Democratic shake-up our country needs

THERE was a time when MPs of all parties embraced periodic changes to constituency boundaries as a fundamental part of the democratic process. Set by the independent Boundary Commission, they ensure that constituencies remain roughly equal in size in the face of our ever-growing and shifting population.

Most importantly, they guarantee that everyone’s vote carries the same weight.

But in recent years, the process has become so deeply politicised and the source of such bitterness that there has been no boundary reform since 2000. Since then the population has risen by eight million.

The last time a review came before Parliament, in 2011, Nick Clegg’s Lib Dems conspired with Labour to defeat it, cynically reneging on a coalition promise.

Now an updated review is coming back to Parliament. And it’s favourable to the Tories – giving them up to 29 more seats in a House of Commons reduced in size from 650 to 600 members.

So naturally, opposition parties are in uproar. Rather than accepting these changes as fair and democratic, they are concerned only with narrow party interests. Labour accuses the Government of gerrymandering – even though the Boundary Commission is totally neutral. And some Tory MPs who stand to lose their seats are threatening to vote with the opposition to sabotage the changes.

Theresa May is said to be ready to buy off the rebels with peerages or the promise of a future seat. But how sad that they should need to be bribed to do what is so clearly the right and honourable thing – both for their party and the health of our democracy.

Is it any wonder the public has become so profoundly disenchanted with politicians, when they are so shamelessly self-serving?