BOLTON West MP Chris Green has come under fire for ‘wasting’ the opportunity to represent his constituents’ views at Prime Minister’s Questions.

Former Labour MP Julie Hilling took to Twitter to criticise his decision to raise the issue of voter-fraud, rather than health, policing or poverty.

But Mr Green has hit back, defending his choice of question, and accusing his opponents of ‘undermining democracy’.

Ms Hilling said Mr Green’s question was a ‘patsy’ intended to flatter the Conservatives.

She said: “We have an absolute crisis in Bolton and Wigan hospitals, a crisis in social care, and Mr Green himself met with the Home Secretary to discuss policing, the increasing numbers of people we have using food banks and sleeping on our streets.

“There are so many difficulties residents are having just to survive and thrive in society, and he asks a question that basically allows the Government to publicise that Eric Pickles has written a report.”

She continued: “He is telling us locally that he is representing the views of constituents, to waste that opportunity at a time of such difficulty is shameful.”

Kevin Walsh, secretary of Bolton Liberal Democrats, also criticised Mr Green’s choice of question. He said: “We want to make sure the people in Bolton are having their views heard in the House of Commons. We don’t believe that’s being done by Chris, but I don’t think it’s been done in Bolton West for quite some time, regardless of which party is in charge.”

“It’s about time the MP for the constituency stepped up and and put forward questions that are meaningful to local people.”

But Mr Green said the issue of voter fraud was ‘very important’ to many of his constituents.

He said: “Surely we all want honesty in the voting system and that those who have the right to vote can and do exercise that right but those who don’t and people who vote on multiple occasions are not able to do so.

“It’s shocking and disappointing that the left wing parties want to undermine democracy in the way they do.”

“Also my previous question was on women’s refuges. So when they decry the quality of my contributions in these debates it’s very disappointing as they had nothing to say, offered no support, when I was championing the cause of Fortalice women’s refuge in Bolton.”