Earlier this autumn the Boundary Commission published its proposals for reducing the number of MPs in England from 650 to 600 while equalising the size of most constituencies.

While some of the new boundaries the Commission is proposing are sensible, many more needlessly tear the heart out of the communities they serve and will make effective representation in Parliament much more difficult.

We are now in a period of consultation and as a local party – supported by our colleagues in the Liberal Democrat North West regional office and National Headquarters – we have put in a series of counter-proposals.

These back the Commission where we feel it has got it right; and put forward better solutions where we feel it is necessary, using the expertise of our members from across the region.

We know our plans are better because they have been produced by people who live and breathe in the communities affected.

However, to stand a chance of persuading the Commission to adopt our counter-proposal, we need your help.

You can see here what the Boundary Commission have proposed for the North West (which affectively wipes Salford off the map and puts Langworthy into Manchester).

Below you can see our counter-proposal for the existing Salford area constituencies:

Salford Constituency   Langworthy
Salford Constituency   Weaste and Seedley
Salford Constituency   Claremont
Salford Constituency   Ordsall
Salford Constituency   Irwell Riverside
Salford Constituency   Swinton South
Salford Constituency   Pendlebury
Salford Constituency   Kersal
Salford Constituency   Broughton

Worsley and Eccles Constituency   Boothstown and Ellenbrook
Worsley and Eccles Constituency   Little Hulton
Worsley and Eccles Constituency   Walkden North
Worsley and Eccles Constituency   Walkden South
Worsley and Eccles Constituency   Winton
Worsley and Eccles Constituency   Worsley
Worsley and Eccles Constituency   Barton
Worsley and Eccles Constituency   Eccles
Worsley and Eccles Constituency   Swinton North

If you could take a minute to add your voice to the consultation via the commission’s website (here), we stand a far better chance of persuading them. There’s just two weeks before the deadline on December 5th. Please add your voice to ours in explaining why you feel they better serve your community.

The consultation is open to everyone and you can be sure the Conservatives and Labour are encouraging their members to take part too. As may be expected, those parties’ counter-proposals are not designed to make our lives any easier!