MORE than 4,000 rural voters around Inkberrow will have the right to vote in the Redditch constituency at the next General Election after recommendations from the Boundary Commission.

Following a March public inquiry, the Boundary Commission decided the Wychavon District Council ward of Inkberrow was the most suitable to include in the Redditch Constituency.

This includes areas like Cookhill, Hanbury, Abberton and the Lenches. The move creates the new Redditch County Constituency.

Current town MP Jacqui Smith expressed disappointment at the move, saying a majority of people she spoke to in the area were in favour of staying within the Mid-Worcestershire Constituency.

She said: "When I asked people in the villages what they thought of the proposals, 96 per cent of respondents, or about 800 people, said they were opposed to them.

"It's a shame the Conservative Party argued against the wishes of so many."

But Tory Parliamentary spokesman Karen Lumley "cautiously welcomed" the move.

Mrs Lumley said: "It's right and proper every elector's vote in this country carries the same weight and where you have a seat like Redditch, which only has just over 62,000 voters, and a seat like Wyre Forest, which has well over 70,000 voters, that can't be right.

"These are now the final recommendations from the Boundary Commission and we hope we are able to make them work.

"I hope to work very closely with the MP for Mid-Worcestershire, Peter Luff, to meet as many people as I can in the new Inkberrow ward to understand their concerns."

At the 2001 General Election, Ms Smith was re-elected with a majority of 2,484 over Mrs Lumley.