Boundary Lines courtesy of Ordnance Survey OpenData © Crown copyright 2013, Map © OpenStreetMap contributors
The new constituency boundaries for the 2024 general election mean some Salfordians will be voting in different constituencies to previous elections.
There is a good chance that if you voted in the ‘Worsley and Eccles South’ constituency in 2019, you will now be voting in a different constituency in 2024.
The same can be said for some who voted in the ‘Salford and Eccles’ constituency, which has now been renamed simply to ‘Salford’.
There could be concern that these changes can cause confusion for voters as well as possibly unfairly benefiting the Conservatives.
Britain’s parliamentary constituency boundaries have been unchanged for the last four general elections but now an independent commission has completely redrawn the country’s political map.
The commission has made all constituencies fit into a ‘quota’ of between 69,272 voters and 77,062 voters.
As a result, 90 per cent of the 650 seats will face changes.
Some seats will disappear completely as their constituents will be split up and divided into other constituencies.
There are many changes to the constituency borders that will affect Salford voters:
MP Rebecca Long-Bailey’s constituency ‘Salford and Eccles’ will be renamed to ‘Salford’.
All Eccles residents will now vote in the newly named ‘Worsley and Eccles’ constituency.
35.4 per cent of constituents previously in ‘Worsley and Eccles South’ will no longer be in the same constituency in 2024 as they will now be voting in ‘Bolton South and Walkden’.
‘Worsley and Eccles’ has therefore only retained 64.6 per cent of its 2019 constituents.
To make up the deficit, as well as welcoming all Eccles residents; Worsley and Eccles will also receive 12.8 per cent of Leigh constituents.
Leigh elected Tory MP James Grundy in 2019 though Worsley and Eccles is still expected to elect Labour candidate MP Barbara Keeley.
Broughton residents will now vote in the ‘Salford’ constituency as the previously known ‘Blackley and Broughton’ constituency has been changed to ‘Blackley and Middleton South’ for the 2024 general election.
Long-Bailey is also expected to retain her seat as Salford’s MP.
If you are unsure what constituency you will be voting in for the 2024 general election; you can find out using Seat Explorer (electoralcalculus.co.uk).
The boundary changes also mean that the north-west will have two fewer seats in the House of Commons in the 2024 general election.
The changes in the north-west mean that Labour will lose two seats, the Lib Dems will lose their only seat in the north-west while the Conservatives will gain a seat.
In fact, according to Electoral Calculus’ calculations, the Conservatives will gain 13 new seats across the country.
This has left some people to feel that the Conservatives are gerrymandering the boundaries in their favour.
Despite the changes being drawn up by the independent boundary commission, this has left some people to feel that the conservatives are perhaps gerrymandering the boundaries in their favour.
Political scientist John Curtice, speaking in ‘UK In A Changing Europe’, believes “the new boundaries maintain and reinforce a substantial bias in the Conservatives’ favour.
“The explanation lies in the fact Labour’s vote is less efficiently distributed across constituencies. That disadvantage has not been affected by the boundary review, indeed if anything it has been increased somewhat.”
The 2024 general election is still very much predicted to be a Labour win with Sir Keir Starmer leading his party to a large majority in Westminster.
Electoral Calculus’ end of 2023 findings of the predicted election outcome tells that story.
To find out more click here.
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