Middleton’s name still stands to be wiped off the parliamentary map under a revised shake up of constituency boundaries. The Boundary Commission (BCE) is continuing a review of all constituencies in England in order to ‘rebalance the number of voters each MP represents’ - resulting in ‘significant changes’ to the current arrangements.
There was an outcry when the ‘crazy’ plan to split Middleton between new Manchester Blackley and Heywood constituencies was unveiled last summer. Prior to the creation of the Heywood and Middleton constituency in 1983, the historic town had come under Middleton and Prestwich for 65 years and the old Middleton county constituency between 1885 and 1918.
And there has been widespread dismay this week, after it emerged that the commission was sticking with its plans - which would see the name of Middleton disappear from parliament for the first time in 147 years. Among those to slam the proposal - which forms part of the commission’s final consultation - is Rochdale council leader Neil Emmott.
