Major shake up of parliamentary boundaries proposed for Lancaster and Morecambe

Morecambe and Lunesdale MP David Morris said that the new boundary proposals are "very good" for communities in Morecambe and Lunesdale, while South Lakeland MP Tim Farron called them "ridiculous".

Under the new proposals, Lancaster would be separated from Fleetwood and would become Lancaster CC - including Garstang and many of the Lune Valley villages which are currently part of Morecambe and Lunesdale.

The Morecambe and South Lakeland CC would include Carnforth, Warton, Halton and Silverdale and South Lakeland villages and towns including Arnside, Heversham, Crooklands, Beetham, Milnthorpe, Brigsteer, Bowland Bridge and Crosthwaite in the proposed shake-up.

The boundary would extend north west all the way to the shores of Windermere.

Currently, Labour MP Cat Smith represents the Lancaster and Fleetwood constituency, Conservative David Morris represents Morecambe and Lunesdale, and Lib Dem Tim Farron represents South Lakeland.

Mr Morris said: "At an initial glance, the new boundary proposals are very good for communities in Morecambe and Lunesdale.

"Last time we had a review thousands of people wrote into the Commission to tell them how important it was that Morecambe and Lancaster were kept as separate areas, the largest response in Boundary Commission history.

"This time the Commission have listened to that huge strength of feeling this time when drawing up these initial proposals.

"Under the proposals 90% of the current Morecambe and Lunesdale remains in the same Constituency.

The new proposed seat removes the Upper Lune Valley and Skerton East wards into the new Lancaster Constituency and adds the Burton and Crooklands, Arnside and Milnthorpe and part of the Bowness and Levens wards from South Lakes in a renamed Constituency of Morecambe and South Lakeland."

Mr Farron said: “Only someone who has never been to Cumbria would draw up boundaries that put Windermere in with Whitehaven and Kirkby Lonsdale in with Alston!

“But however ridiculous these proposals are, they are only draft proposals and whatever seats eventually do get agreed, we will fight and fight to win - we’ve won Westmorland five times against the odds so far, so we’ll do it again.”

The Boundary Commission for England said: "It has been necessary to propose a constituency which crosses the county boundary between Cumbria and Lancashire.

"We are therefore proposing that the existing Morecambe and Lunesdale constituency would extend north across the county boundary into the District of South Lakeland."

It added: "The current review will conclude with our formal report and recommendations in June 2023, so we refer to it as the '2023 Review'.

"Recent changes to the law make it very likely that our recommendations from this review will be implemented, so we encourage you to participate in the process by giving us your views through this website.You can see more detailed maps and check which constituency you would be part of under the proposals HERE.More to follow...