MPs face vote boundary shake-up

Boundary changes are being proposed for the next General Election

Under proposals published by the Boundary Commission for England, Conservative MP Ben Wallace’s constituency would be scrapped to be replaced by a North Lancashire area instead.

This would extend from borders with Cumbria and North Yorkshire, to the estuary of the River Lune, and to the outskirts of the city of Preston.

Blackpool North, currently held by Conservative MP Paul Maynard, would revert to its old boundary which formerly included Fleetwood, last used when Labour MP Joan Humble represented the population there.

It would also extend northwards to the mouth of the estuary of the River Lune and include Thornton.

Fylde, currently held by Conservative Mark Menzies, would remain mostly unchanged but its boundaries would change to include Poulton.

Labour MP Gordon Marsden’s Blackpool South would be extended northwards and southwards to also include the St. Leonard’s and Kilnhouse wards around Blackpool Airport.

The changes are to be made to reduce the overall number of MPs nationally from 650 to 600 and saving the country an estimated £66m over five years.

The rules state that each constituency should have a voting population of between 71,031 and 78,507, which is why changes have been made to the two Blackpool areas which were both in the 50,000s and also to Preston North and Wyre.

This would change to bring areas in north Preston, currently in the Wyre area, into the main Preston constituency to bring its population to more than 71,000.

More to follow.