Boundary change recommendations for the next UK general election
Encyclopedia
Between 2000 and 2007, the Boundary Commissions conducted their periodic reviews of constituency boundaries in England
, Wales
and Northern Ireland
for the Parliament of the United Kingdom
. The changes to constituencies from those reviews were approved and took effect at the 2010 United Kingdom general election.
After completion of the latest review in England, the recommendations were sent to the Secretary of State for Constitutional Affairs
on 31 October 2006, and approved in June 2007. In Wales, the recommendations from the latest review were laid before Parliament on 14 December 2005, and approved in April 2006. After completion of the latest review in Northern Ireland, the recommendations were approved on 11 June 2008.
Scotland's most recent review was completed in 2004, and the recommended boundaries were those in use in the 2005 General Election.
In England
review areas are usually based on local authority boundaries, usually ceremonial county boundaries, with Unitary Authorities only being regarded as separate review areas in special cases. York
, for example, was split into two constituencies with no electoral wards from North Yorkshire
.
Some areas of England were awarded extra constituencies in the review, including Lancashire
, and the Essex
review area. Other review areas have had one constituency removed, such as Tyne and Wear
. Greater London
as a whole was reviewed on borough-by-borough basis and lost two constituencies overall.
In Wales
, the total number of seats remained at 40, although new seats were recommended by radical redrawing of boundaries in Clwyd
and Gwynedd
: Arfon
and Dwyfor Meirionnydd
replace Caernarfon
and Meirionnydd Nant Conwy
respectively; Aberconwy
replaces Conwy
. Currently Welsh constituencies have on average 16,000 fewer electors than their counterparts in England
.
The Boundary Commission for Northern Ireland
announced in 2006 that minor changes would take place in the east of the province to its existing constituencies.
Scotland
is the only part of the United Kingdom with no changes made to parliamentary representation for this election.
These changes in England, Wales and Northern Ireland were the first major changes in the composition of UK Parliamentary constituencies outside of Scotland since 1997.
The list of constituencies used in the 2010 general election, including changed constituencies resulting from these reviews can be found at Constituencies in the United Kingdom general election, 2010.
One consequence of boundary reviews is the notional changing of representation of some constituencies where calculations of voting intentions suggest a party other than the victor at the last general election would have been successful had the boundaries been in place.
The following constituencies are amongst those regarded as that were replaced during the most recent review process:
The following constituencies are amongst those regarded as brand new creations. South Leicestershire
is a renamed Blaby
; Romsey and Southampton North is a slightly altered Romsey; Rochester and Strood is a renamed Medway
; Conwy
has had minor alterations and is renamed Aberconwy
and the existing Cotswold
seat has been given the new name The Cotswolds.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
and Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
for the Parliament of the United Kingdom
Parliament of the United Kingdom
The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body in the United Kingdom, British Crown dependencies and British overseas territories, located in London...
. The changes to constituencies from those reviews were approved and took effect at the 2010 United Kingdom general election.
Review process
The Boundary Commissions are required by the Parliamentary Constituencies Act 1986 to review constituencies in their part of the United Kingdom every eight to twelve years. A Commission's recommendations from a review are based on the numbers of electors on the electoral register at the start of the review.After completion of the latest review in England, the recommendations were sent to the Secretary of State for Constitutional Affairs
Secretary of State for Constitutional Affairs
The Secretary of State for Justice is a senior position in the cabinet of the United Kingdom. It was created in 2007 replacing the abolished Secretary of State for Constitutional Affairs, which was originally intended to fulfil those functions of the office of Lord Chancellor which related to the...
on 31 October 2006, and approved in June 2007. In Wales, the recommendations from the latest review were laid before Parliament on 14 December 2005, and approved in April 2006. After completion of the latest review in Northern Ireland, the recommendations were approved on 11 June 2008.
Scotland's most recent review was completed in 2004, and the recommended boundaries were those in use in the 2005 General Election.
Changes
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
review areas are usually based on local authority boundaries, usually ceremonial county boundaries, with Unitary Authorities only being regarded as separate review areas in special cases. York
York
York is a walled city, situated at the confluence of the Rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. The city has a rich heritage and has provided the backdrop to major political events throughout much of its two millennia of existence...
, for example, was split into two constituencies with no electoral wards from North Yorkshire
North Yorkshire
North Yorkshire is a non-metropolitan or shire county located in the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England, and a ceremonial county primarily in that region but partly in North East England. Created in 1974 by the Local Government Act 1972 it covers an area of , making it the largest...
.
Some areas of England were awarded extra constituencies in the review, including Lancashire
Lancashire
Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
, and the Essex
Essex
Essex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England, and one of the home counties. It is located to the northeast of Greater London. It borders with Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent to the South and London to the south west...
review area. Other review areas have had one constituency removed, such as Tyne and Wear
Tyne and Wear
Tyne and Wear is a metropolitan county in north east England around the mouths of the Rivers Tyne and Wear. It came into existence as a metropolitan county in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972...
. Greater London
Greater London
Greater London is the top-level administrative division of England covering London. It was created in 1965 and spans the City of London, including Middle Temple and Inner Temple, and the 32 London boroughs. This territory is coterminate with the London Government Office Region and the London...
as a whole was reviewed on borough-by-borough basis and lost two constituencies overall.
In Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
, the total number of seats remained at 40, although new seats were recommended by radical redrawing of boundaries in Clwyd
Clwyd
Clwyd is a preserved county of Wales, situated in the north-east, bordering England with Cheshire to its east, Shropshire to the south-east, and the Welsh counties of Gwynedd to its immediate west and Powys to the south. It additionally shares a maritime border with the metropolitan county of...
and Gwynedd
Gwynedd
Gwynedd is a county in north-west Wales, named after the old Kingdom of Gwynedd. Although the second biggest in terms of geographical area, it is also one of the most sparsely populated...
: Arfon
Arfon (UK Parliament constituency)
Arfon is a constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom . Although the constituency is relatively large by geographical area, it is a predominantly urban rather than rural seat, with the majority of the population living in the two towns on which the constituency is...
and Dwyfor Meirionnydd
Dwyfor Meirionnydd (UK Parliament constituency)
Dwyfor Meirionnydd is a constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom . The seat was created by the Welsh Boundary Commission for the 2010 general election, and replaced the old north Wales seat of Meirionnydd Nant Conwy...
replace Caernarfon
Caernarfon (UK Parliament constituency)
Caernarfon was a parliamentary constituency centred on the town of Caernarfon in Wales. It elected one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system....
and Meirionnydd Nant Conwy
Meirionnydd Nant Conwy (UK Parliament constituency)
Meirionnydd Nant Conwy was a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elected one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election....
respectively; Aberconwy
Aberconwy (UK Parliament constituency)
Aberconwy is a constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom . The seat was created by the Welsh Boundary Commission for the 2010 general election, and replaced the old north Wales seat of Conwy seat....
replaces Conwy
Conwy (UK Parliament constituency)
Conwy was an electoral constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It returned one Member of Parliament by the single-member district plurality system of voting....
. Currently Welsh constituencies have on average 16,000 fewer electors than their counterparts in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
.
The Boundary Commission for Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
announced in 2006 that minor changes would take place in the east of the province to its existing constituencies.
Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
is the only part of the United Kingdom with no changes made to parliamentary representation for this election.
These changes in England, Wales and Northern Ireland were the first major changes in the composition of UK Parliamentary constituencies outside of Scotland since 1997.
The list of constituencies used in the 2010 general election, including changed constituencies resulting from these reviews can be found at Constituencies in the United Kingdom general election, 2010.
One consequence of boundary reviews is the notional changing of representation of some constituencies where calculations of voting intentions suggest a party other than the victor at the last general election would have been successful had the boundaries been in place.
New and abolished constituencies
It is not always easy to clearly identify newly created constituencies or those abolished during the review process.The following constituencies are amongst those regarded as that were replaced during the most recent review process:
- Barnsley West and Penistone
- Barnsley East and Mexborough
- Birmingham Sparkbrook and Small Heath
- Blackpool North and Fleetwood
- Brent East
- Brent South
- EcclesEccles (UK Parliament constituency)Eccles was a parliamentary constituency of the United Kingdom, centred on the town of Eccles in Greater Manchester, England. It returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, elected by the first past the post system.- History :The constituency...
- Hammersmith and FulhamHammersmith and Fulham (UK Parliament constituency)Hammersmith and Fulham was a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elected one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election...
- Kensington and ChelseaKensington and Chelsea (UK Parliament constituency)Kensington and Chelsea was a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It was one of the safest Conservative seats in the United Kingdom, and since its creation in 1997 became a prestigious seat, with MP Alan Clark, the former Defence Secretary...
- Knowsley North and Sefton East
- Lancaster and Wyre
- Meirionnydd Nant ConwyMeirionnydd Nant Conwy (UK Parliament constituency)Meirionnydd Nant Conwy was a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elected one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election....
- NormantonNormanton (UK Parliament constituency)Normanton was a county constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elected one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election.-Boundaries:...
- Rugby and Kenilworth
- Sheffield Hillsborough
- Tyne BridgeTyne Bridge (UK Parliament constituency)Tyne Bridge was a parliamentary constituency in the north east of England, represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, from 1983 until 2010...
- Vale of YorkVale of York (UK Parliament constituency)Vale of York was a county constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elected one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election.-History:...
The following constituencies are amongst those regarded as brand new creations. South Leicestershire
South Leicestershire (UK Parliament constituency)
Leicestershire South is a county constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first-past-the-post voting system....
is a renamed Blaby
Blaby (UK Parliament constituency)
Blaby is a county constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election...
; Romsey and Southampton North is a slightly altered Romsey; Rochester and Strood is a renamed Medway
Medway (UK Parliament constituency)
Medway was a county constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom between 1983 and 2010. A previous constituency of the same name existed from 1885 to 1918.-1885–1918:...
; Conwy
Conwy (UK Parliament constituency)
Conwy was an electoral constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It returned one Member of Parliament by the single-member district plurality system of voting....
has had minor alterations and is renamed Aberconwy
Aberconwy (UK Parliament constituency)
Aberconwy is a constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom . The seat was created by the Welsh Boundary Commission for the 2010 general election, and replaced the old north Wales seat of Conwy seat....
and the existing Cotswold
Cotswold (UK Parliament constituency)
The Cotswolds is a county constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election.-Boundaries:...
seat has been given the new name The Cotswolds.
- Barnsley EastBarnsley East (UK Parliament constituency)Barnsley East is a Parliamentary constituency in South Yorkshire which returns one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. The seat was created as Barnsley East in 1983 and abolished to create Barnsley East and Mexborough in 1997...
- Brent CentralBrent Central (UK Parliament constituency)Brent Central is a borough constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election...
- BroadlandBroadland (UK Parliament constituency)Broadland is a county constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election....
- Central Devon
- Chelsea and FulhamChelsea and Fulham (UK Parliament constituency)Chelsea and Fulham is a constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It was first contested in the 2010 general election....
- ChippenhamChippenham (UK Parliament constituency)Chippenham is a parliamentary constituency, abolished in 1983 but recreated in 2010, and represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election...
- Dwyfor MeirionnyddDwyfor Meirionnydd (UK Parliament constituency)Dwyfor Meirionnydd is a constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom . The seat was created by the Welsh Boundary Commission for the 2010 general election, and replaced the old north Wales seat of Meirionnydd Nant Conwy...
- Filton and Bradley Stoke
- GatesheadGateshead (UK Parliament constituency)Gateshead is a borough constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first-past-the-post system of election. A previous Gateshead constituency existed from 1832 to 1950....
- Kenilworth and Southam
- KensingtonKensington (UK Parliament constituency)Kensington is a parliamentary constituency in the Parliament of the United Kingdom in west London, comprising the northern and central parts of the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, around Kensington...
- KnowsleyKnowsley (UK Parliament constituency)Knowsley is a parliamentary constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election. The seat was created during the Boundary Commission for England's review of constituencies...
- Meon ValleyMeon Valley (UK Parliament constituency)Meon Valley is a new county constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, created for the 2010 general election...
- Mid DerbyshireMid Derbyshire (UK Parliament constituency)Mid Derbyshire is a county constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post voting system.-Boundaries:...
- Penistone and StocksbridgePenistone and Stocksbridge (UK Parliament constituency)Penistone and Stocksbridge is a parliamentary constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It was contested for the first time at the 2010 general election, and returns one Member of Parliament elected by the first past the post system of election.-...
- South NorthamptonshireSouth Northamptonshire (UK Parliament constituency)South Northamptonshire is a county constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. The current Member of Parliament is Andrea Leadsom of the Conservative Party.-History:...
- RugbyRugby (UK Parliament constituency)Rugby is a parliamentary constituency in Warwickshire, England. It elects one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom using the first past the post system....
- Salford and EcclesSalford and Eccles (UK Parliament constituency)Salford and Eccles is a borough constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election. It is the successor seat to the previous Salford .The last MP for Salford was Hazel Blears,...
- Sefton CentralSefton Central (UK Parliament constituency)Sefton Central is a borough constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election...
- St Austell and Newquay
- Sunderland CentralSunderland Central (UK Parliament constituency)Sunderland Central is a borough constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election.-Boundaries:...
- Wentworth and DearneWentworth and Dearne (UK Parliament constituency)Wentworth and Dearne is a borough constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It was created for the 2010 general election, and elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election....
- WithamWitham (UK Parliament constituency)Witham is a parliamentary constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election....
- Wyre and Preston NorthWyre and Preston North (UK Parliament constituency)Wyre and Preston North is a county constituency represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Created in the most recent fifth periodic review of constituencies by the Boundary Commission for England, it elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post...
- York Outer