A DECISION is set to be made within weeks over the future of a new council ward which two East Lancashire Labour MPs don't want.

The announcement comes as local Tories accused Blackburn MP Jack Straw and Rossendale and Darwen's Janet Anderson of bad politics for falling out over the area.

The Boundary Commission is conducting a review of Parliamentary seats in Lancashire and has drawn up a new map of council wards.

The commission wants to increase the number of constituencies in Lancashire from 15 to 16, with an average of just over 67,000 voters in each.

It wants to put a new ward made up of part of Ewood, Earcroft and Lower Darwen into the Rossendale and Darwen seat.

But Jack Straw and Janet Anderson both said they did not want the new Fernhurst ward in their constituencies.

The Foreign Secretary has written to his local Labour group urging them to reject the idea because he said it will make his seat too big.

Mrs Anderson is opposed to the move and wants Fernhurst, which would have over 4,000 voters, to form part of the Blackburn because she claims people living there have a natural affinity with the town.

Both MPs have been accused of rejecting the ward because it is filled with Tory voters.

In the last council elections in May 2002, the Conservatives came second in Earcroft and Ewood when 38 per cent of people voted Conservative.

Two new housing estates made up of 'executive' type housing were said to have increased the numbers of Tory voters in the area.

Joe Smith, chairman of the Blackburn Conservative Association and president of the Darwen Conservative Association, Coun Fred Slater, said they would both welcome Fernhurst being added to their Parliamentary seats.

Coun Slater added: "We are about to send letters out to voters telling them we don't want to lose them.

"I think Labour are probably sweating on this decision because to have two of their MPs falling out over this is not good politics.

"There were 3,700 Conservative voters in Rossendale and Darwen and we do not want to lose any of them."

Mr Straw refused to comment on the issue but Mrs Anderson called for an inquiry to be held.

If either 100 residents or Blackburn with Darwen Council object to the proposed changes, an inquiry headed by an independent barrister will be held to decide the matter.

A Boundary Commission spokesman said: "The new seats proposed for Lancashire are set to be discussed at a meeting at the beginning of October.

"If everyone is happy with what is proposed there will be no need for a local inquiry, but if one is to be held residents in the areas affected will be informed."