MP JACK Dromey has urged politicians to put residents and communities first in the debate over boundary changes.
Speaking at the Boundary Commission public hearing, Mr Dromey urged local representatives to view the changes not through the narrow prism of party politics.
The Labour MP was supporting his partys proposals to leave Sutton Coldfield untouched by boundary changes.
The Sutton swap is completely unnecessary, he said.
New Hall is one of the most affluent wards in Birmingham while Kingstanding is one of most deprived in the country. They are very different in nature.
But Labours proposals would also see a massive overhaul in Erdington constituency bringing in Hodge Hill and Castle Bromwich, while losing Kingstanding to Perry Barr, which it was part of until 1974.
We argue for sensible change. Labour has given alternative proposals which respect historic boundaries, he added.
The Liberal Democrats counter proposals would also add Hodge Hill to Erdington as well as Shard End.
There were numerous passionate pleas from residents of Wylde Green, Walmley and Kingstanding against the Sutton Swap.
Doreen Mooney, of Kingstanding elderly charity New Heights, warned the ward could get isolated and swallowed up if moved to Sutton.
She said: We wont be affluent like our Sutton neighbours and friends, we will remain impoverished but wont be able to access funds because Suttons statistics will overwhelm us.
We have suffered enough with budget cuts, why punish us again by drowning us in affluent Sutton?
Please let us remain in Erdington.
Derrick Aston from Wylde Green added: It would create two illogical constituencies and dislocate 35,000 residents from long established communities.
However, Councillor Robert Alden (Erd, Con) toed his partys line and supported the commissions plans, claiming there was no obvious border separating the Sutton and Erdington.
New Hall Coun James Bird urged locals to make their views heard before the consultation closes on December 5.
It will be judged by the weight of the letter box, he added.
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