Fewer MPs will speak for region in London

‘Big beasts’ threatened in seat boundary shake-up

YORKSHIRE AND the Humber is set to lose four of its 54 MPs in a proposed shake-up of constituency boundaries which threatens the seats of some of the region’s highest profile politicians.

Tory former Brexit Secretary David Davis’s Haltemprice and Howden seat is on course for abolition while senior Labour MP Rachel Reeves is set to lose her Leeds West constituency under the final plans set out by the UK’s four boundary commissions.

Prominent Tory Brexiteer Andrea Jenkyns will lose Morley and Outwood and potentially have to stand in a more Labour-leaning seat which includes areas of Batley, while Bradford West will be axed, potentially sparking a selection battle between Labour MPs Naz Shah and Imran Hussain.

Nationally, Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn’s seat will go and Boris Johnson’s majority challenged under the changes Theresa May believes will deliver “more equal and updated” constituency boundaries that all contain a similar number of voters.

But the Prime Minister was warned by one of her own MPs, Philip Davies, that she faces a fight to get the proposals approved in the Commons, with a number of Tories prepared to rebel as the plan reduces the power of Parliament by cutting the number of MPs from 650 to 600.

The Shipley MP said he was “delighted” that the independent Boundary Commission had listened to lobbying from him and local residents, and decided to amend the plans to keep the Bingley Rural ward in his seat.

But he added: “I very much doubt that these proposed boundaries will pass. I oppose the changes on principle. Reducing the number of MPs without reducing the number of Ministers gives the Government more power over Parliament.”

Mr Davies also dismissed the suggestions that the Government could attempt to use the proposals as a means to keep Brexiteer MPs in line, saying it “would not make any difference if they did”.

Shadow Cabinet Office Minister Jon Trickett described as “crackers” the plan to redraw his Hemsworth constituency and warned the changes will leave MPs with more work to do as MEPs will no longer have seats after Brexit. He dismissed suggestions it would save money as the Government has approved scores of new peers in the Lords.

“It’s a fiddle because it ends up with a large number of Labour seats abolished and just barely a handful of Tory seats. We don’t need one less seat in Yorkshire, we’re going to have less MPs to fight for the best for Yorkshire.”

THERE IS no guarantee that the Boundary Commission’s review into Parliamentary boundaries will be enacted before the next election. The reason is that the final decision rests with MPs who effectively have the right to veto. It’s one of the unsatisfactory aspects of a convoluted process that began almost a decade ago when David Cameron, the then Opposition leader, proposed reducing the number of MPs from 650 to 600 in direct response to the expenses scandal, because he wanted to cut the cost of politics.

Blocked by the Lib Dems when they were in coalition with the Tories, Theresa May now faces a similar battle – there are sufficient Tory MPs who currently represent seats that could be abolished, or amalgamated with neighbouring constituencies, to vote with Labour to scupper proposals which are supposed to reflect shifts in population so most MPs represent a similar number of voters.

Given this, it makes sense for the Boundary Commission to be given full powers to implement changes after every Census free from political interference. This would be far more transparent than either of the main parties trying to exert undue influence in order to achieve a slight electoral advantage.

Yet, with Yorkshire set to lose four MPs, a more fundamental question is whether there should be fewer elected representatives in the House of Commons at a time when the population is growing and when Brexit is due to see legislative powers return from Brussels to Westminster. Today’s political challenges are very different to those of 2009 when Mr Cameron tried to neutralise the fallout from the revelations into the more egregious expenses claimed by some MPs. Before this process is next embarked upon, the role and remit of the Boundary Commission should be the first to be reviewed.