Constituency boundaries

[Dr De Soto]

Has Helen Hayes constituency boundary changed?  I'm off Melbourne Grove, will she still be my MP?

[Charles Martel]

Goose Green Ward is now part of the Lewisham West and East Dulwich Borough Constituency.
https://boundarycommissionforengland.independent.gov.uk/review2023/b65f7782-658b-4c4a-9cba-59c16c807f77/a3-maps/L_49_Lewisham West and East Dulwich BC.pdf

[Jenijenjen]

Sadly this means for those of us who live within this ward the brilliant Helen Hayes will no longer represent us (that is if she's standing again). The Labour candidate for Lewisham West and East Dulwich is Ellie Reeves who has been MP for West Lewisham and Penge before the redrawing of boundaries.  She is sister to Rachel Reeves.

[Penguin68]

I had certainly heard that Helen Hayes was planning to stand down from being an MP - although I don't think I've seen that confirmed anywhere that I recall. If so, that is a shame, she was generally very competent and she knew the area well. A very good constituency MP and  had performed reasonably creditably in a minor Front Bench role. A loss to Parliamentary politics, in my view, if she is standing down.

[alice]

I certainly hope she’s not standing down. She’s a great MP both locally and nationally. 

[sunbob]

Also those of us who are currently represented by Harriet Harman (who is standing down of course) will not be able to vote for her successor (Miatta Fahnbulleh) as the change of boundaries also puts us in with Reeves, rather than Peckham.

I think this is a rather clever way for the conservatives to have taken the wind out of the sales of the end of one great career and its baton passing. (Hope that makes sense).

[IlonaM]

Helpful interactive map in the Guardian today:

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/ng-interactive/2024/jan/16/find-your-constituency-uk-general-election-2024-boundary-changes-votes-map-postcode

[CPR Dave]

Lol as if it will make any difference round here Sunbob.

For what is worth I don't think Helen Hayes has been very good as a constituency MP at all. 

She hasn't really achieved anything for us. Her biggest campaign has been about postal deliveries and they still get worse. 

 

[OutOfFocus]

5 hours ago, CPR Dave said:

For what is worth I don't think Helen Hayes has been very good as a constituency MP at all. 

Her staff have been good trying to fight for my  health issues with CCG/ ICB. They haven't succeeded but that's not their fault. 

Edited May 23, 2024 by OutOfFocus

[Dogkennelhillbilly]

5 hours ago, CPR Dave said:

Her biggest campaign has been about postal deliveries and they still get worse. 

 

If the party that's been in power for 14 years won't fix the Royal Mail despite an MP explaining how it's failing in her constituency, then who is to blame....?

[Jenijenjen]

Helen Hayes has confirmed she'll be standing

 

 

[Suggsy]

Helen Hayes is perfectly fine as an MP - though calling for a Gaza ceasefire and then not voting for one when she had the opportunity an hour later was not a glorious episode. 

[CPR Dave]

Well if that's the case DKHB I look forward to a much improved postal service starting on 5th July.

What has she actually achieved in the last ten years that make her such a good "constituency MP" ? I haven't seen anything apart from her failed post office campaign.

[malumbu]

Constituency MP is someone who helps constituents both individually and collectively.  I've regularly spoken with mine.  Have you?

[CPR Dave]

No, I've never actually even seen her in the constituency.

This website suggest she's mildly obsessed with Gaza with has nothing whatsoever to do with our constituency. 

https://www.helenhayes.org.uk/news_updates

[malumbu]

It's national government so as well as representing your constituency you are also part of the democratic process for how the country is run, including foreign policy.  Think it is important to educate our children about democracy. Something we didn't do at school.  I've spoken to my MPs both in person, in the old days by letter, and now e mail.

[Dogkennelhillbilly]

That "news updates" link has 33 pages (!) of posts going back to 2014. Of those dozens and dozens of posts over a decade, 9 of them are about Gaza, all in recent months. Do you think something happened in the last few months that suddenly made Gaza a topic of real concern to her constituents (like @Suggsy) and UK foreign policy a hot topic in Parliament? 🤔 

If you go through the topics more generally, you'd get the impression that Hayes is "mildly obsessed" with housing, early childhood education, knife crime, foster care, trains...exactly the kind of stuff that affects all of us in some way.

[OutOfFocus]

She has been spotted a few times. At my door during election, at surgery . At event in goose green centre 

Edited May 25, 2024 by OutOfFocus

[Sue]

On 23/05/2024 at 19:33, CPR Dave said:

Lol as if it will make any difference round here Sunbob.

For what is worth I don't think Helen Hayes has been very good as a constituency MP at all. 

She hasn't really achieved anything for us. Her biggest campaign has been about postal deliveries and they still get worse. 

 

I'm amazed to hear you say that.

I think Helen Hayes has been an absolutely excellent constituency MP. She has always responded quickly when I've had occasion to contact her.

What exactly were you hoping for? What more could she have done to get postal deliveries improved, given the dire national situation with Royal Mail?

My only gripe with her has been her abstention on the Gaza vote, which admittedly did greatly alter my opinion of her.