Plans for a radical shake-up of Tameside's parliamentary constituencies have been scaled back after opposition from MPs. The borough of Tameside has three MPs sitting in the House of Commons under the current system, representing Stalybridge and Hyde, Ashton, Droyslden and Failsworth, and Denton and Reddish.
These are Labour members Jonathan Reynolds, Angela Rayner and Andrew Gwynne. The Boundary Commission had previously proposed a major shake-up in which Denton and Reddish would effectively vanish – losing the Reddish wards to Stockport.
It had also suggested that the Stalybridge and Hyde constituency would no longer include Mossley, Stalybridge North and the Dukinfield Stalybridge ward.
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Instead it would take on Denton North East, Denton West and Denton South wards, and ‘unite the communities of Denton and Hyde, whose urban areas almost adjoin’, being renamed Denton and Hyde constituency. However the latest revised report states there were concerns that the Stalybridge and Hyde constituency did not need to be changed, and that Denton and Hyde were geographically separated by the River Tameside.
Opposed by both Jonathan Reynolds MP and Andrew Gwynne MP, after visits to the area Assistant Commissioners considered that a 'significant change' from the initial proposals would be 'appropriate'. Under the latest plans the Stalybridge and Hyde constituency would remain 'entirely unchanged' and a new Ashton-under-Lyne constituency created containing all the remaining Tameside wards, aside from the three Denton wards.
Stalybridge and Hyde MP Jonathan Reynolds said he was 'delighted' that the constituency was being kept intact which he described as making 'much more sense'. He added that 'nobody felt happy' with the previous proposals, which 'arbitrarily' chopped Stalybridge in half.
The three Denton wards would be included with four wards from Manchester - Burnage, Gorton and Abbey Hey, Levenshulme and Longsight. "The Assistant Commissioners considered that there was very persuasive evidence provided in representations that the Denton area itself was originally overspill from east Manchester, and that the areas are well linked both physically and in community terms," the report states.
This new constituency would be named Gorton and Denton.
Andrew Gwynne MP said: "Whilst I really am very sad to see the abolition of the Denton and Reddish constituency that has been in existence for nearly 40 years and has been my home for even longer, I am pleased that the Boundary Commission have come up with a proposal that does take on board community and social links across our local towns, and especially one that keeps the town of Denton together - as this wasn’t always guaranteed to be the case."
The Commission had previously stated that the electorate in the current Ashton-under-Lyne, Droylsden and Failsworth constituency is ‘below the permitted range’. Therefore it had proposed to add in the wards of Mossley, Stalybridge North, Dukinfield Stalybridge and Dukinfield ward.
This would have no longer included the Failsworth East or Failsworth West wards, or the Droylsden East and Droylsden West wards. The draft proposals suggested that a new constituency could be created called the Failsworth and Droylsden constituency to take on these four wards.
It would also include the Clayton and Openshaw, and Gorton and Abbey Hey wards which are in Manchester. The Miles Platting and Newton Heath ward would have been divided between the new Failsworth and Droylsden constituency and the Manchester Central constituency.
The proposals had been opposed by MPs, including the current Ashton MP Angela Rayner.
Consequently in its revised proposals, the Commission states that Failsworth would be included in a ‘Manchester Central’ constituency which would include the Ancoats and Beswick, Cheetham, Clayton and Openshaw, Deansgate, Miles Platting and Newton Heath, Piccadilly, and the two Failsworth wards.
The final consultation on this review ends on December 5, 2022.
After that a final report would be sent to parliament and published by July 1, 2023 with the findings and recommendations.
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