Ten more seats will be created in England – taking the total number of MPs from 533 to 543. Wales would lose eight seats, reducing to 32 MPs – with two seats removed in Scotland to leave 57 MPs. Northern Ireland will continue to have 18 constituencies. Sir Gavin Williamson – a embattled Cabinet minister facing allegations of bullying – could be the victim of changes at the next general election. His Staffordshire constituency is at risk of being split, meaning he could face a re-election fight. The reshuffle could also affect Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab, potentially putting his future as an MP in jeopardy. However, Conservative Lord Hayward said that – unless there is a “total wipeout” for the Tories at the next election – that party will be the main beneficiary of the changes. “Overall the Tories will win five to 10 seats purely because the new seats are in overwhelmingly Tory areas,” he added. This is the third time the Boundary Commission has reviewed its proposals – and now voters are being asked to have their say by December 5. The changes seek to ensure that each seat contested by MPs in the election represents roughly the same number of voters – no fewer than 69,724 and no more than 77,062. The total number of MPs will remain the same at 650. Tim Bowden, secretary of the Border Commission for England, said the maps were “the culmination of months of analysis” and that almost half of the original proposals had been revised due to feedback from the public. “We now believe we are close to the best map of constituencies that can be achieved under the rules we are working with,” he added. Lord Matthews, deputy chair of the Border Committee for Scotland, also said he was “grateful” for the responses to previous consultations, adding: “We have considered all submissions very carefully and, where possible, have tried to respond positively to the proposals. “The legislative requirements of the review mean we are not always able to incorporate alternatives and sometimes, of course, we receive conflicting views or proposals with unintended consequences for other parts of Scotland.” Once the consultation is complete, the committee’s final recommendations are expected to be delivered to parliament in July.
