TUV Leader and local MLA, Jim Allister, attended Monday's (24 Oct) public hearing, hosted by the Boundary Commission, in Ballymena into the proposed boundary changes, to make oral representations against the proposition that the existing North Antrim should be redrawn to exclude Ballymena, but include Coleraine, while Ballymena, along with Larne and Carrickfergus, should form the new seat of Mid Antrim.
 
Mr Allister began by challenging the admission of the Commission that they looked at the constituency map of Northern Ireland by starting from a south west perspective, a north west perspective and a Belfast perspective, but never considered starting from a north east perspective, which would have established that the existing North Antrim matched exactly the electoral quota being sought in each constituency. Instead, having worked round the Province from every other direction they were left to apply a mathmatical formula which truncated North Antrim in a most absurd and incongrous way.
 
Mr Allister stressed these points:-
• North Antrim is a natural and homogenuous unit with an established sense of place;
• It naturally hangs together, with the A 26 as its spine;
• Having existed for decades it possesses both historic and geopgraphical cogency;
• The emasculated and proposed 'North Antrim' would result in the majority of its electors (Coleraine) actually living in Co Londonderry, yet it would be called 'North Antrim';
• The proposal mutilates the Borough of Ballymena by hiving off Portglenone, Cullybackey and Broughshane to join an incongrous amalgam with Coleraine, while the hub of Ballymena would be artifically attached to Carrickfergus;
• The new constituency of Mid Antrim would have no sense of place, no geographical continuity and no commonality. 
 
Speaking afterwards, Jim Allister said, "I think it was important to explain in person why what is proposed is utterly crazy. I was disappointed by the absence of other politicians, but, nonetheless, the folly of what is proposed was firmly put on the record. Hopefully, ithe Commission will look afresh at what they've proposed and recognise that North Antrim should stay as presently configured."