Weymouth and Portland

Weymouth and Portland is a local government district and borough in Dorset, England. It consists of the resort of Weymouth and the Isle of Portland, and outlying villages including Preston, Melcombe Regis, Upwey, Broadwey, Fortuneswell and Easton.

The district of Weymouth and Portland was formed on 1 April 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972, which merged the borough of Weymouth and Melcombe Regis and the nearby Portland urban district. The Mayor of Weymouth and Portland is David Harris (Lib Dem), with Tim Munro (Independent) as Deputy Mayor.cite web | last = | first = | authorlink = | coauthors = | year = 2007 | url = http://www.weymouth.gov.uk/Council/Councillors/home.asp?svid=586 | title = Weymouth and Portland Borough Council - councillors | format = | work = | publisher = Weymouth and Portland Borough Council | accessdate = 2007-07-26] The district is divided into 15 wards for elections—12 of them are in Weymouth, and three are on Portland.cite web | year = 2007 | url = http://www.weymouth.gov.uk/main.asp?svid=620 | title = Ward Map | publisher = Weymouth and Portland Borough Council | accessdate = 2007-12-16] Elections take place in a four-year cycle; one third of the councillors in all but three wards retire or seek re-election in years one, two and three, and county council elections are held in year four.cite web | year = 2007 | url = http://weymouth.gov.uk/main.asp?svid=618 | title = Electoral Cycles Thirds | publisher = Weymouth and Portland Borough Council | accessdate = 2008-01-07]

Weymouth and Portland and Purbeck districts are in the Dorset South parliamentary constituency, created in 1885. The constituency elects one Member of Parliament. The current MP for Dorset South is Jim Knight, a member of the Labour Party, who currently holds the post of Minister of State for Schools. Weymouth and Portland, the rest of the south west, and Gibraltar are in the South West England constituency of the European Parliament.cite web | year = 2004 | url = http://www.weymouth.gov.uk/main.asp?svid=621 | title = European elections | publisher = Weymouth and Portland Borough Council | accessdate = 2007-12-16]

In Portland Harbour is the Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy, where the sailing events at the 2012 Olympics will take place. The main reason that the resort was chosen to be an Olympic venue was the fact that the Sailing Academy had only recently been built, so no new venue would need to be provided. Weymouth and Portland's waters have also been credited by the Royal Yachting Association as the best in Northern Europe.cite web | last = | first = | authorlink = | coauthors = | year = 2005 | url = http://www.weymouth.gov.uk/London2012/home.asp?svid=14 | title = 2012 Olympic Games sailing venue | format = | work = | publisher = Weymouth and Portland Borough Council | accessdate = 2006-11-12]

Weymouth and Portland have been twinned with the town of Holzwickede in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany since 1986,cite web | year = 2007 | language = German | url = http://testholzwickede.kdvz.de/erleben/kultur_sport_freizeit/sp_auto_424.php | title = Städtepartnerschaften in Holzwickede | publisher = Gemeinde Holzwickede | accessdate = 2007-12-15] and the French town of Louviers, in the department of Eure in Normandy, since 1959.cite web | year = 2007 | language = French | url = http://www.ville-louviers.fr/ville/associations/jumelages/anglais/jum-anglais.htm | title = Associations de jumelage | publisher = Ville de Louviers | accessdate = 2007-12-15]

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