'˜Give MPs a vote now on boundary review'

Fresh calls to give Parliament an early vote on changes to constituency boundaries have been supported by Brighton and Hove's MPs.
Current Brighton and Hove constiuencies (Credit: Boundary Commission) SUS-171018-104018001Current Brighton and Hove constiuencies (Credit: Boundary Commission) SUS-171018-104018001
Current Brighton and Hove constiuencies (Credit: Boundary Commission) SUS-171018-104018001

A review could see the number of MPs in the Commons reduced from 650 to 600.

Initial proposals published by the Boundary Commission in 2016 caused outrage as Brighton Pavilion was set to lose parts of the city centre to a ‘Brighton Central and Hove’ constituency, while Hove would have been split across two seats.

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However following the outcry significant revisions were made by the time another round of public consultation was held last autumn.

Brighton Kemptown and Seahaven would include Seaford and half of Newhaven, while the Regency ward would be transferred from Brighton Pavilion to Hove.

This week a backbench committee of MPs has told the Government to give a Parliament a say now on whether or not to continue the boundary review, rather than waiting until September.

The Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee (PACAC) has concluded that it is unlikely the Commons will support the recommendations of the current review based on 600 constituencies, but if the decision is left until the autumn there will not be time to carry out a new one before 2022, the possible date of the next general election.

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Caroline Lucas, Green MP for Brighton Pavilion, said: “It’s a nonsense to suggest that reducing the size of constituencies is a priority when it comes to improving our democracy.

“We have an electoral system that systematically locks people out of the democratic process, and produces deeply skewed results. We also have a second chamber which is entirely unelected - and extremely unrepresentative of modern Britain.

“The government should focus on the real issues when it comes to accountability in British politics - not reduce the number of MPs and risk making them even less accountable to the electorate.”

Peter Kyle, Labour MP for Hove, added: “Everyone agrees that a boundary review is needed, but it needs to be one that benefits democracy and not just the Tory Party.

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“I therefore welcome the involvement of Parliament so that we can have a full and robust debate on the matter.

“A debate in Parliament would also allow me to make the case for officially having ‘Portslade’ in the constituency name.”

Bernard Jenkin, chair of PACAC, said: “The time to decide this in principle is now. If the Government waits until the autumn, Parliament will be faced with an invidious choice: either approve the new boundaries or hold the next election on boundaries that will be over twenty years out of date.

“But, if we decide this now, now it would be possible to change the law so new boundaries at 650 seats can be in place before the next election.

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“We therefore recommended that the House of Commons should be given an early opportunity to debate the options for reform and to decide whether or not to continue the current boundary review.

“Our predecessor committee, PASC, recommended in a report, Too Many Ministers, that if the House of Commons is reduced in size by 650 to 600, which is nine per cent, then the relevant legislation should also be amended to ensure that there would be nine per cent (eight) fewer ministers in the House of Commons.

“If the government wants to keep the present number ministers, then the House of Commons should remain the same size it is now.”