5:00pm Friday 12th March 2010
By Rebecca Cain
AN Askett resident says it is "appalling" the three main political parties are honouring convention and not attempting to topple Buckingham MP John Bercow.
Due to the boundary changes coming into place, the Risboroughs and Icknield will now be part of the Buckingham constituency where speaker of the House of Commons John Bercow is fighting for re-election.
Traditionally, the main parties do not contest the seat of the speaker - but three independents, the former leader of the UKIP party and a BNP candidate are to fight him at the ballot box.
Susan Clark from Askett, near Princes Risborough, said: “I have seen this published nowhere.
“Why did our fathers fight a war, or the women go to extremes to get a vote, when this is happening?
“It's wrong that he [Bercow] is not accountable for his actions.
“I will not have a voice at the forthcoming General Election. I can't vote for a party I want to vote for and I think a lot of people are going to go to the poll expecting to be able to vote Conservative, Labour or Liberal Democrat.”
Current Aylesbury MP David Lidington will no longer be Princes Risborough's representative in Westminster.
The current candidates are UKIP MEP Nigel Farage, independents Patrick Phillips, John Stevens, Geoff Howard and BNP candidate Adam Worley.
Nigel Farage spoke at the Royal British Legion in Bell Street on Saturday which faces possible closure at the end of the month.
He said people should use the memorial hall more often or “lose it.”
Speaking about the boundary changes he said: “They [residents] are totally confused about why they've been taken out of Aylesbury and chucked into Buckingham; we had it on the doorsteps all morning.
“There doesn't seem to have been sufficient information about it.”
In an open letter John Bercow said: “Convention means that at the general election, the main political parties will not stand against me as the Speaker seeking re-election.
“This is a long-standing convention due to the non-party political position of the Speaker. It is not a new situation or something I decided.”
Click link below to see the full letter from John Bercow.
Spokesman for Wycombe District Council Ben Jackson said: “The Boundary Commission for England carried out a review of parliamentary constituency boundaries in Buckinghamshire and Milton Keynes in 2003.
“The final recommendations for change were confirmed in April 2004 and became law in 2007, with the changes becoming effective from the next general election (to be held on or before June 3 2010).
“Wycombe District Council published the new Register of Electors on December 1 2009 which can be viewed at our main reception desk in High Wycombe or at the Area Offices in Marlow and Princes Risborough.”
A raft of boundary changes will come into force at the next election including moving Marlow from Wycombe in Beaconsfield and Hazlemere from Chesham and Amersham into Wycombe.
© Copyright 2001-2012 Newsquest Media Group
http://www.bucksfreepress.co.uk/trade_directory/