Proposals for a new UK Parliamentary map of Wales have been revealed with the number of Welsh MPs set to be cut by 20% from 40 to 32. Under the proposals Bangor would be split and fall into two different constituencies.
The new plans could pave the way for major changes to the Welsh political landscape, splitting some constituencies that have been in place for decades. Other constituencies will be scrapped completely and integrated with neighbouring areas.
Arfon will be absorbed into neighbouring constituencies – breaking up Bangor into two different constituencies. While most of Bangor is planned to move to Aberconwy, which includes Llandudno, Conwy and Betwys-y-Coed, the area of Penrhosgarnedd (past Ysbyty Gwynedd) would join Caernarfon, Porthmadog, Barmouth and Pwllheli to form the Dwyfor Meirionnydd constituency.
The Boundary Commission for Wales has opened an eight-week consultation on how constituency boundaries could be changed to allow for plans to reduce the number of Welsh MPs by eight.
The reduction in MPs represents the “most significant change to Wales’s constituencies in a century”, the Commission said.
Under rules set out in the Parliamentary Constituencies Act 1986, each constituency proposed by the Boundary Commission for Wales must contain between 69,724 and 77,062 electors. The only exception to this rule is Ynys Môn, which recently became a protected constituency and so will see no changes to its name, designation or boundaries.
Tory peer and polling expert Lord Hayward predicted they could result in two or three Tory losses, three or four Labour losses, and Plaid Cymru losing either one or two seats.
The Commission said that, if adopted, they would “result in a Parliamentary map of Wales very different from the one we are familiar with”.
But it warned it could not consider arguments over the number of constituencies as it has no power to set the number of MPs, which was decided by Parliament.
Boundary changes are also taking place in England, Scotland and Northern Ireland in order to reflect population changes across the UK.
Overall, England will gain 10 seats in the restructure. mEngland’s boundary commission, which published its proposal ahead of the summer recess, confirmed the country’s seats would rise from 533 to 543.
Under the Parliamentary Constituencies Act 1986 (as amended), each nation and region of the UK is given a share of 650 MPs based on the number of registered electors.
To take part in the consultation on the proposed changes visit: https://www.bcw-reviews.org.uk/
