Shropshire MPs await decision on constituency cull

Prime Minister David Cameron will carry out plans to reduce the number of parliamentary seats from 650 to 600, with those affected expected to be told by the end of this week.

Some had hoped the plans would be abandoned following the Conservatives election victory, but the Prime Minister has signalled his determination to deliver on a promise in the party's manifesto.

Owen Paterson, MP for North Shropshire, said he hoped that his constituency would remain unaltered.

But he said that if there are to be fewer MPs in parliament then government should also be smaller.

"I believe we could have fewer ministers and a smaller cabinet," he said.

"As I understand, the boundaries can't cross regions and so this constituency could not go over the border in Wales or north into Cheshire.

"As an MP born in Whitchurch who has represented the area for 18 years I very much hope north Shropshire will remain unaffected."

Glyn Davies, Montgomeryshire MP, said he is "hugely disappointed" that there will likely be changes to his seat.

He said: "On a personal level I am hugely disappointed, but I know it is coming and it will likely be given confirmation in 2018.

"But the government made a number of promises in its manifesto and I know it is sticking by them.

"I mean, it could be put off for another three years when it comes to it in 2018, but I believe the government is determined to stick by its pre-election promises.

"We promised to cut the cost of politics by reducing the number of MPs and this is how we will do it.

"The effect on Wales will be huge, with the number of MPs falling from 40 to 29.

"So personally, I am disappointed, but the government is sticking by its promise."

During a review in 2013, it was proposed to turn the Montgomeryshire seat held by Mr Davies into Brecon, Radnor and Montgomery, covering the vast majority of Powys.

Shrewsbury & Atcham MP Daniel Kawczynski said: "I believe that 650 MPs is too many for the UK and that we should reduce that number so I am in favour of the bill.

"The proposal is to reduce it to 600 and I am very much in favour because I think all constituencies have to be the same.

"The largest constituency is more than 100,000 and the smallest is under 60,000. Those are the two extremes.

"We have to make them equal because every constituent should have the same rights to lobby parliament.

"If you are an MP with 100,000 constituents, they will not be able to give the same opportunities to lobby parliament as someone representing 60,000 people."

The moves were first promised by the Conservatives during the 2010 election campaign, but were blocked by the Liberal Democrats in the coalition.

The party repeated the pledge in this year's manifesto as a move to cut the cost of politics.

The Commons would be reduced to its smallest size since Victorian days, and constituencies would have an electorate of between 72,810 to 80,473 voters. In contrast the House of Lords is at its biggest size since 1999 and is expected to grow further with the appointment of new peers.

According to one analysis, the Conservatives would have won a majority of 22 in May instead of 12 if the election had been contested in 600 constituencies.

Several big political names could see their House of Commons seats swept from under them if 50 constituencies are scrapped.

The most senior Tory in jeopardy is the employment minister, Priti Patel, whose Witham seat in Essex could be merged with neighbouring Braintree.

The former Cabinet minister Caroline Spelman and the Attorney General, Jeremy Wright, may be forced to fight it out if the West Midland seats of Meriden and Kenilworth and Southam are amalgamated.

Andrea Jenkyns, who defeated the shadow chancellor Ed Balls on May 7, could find her time at Westminster short-lived if the West Yorkshire constituency of Morley and Outwood is swept away.