Hyndburn Council wants Haslingden added to constituency name

Tory councillor Peter Britcliffe said Hyndburn and Haslingden was "now a well-known phrase at Westminster"

Councillors in the parliamentary constituency of Hyndburn have called for Haslingden to be added to the seat's name.

A Boundary Commission review has proposed changing the name of the Hyndburn seat to Hyndburn County.

However, after a Hyndburn Council meeting on Wednesday, councillors want it to be Hyndburn and Haslingden.

Council leader Miles Parkinson said a formal request would be made, because Hyndburn "is not a county".

The Local Democracy Reporting Service said the commission's plan to redraw the seat to include three wards from Ribble Valley had been dropped and the only change would now be the name.

The Labour council leader said he was "not in favour" of the proposed new name.

"Hyndburn is not a county," he said.

"We should ask the commission to rename it Hyndburn and Haslingden."

Mr Parkinson was backed by the Conservative group's deputy leader Peter Britcliffe, whose daughter Sara is Hyndburn's MP, having won the seat in 2019.

Mr Britcliffe said Hyndburn and Haslingden was "now a well-known phrase at Westminster".

"Hyndburn County Constituency is a complete nonsense," he added.

The council's recommendations were approved at the full council meeting on Thursday and a formal request for the name change will now be made.