Livingston No More

Before you ask why I'm invoking the line from the Proclaimers song Letter From America about the town I live in. It is not to do with the football team but the new Boundary Commission for Scotland and how they affect West Lothian.

First off there will as be only two unlike mentioned earlier at the time of the initial review three constituencies representing the council area a reshaped Linlithgow, and Livingston largely reshaped and renamed as Almond Valley. Slightly more confusing is that after 12 years of being totally in the Lothian Region the Linlithgow seat will now be in the newly renamed East Central Scotland Region. This may sort out the anomoly of the Westminster seat Linlithgow and Falkirk East straddling two Holyrood regions but leaves this small corner of the Region in a different health, police and education authority.

This has all short of ramifications. Fiona Hyslop has been the SNP candidate for Linlithgow for the last two elections but sits as a Lothian List MSP. The West Lothian Lib Dems now straddle two regions so there may be some internal realignment to reflect the new regions.

Personally it is highly possible that I could yet end up serving on two regional Lib Dem execs without moving constituency. However, as my international status for playing bowls moves with which country I live in I'm not too put out my that having been eligible for England, Ireland and Scotland thus far.