A big test for MPS

MPs will today debate an issue close to their hearts: parliamentary constituency boundaries. A private member’s Bill sponsored by the Labour backbencher Afzal Khan seeks to reverse government plans to reduce the size of the House from 650 MPS to 600.

Voters could be forgiven for thinking this matter had been settled. The last Parliament voted to reduce the number of MPS and equalise the electorates as far as possible within each constituency at around 74,000. The new system should have been used for the 2015 general election, but was scuppered by a row between the Coalition partners. The snap election in June was conducted on the old boundaries; but recommendations have since been made by the Boundary Commission for 600 new seats to be in place for the next in 2022 (assuming there is not another in the meantime).

The legislature – including the Lords – is too large, surpassed in size only by the Chinese People’s Congress, though if it is to be slimmed down then the executive should be, too. There are powerful arguments both for a smaller Commons and a more equal one.

Yet by trying to reverse the law introduced to ensure the former, MPS risk jeopardising the latter by requiring another lengthy boundary review. Backbench measures rarely become law without government time; but the Bill will be an important test of whether MPS are really serious about this process, which requires a final Commons vote on the revised boundaries next autumn. While past parliaments cannot bind their successors, this one should stop putting fresh impediments in the way of reform and commit to it.