Ben's Column

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Thousands of people in Exeter signed a petition against the plans. Hundreds more wrote individual letters of objection.<br> <br> This week has been the opportunity for those and any one else who is interested to come and say their piece to a barrister, appointed by the Boundary Commission to conduct the inquiry.<br> <br> When it is over, a the end of this week, he will go away and write his report. By June or July of next year, a decision will be announced. Either Exeter will be radically changed, with the city west of the Exe transferred into a huge rural constituency stretching nearly to Cornwall. Or Exeter will be preserved more or less as it is, losing Topsham and St Loyes into a new close-to-Exeter East Devon seat.<br> <br> Having given evidence to the inquiry on Monday, I am impressed by the thoroughness of this process. Witnesses give statements, they are cross examined at length. Volumes of evidence are read, maps are studied. It is all in public.<br> <br> I can think of a number of countries, that call themselves democracies, where the re-drawing of political boundaries has none of the independence, transparency or rigour of this.<br> </font></td> </tr><tr> <td height="-7"><a href="#top"><img alt="Back to Top" src="../../graphics/180601_pages/back_top.gif" width="100" height="27" border="0"></a></td> </tr> </table> </body></td></tr></table>