and an opportunity for local parties and frankly all bets are off, but the next MP will have to be appeal to both a town and country audience. “