Virtual Lancaster

Conservative proposal for a Morecambe & Lunesdale Constituency

The Conservatives are campaigning for an electoral boundary change that would split Lancaster right down the middle. See maps, right.

Last week Morecambe MP David Morris wrote to his constituents to tell them that it would be better for their constituency to incorporate half of Lancaster – rather than all of it.

His plans would put the Dukes and the Grand in ‘Morecambe’. Splitting the ancient city of Lancaster in half.

Conservative proposal for a Lancaster & Wyre constituency

The Boundary Commission has been holding consultations for weeks about its own proposals, which would make Lancaster,  Morecambe and Heysham into a single urban constituency. You can see their boundary proposals in the bottom map on the right and in more detail on the Boundary Commission website, where you can also have your say.

As the Lancaster Guardian has pointed out, a leaked Conservative Party counter-proposal to the Boundary Commission’s plans shows that they would rather see Lancaster’s Bulk Ward, Caton Road and everything north of the river grouped in with Morecambe and Lunesdale, with the rest

of the City grouped with rural Wyre. (See maps, right).

The local Labour Party are backing the Boundary Commission’s proposals, even though it would mean Bailrigg and the University would be in a separate, more rural

Boundary Commission proposal for a Morecambe, Heysham & Lancaster Constituency

constituency (with the loss of all those student votes), because they believe that the three neighbouring urban centres of Morecambe, Heysham and Lancaster have common objectives, and very different priorities to their rural neighbours. They have started a petition in support at www.one-mp.com.

They say that in the very week that the new Bay Gateway road began to make transport and business links between Morecambe, Heysham and Lancaster more fluid, Morecambe’s Conservative MP David Morris has been trying to drive a wedge between them and, in doing so, break Lancaster apart.

You can go on the Boundary Commission website here, to look at their proposals, which would unite Morecambe, Heysham & Lancaster into one urban constituency, and tell them if you think that would be better or worse than the Conservative’s counter-proposal.