Lancaster no longer joined with Fleetwood under planned new election shake-up

Tuesday, 8 November 2022 14:06

By Greg Lambert @greglam72

The Lancaster and Fleetwood Parliamentary constituency would be scrapped under a planned shake-up of electoral boundaries which also affects Morecambe and Lunesdale and Wyre.

Final proposals have been published which could see a Lancaster and Wyre constituency created before the next scheduled General Election.

This would include Garstang, Preesall, Great Eccleston, Hambleton, Calder, Wyresdale and Stalmine, and Brock with Catterall, as well as the Lancaster areas of Bulk, Castle, Ellel, John O'Gaunt, Marsh, Scotforth West and East, and the University and Scotforth Rural.

Fleetwood would move into a new Blackpool North and Fleetwood Borough constituency.

Skerton would also move into the Lancaster and Wyre constituency. It is currently part of Morecambe and Lunesdale.

Under the Boundary Commission for England proposals, which now go out to public consultation, the Morecambe and Lunesdale constituency would now include Arnside and Milnthorpe, Burton and Crooklands, Sedbergh and Kirkby Lonsdale, as well as Bare, Bolton and Slyne, Carnforth and Millhead, Halton-with-Aughton, Harbour, Heysham, the Kellets, Lower Lune Valley, Overton, Poulton, Silverdale, Torrisholme, Upper Lune Valley, Warton and Westgate.

The Morecambe and Lunesdale Parliamentary seat is currently held by the Conservatives, with David Morris as MP since 2010.

Lancaster and Fleetwood is held by Labour, with Cat Smith as MP since 2015.

Wyre and Preston North, which would also no longer exist under the proposals, is held by the Conservatives. Ben Wallace, who is also the Secretary of State for Defence, has been the MP since 2010.

A new Preston Borough constituency is also being proposed.

Consultation on the revised proposals will now take place for a four-week period until December 5.

"We encourage everyone to use this final opportunity to contribute to the design of the new constituencies – the more views we hear, the more informed our decisions will be when we make our final recommendations and report to Parliament," said a spokesperson for the Boundary Commission for England.

"Our consultation portal at www.bcereviews.org.uk has more information about our revised proposals and how to give us your views. You can also follow us on Twitter @BCEReviews or at facebook.com/BCEReviews."

The Boundary Commission for England must make its final recommendations by July 1 2023 before any changes can become law.

More information can be found here.