Boundary reform

SIR – It is not correct to suggest that the review of constituency boundaries was blocked in 2013 “because of sloppy wording which Lib Dem peers had spotted in the late-night agreement drafted by the Cabinet Office” (Letters, October 18).

As a signatory to the crucial amendment in the House of Lords, I explained that the power of the Government’s “pay roll vote” should not be strengthened by reducing the total number of MPS without reforming the House of Lords in a way that would give it greater legitimacy in holding the Government to account.

The Cabinet Office had also confirmed by then that the electoral registers to be used for the review omitted about one in six of the people who should be included. Without addressing this issue, there could not be “fair” constituency boundaries. The projected results from a recent review confirm this is still the case.

Lord Rennard (Lib Dem)

London SW1