Changes to the boundaries of Parliamentary constituencies have been revealed this morning with some parts of Greater Manchester changing dramatically.
The Boundary Commission, which is carrying out the review in a bid to cut the number of MPs from 650 to 600, says the number of constituencies in the North West must reduce from 75 to 68 and that, by law, each must contain between 71,031 and 78,507 electors.
Across the country, a number of seats currently occupied by high profile MPs would be axed, although many would be confident being able to lay claim to newly-created constituencies.
Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn’s Islington North seat, George Osborne’s Tatton constituency and Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson’s Uxbridge & South Ruislip district are all under threat.
Yvette Cooper, Tristram Hunt and Labour leadership challenger Owen Smith are other MPs whose seats would be affected.
Analysis has revealed that Labour could lose 23 seats under the proposed revamp, which would see just only 68 of the existing 533 English constituencies remain unchanged.
A number of constituencies within Greater Manchester have remained unchanged while Manchester Central is largely the same with the ward of Moston transferring into the Oldham constituency to bring its electorate down to the required level.
Those that remain unchanged are Wigan, Makerfield, Leigh, Worsley and Eccles South, Salford and Eccles, Blackley and Broughton, Manchester Gorton, Manchester Withington, and Wythenshawe and Sale East.
Stretford and Urmston constituency will see the transfer of the Bucklow-St Martins ward into a new Altrincham and Tatton Park constituency which sees the Tatton seat of former Chancellor George Osborne disappear. The two western Sale wards of Ashton upon Mersey and St Mary’s will then be included in Stretford and Urmston.
Bolton West will take on the central ward of Halliwell while Bolton North East will take on the wards of Rumworth and Great Lever from the existing Bolton South East constituency.
Bury North, which has a relatively low electorate of 64,564, will be increased by the inclusion of Radcliffe East from the existing Bury South and will change its name to just Bury.
Bury South will cease to exist in name and will instead become Farnworth and will be made up of five wards from Bolton South East and three from the existing Bury South.
The Boundary Commission did raise the concern that Radcliffe would be split but added that it would be unavoidable due to the urban density of the region.
The constituency of Heywood and Middleton would also disappear under the proposals and a new constituency called Prestwich and Middleton. This is constructed from five wards from the existing Bury South constituency, and five from the existing Heywood and Middleton.
As well as Prestwich and Middleton it also includes much of Whitefield.
Rochdale would be significantly altered with the constituency taking on five wards from Heywood and Middleton – including much of the former – and keeping five from the current Rochdale constituency.
A new rural constituency called Littleborough and Saddleworth would also be created with five wards from each of Rochdale and Oldham. Much of the town of Oldham will be brought together into a new single, more urban constituency called Oldham.
Another new constituency to the south of the town – to be called Failsworth and Drolysden – is also being earmarked and would be made up of four existing constituencies.
The Ashton-under-Lyne constituency would extend eastwards to include the towns of Stalybridge and Mossley with the Dukinfield ward and the Dukinfield Stalybridge ward being united in the single constituency having previously been split.
A cross-borough boundary constituency of Marple and Hyde is to be created if the plans are given the green light taking in four wards from Tameside and four from Stockport.
The core of the existing Denton and Reddish constituency would be contained in another cross-borough constituency which is to be named Stockport North and Denton. This would contain the Tameside wards of Denton West, Denton South and Denton North East and five from Stockport.
Cheadle Hulme and Cheadle will remain together in a new Stockport South and Cheadle constituency which contains only Stockport wards.
Finally, under the proposals five wards from the southern part of Stockport, including the towns of Bramhall and Hazel Grove, would be included in a constituency with three wards from the northern part of the existing Macclesfield constituency and two wards from the existing Tatton constituency.
That new constituency is to be called Bramhall and Poynton.
Sam Hartley, Secretary to the Commission, said the proposals were just the Boundary Commission’s ‘initial thoughts’ and that the public’s views could help shape any changes.
He said: “The proposals mark the first time people get to see what the new map of Parliamentary constituencies might look like.
“But they are just the Commission’s initial thoughts – during the next 12 weeks we want people to take a look and tell us what they like and don’t like about our proposals.
“Parliament has set us tight rules about reducing the number of constituencies, and making them of more equal size, and we now need the views of people around the country to help us shape constituencies that best reflect local areas.”
A number of consultation events are being held across the region with the one in Manchester taking place on October 11 and 12 at the Midland Hotel.
To find out more about the changes click here.
