The Boundary Commission for England has today published its final recommendations for new constituency boundaries. This follows submission of its final recommendations report to the Speaker of the House of Commons yesterday, and that report now being laid before Parliament.
The new recommendations would see the Burnley constituency retained along its current lines, but also include the two Pendle district wards of Brierfield East & Clover Hill and Brierfield West & Reedley. Their inclusion is necessary to ensure the constituency is within the permitted electorate range.
Commenting on the changes which will impact Burnley and Padiham, local MP Antony Higginbotham said:
"Being the Member of Parliament for Burnley and Padiham is the greatest privilege of my life. Since the day I was elected I have worked to repay the trust put in me by thousands of residents. Now that the Boundary Commission for England have published the final recommendations for the next General Election we know that the Burnley constituency includes everything already in it, along with two new wards from Brierfield.
I’m looking forward to continuing my work across Burnley and Padiham - speaking up for our area, securing Government investment, and working to make this the best place - as well as building on the work of Andrew Stephenson MP in Brierfield. We know locally just how much potential our area has, and I’ll never stop working to unlock it."
The Commission has now fulfilled its statutory responsibilities, and the submission of the report and its publication ends the Commission’s involvement in the 2023 Boundary Review.
Secretary to the Commission, Tim Bowden, said,
"The recommendations we have published today mark the end of a thorough and consultative process to build the new map of Parliamentary constituencies. We have taken into account over 60,000 public comments, travelled the country, and heard many passionate views about how best to reflect local community ties in our recommendations. We are confident that our final recommendations are the best reflection of the statutory rules Parliament has set us. We are incredibly grateful to everyone who has participated in the 2023 Boundary Review."
The Government now has four months to bring forward an Order to give effect to the final recommendations.
The final recommendations can be viewed on the Commission’s website here
