Boundary Idea

These initial proposals are now open for public consultation and the representations the Boundary Commission receives can lead to substantial changes to the new constituency boundaries before they are final.

I have suggested an important change that I believe will very much benefit our local community.

I fully support the Boundary Commission’s overall goal of making sure constituencies all have a similar number of people living in them, and that we reduce the number of MPs from 650 to 600.

So, while I am very sad that the constituency I love will disappear, I accept that change is inevitable and necessary.

I have suggested major changes to Knutsford and Wilmslow.

Under the initial Boundary Commission proposal, Knutsford (along with Mobberley and High Legh council wards) is moved into the Altrincham constituency. This to me makes little sense.

Altrincham is an urban community, part of Greater Manchester and will be governed by the Manchester Mayor from next spring; its transport links face into the city; and it has two tier grammar/secondary modern schooling.

Knutsford, by contrast, is a historic county town. It looks to the rest of the county for its policing, fire service and hospitals. Its high school is now a successful academy, and local primary schools are geared up to send pupils there.

Knutsford is surrounded by countryside and villages which – in the case of the Chelford council ward – will now find themselves in separate constituencies.

This means villages like Chelford, Peover, Plumley, Ollerton, Marthall, Snelson and Nether Alderley will be separated from the town.

In other words, Knutsford will find itself cut off from its traditional county and rural roots – and will become a small part of a much larger urban constituency.

There is a much better alternative, which I have proposed to the Boundary Commission. That involves combining Knutsford with Macclesfield in a single constituency – that would also include Mobberley, High Legh and Chelford. You would then have two Cheshire county towns, and the surrounding villages and countryside, in one Cheshire constituency, with common schools, healthcare, police and fire.

The constituency would be the right size in terms of population.

Local ties would be strengthened not undermined.

Under the initial proposals, Wilmslow is divided into two separate constituencies. Handforth and Wilmslow Dean Row are part of a new Bramhall and Poynton constituency.

The rest of the town is put in a new constituency with Macclesfield. This division makes little sense to me. There would be two MPs, neither of whom would fully feel themselves the MP for Wilmslow and that could diminish the voice of the town. Nor are the links with Bramhall strong.

In an ideal world we would try to keep Wilmslow united. Sadly, that is not realistic. The overall objectives of the Boundary Commission mean we won’t be able to keep Wilmslow united as a town and at the same time part of a wholly Cheshire constituency. The population calculations makes that impossible.

So, in my view, the most sensible alternative would be to keep Wilmslow intact as a town represented by a single MP – and to move Wilmslow as a whole into a constituency alongside Cheadle.

The two communities are a similar size, next to each other, linked by the A34. This replicates something similar to the traditional constituency that existed before Tatton was created in 1983. It would have the right population size.

Local ties would be strengthened.

If you agree with my assessment of the plans for Tatton, and my ideas to improve on them, it would be great if you could make representations yourself.

The Boundary Commission values the view of communities.

They like those views to be individually expressed, rather than through round robin letters or petitions.

Last time, around 60 per cent of constituencies were changed as a result of these kinds of representations.

Your thoughts can be sent to the Boundary Commission by post to Boundary Commission for England, 35 Great Smith Street, London, SW1P 3BQ or online at bce2018.org.uk. The closing date is December 5.

It has been a huge honour to represent you and the Tatton constituency and I want to make sure that we get its replacement right and give local people the strongest voice in Parliament.

Rt Hon George Osborne MP