MP Glyn Davies vows fight to try to save his Montgomeryshire constituency

Montgomeryshire MP Glyn Davies says The Wales Boundary Commission's "interim" report for the review of Parliamentary constituencies in Wales will demolish Montgomeryshire, as it will be split in two.

The northern half of the constituency, including Welshpool, will be merged with Clwyd South to form a new South Clwyd and North Montgomeryshire constituency.

Meanwhile, the south of the constituency, including Newtown, will become part of the Brecon and Radnor seat, which will be renamed Brecon, Radnor and Montgomery.

Mr Davies said: "This is a total demolition of the historic county of Montgomeryshire. No way could I ever think about representing a different seat.

"If these proposals are approved in 2018, that will have to be it for me. But I won't be leaving politics. Politics will be leaving me.

"I'm so upset about it that I can't sleep. I've always lived in Montgomeryshire. Always will. I don't have a single ancestor who was born anywhere else.

"For 40 years I've represented Montgomeryshire in one way or another."

But Mr Davies says there is still time for people who feel as passionate as he does about the ancient constituency – which was created in 1542 and includes Welsh landmarks such as Powis Castle and Montgomery Castle ruins – to keep it whole.

Mr Davies said: "I'm going to ask a small group of people to help me to try to save Montgomeryshire as a constituency.

"We know we can't just have what we want and this announcement was expected. But we have until December to have a proper think about this and to submit a serious challenge.

"I'm not happy about splitting it up or about the electoral wards of Blaen Hafren and Llanidloes going into Ceredigion and North Pembrokeshire.

"It's no point MPs shouting at the boundary commissioners. Not their fault. It was MPs who stitched up the restrictive rules, ensuring that consideration of geography, cultural and historic considerations counted for nothing.

"It is not time for demonstrations but to have a well-thought-out argument for an alternative. Montgomeryshire is being torn into three pieces to 'top up' other constituencies. Parliamentary democracy in the old County of Montgomeryshire will be much diminished.

"MPs will become as little known in future as MEPs are little known now. This boundaries review may well be 'fair' in a statistical sense. But it's heart-breaking for me. The only consolation is that the Welsh Parliament constituency will remain Montgomeryshire."

Other changes in Shropshire include the historic Shrewsbury & Atcham name disappearing from the political landscape at the next General Election.

The village of Atcham will be dropped from the name of the seat , according to new proposals announced by the Boundary Commissions for England and Wales. Bridgnorth, which like Chirbury and Worthen comes under Ludlow at the moment, will become part of a new constituency called Bridgnorth, Wellington and The Wrekin, which will also take in Much Wenlock and Broseley.

Telford & Wrekin Council leader Shaun Davies said: "I am very pleased with these latest proposals from the Boundary Commission. They broadly fall in line with what the council asked for back in 2011.

"At the time, the commission's plan was to split Telford into north and south; something we felt would create an unnatural divide.

"As part of the commission's consultation, we submitted a counter-proposal, calling for Telford to be respected as a town and keeping it as an urban constituency in its own right.

"We also felt it right for a constituency that provided for the borough's market towns and rural areas. This would be the new 'Bridgnorth, Wellington and The Wrekin constituency'."

The remainder of the Ludlow seat will merge with the northern part of the Northern Herefordshire constituency, at the moment held by Tory Bill Wiggin, to form a new seat called Ludlow & Leominster.

The North Shropshire constituency, represented by Owen Paterson, is the only seat in the county which will be unchanged.

The draft proposals will now go out for public consultation. Final plans will then go forward for ratification in October 2018.