Rachel has issued the following response to concerns about boundary changes. These were raised in July 2017, so please bear in mind the situation may have evolved since this response was issued.
I appreciate concerns regarding changes to Government at local and central level, in particular the recent proposed boundary changes. As you may know, the Boundary Commissions for England and Wales have published their interim reports for the Parliamentary Boundary Review. I welcome the fact that, as legislated for in the 2010-2015 Parliament, the Review will equalise the size of constituencies, ensuring everyone's vote will carry equal weight and will reduce the amount of MPs from 650 to 600, so will reduce the overall spend on the tax payer.
I am sure you will appreciate that without these reforms, MPs could end up representing constituencies based on data that is over 20 years old, disregarding significant changes in demographics, house building and migration. As it stands, some constituencies have twice as many electors as others.
The independent Commissions will now consult on their proposals, and submit final proposals in autumn 2018. The work of the Boundary Commissions was not affected by the recent general election. Therefore, should Parliament agree to implement the recommendations, the new boundaries will be in place for the election scheduled to be held in May 2022.
Date published: 17 June 2017.
As with all items in the FAQ Library, answers are subject to modification owing to events and changes in underlying circumstances. If you would like an answer that is more specific to your circumstances, or to seek and up-to-date response, please email rachel.maclean.mp@parliament.uk.