Linlithgow could be moved to Falkirk constituency under Scottish Government plans

dailyrecord.co.uk:

West Lothian could lose its former county town in a redraw of the constituency maps ahead of next year’s Holyrood elections.The latest proposal ties Linlithgow to a constituency with Falkirk in a the third redraw of new boundary plans.A meeting of the council in Livingston rejected the plans and called for two Holyrood constituencies mirroring the boundaries of the Westminster ones.Boundaries Scotland had earlier proposed lumping Whitburn and Faudhouse into a Lanarkshire constituency with Airdrie, 14 miles to the west.A Labour motion before the council’s Executive also questioned proposals to take Polbeth from a Livingston based constituency and place it with Bathgate.The motion echoed earlier criticism of earlier redraws arguing that the Boundaries Scotland broke its own rules by linking Linlithgow to Falkirk. “Regard must be had to local authority boundaries”, it said.It added: “The proposal disregards the local identity, links and ties of the community in Linlithgow with the rest of West Lothian and the wider Lothian area for work, education, leisure, and health due to longstanding geographical, transport, employment and community links.

Linlithgow also sits within a different Health Board area, police division and Fire and Rescue Service area from the rest of the proposed Falkirk East and Linlithgow Constituency.“There is potential for voter confusion.”Council leader Lawrence Fitzpatrick told the meeting: “The council’s preferred solution would be to maintain the status quo with two constituencies covering West Lothian and request that consideration be given to them departing from the strict application of rules, to retain two constituencies.”A concession from Boundaries Scotland to create two West Lothian