TWO Euro-MPs are better than one - or are they? That was the burning European question for local councillors.

The Boundary Commission is holding a local inquiry into many North West Euro constituencies.

It proposes keeping the current arrangements concerning Bury, which is split across the middle.

Bury North is included in the Lancashire South seat held by Mr Michael Hindley, while Bury South is part of Mr Gary Titley's Greater Manchester West seat.

The Conservative Party has lodged an official objection. It says the current GM West seat should be renamed to refer to Lancashire and include Heywood, Rossendale and Bolton, along with the whole of Bury.

This was supported by Bury's Tory group leader, Coun David Higgin, at last Wednesday's policy and resources committee.

"Bury would be far better represented by one MEP. It's better to have one covering the whole of the borough," he said.

But others say this would create knock-on problems with other constituencies, leading to big differences in the number of voters in different areas.

Council leader Derek Boden said there were advantages in having two Bury MPs in Westminster, and the same could be said of having a duo in Brussels.

His Labour colleagues agreed, and officially endorsed the Boundary Commission's proposals.

The Commission's recommendations will be put to the Government and implemented in time for the next Euro elections.

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