What a pile of Cachi.

Leighton Andrews AM, has done us all a favour (Praise for a Labour AM whatever next?) in posting on the Electoral Reform Societies (ERS), proposal for new Welsh constituencies to fit in with the Libcon proposals for cutting the number of seats in the UK, and having roughly equal constituencies based on population size, There a spreadsheet you can download here where you can search for your council ward. and your proposed new constituency (You’ll need Excel)

Like Leighton I find the proposal absolutely crazy. The Title of the spreadsheet is CACI . CACHI would be more apt

My ward of Beddau seems to have been placed in something called Bargoed & Treharris/Nelson where next door Llantrisant would be in Rhondda & Maesteg and Llantwit Fardre would be in Caerphilly & Pontypridd.

Bargoed and Nelson are currently in Caerphilly whilst Treharris is in Merthyr and Rhymney.
Beddau seems to be liked to these by a strip running through the small village of Penycoedcae (where I grew up) and the Graig and Pontypridd Town. (so no link by a major road or Public transport) so we will be remote from the rest of the proposed constituency

The whole thing looks like a mismatch with the ward of Pontypridd Town not even in the proposed Caerphilly & Pontypridd constituency . The only criteria seems to be electoral numbers.

Perhaps its ploy by the ERS to show that the Libcon plans are unworkable without destroying the whole historic basis of constituency identity?

There is one good thing from these proposals in that if historic links and identity with an area could be done away with. There is no reason why we can’t simply do away with them all together  and have multiple constituencies based on STV.
If we are going to have a reform at least make it democratic and worthwhile

Update Plaid Wrexham have joined in with a analysis of their area. It would be great if more can join an we can get a full picture of this mess with regards Wales