Is the end a step nearer for Montgomeryshire?

Montgomeryshire MP, Glyn Davies, says he will continue to protest after it was confirmed today that his parliamentary constituency has taken another step towards being carved up and added on to other areas.

Final recommendations to reduce the number of sitting MPs from 650 to 600 have been released by the Boundary Commission, but Mr. Davies said they need to be reconsidered as they “fundamentally undermine democracy in Central Wales”. 

They bizarrely show that Welshpool will be lumped into a new constituency called South Clwyd and North Montgomeryshire, meaning we would have to vote at the next election on issues alongside residents from Llangollen, Chirk and Ruthin. Newtown will be joining Brecon and Radnor.

Speaking to the BBC this morning, he said: “The Government has finally published proposals to reduce the number of Parliamentary constituencies from 650 to 600 in time for the next General Election. These proposals reduce the number of Wales MPs from the current 40 to 29, and carves up Montgomeryshire into small bits added on to neighbouring constituencies - destroying centuries of history and fundamentally undermining democracy in Central Wales. I continue to do all I can to cause delay and a rethink of these damaging proposals.

“I accept there must be a review of boundaries. Populations move around, and it’s been too long since the last review of constituency boundaries. It’s the cut from 650 MPs to 600 MPs which does the damage. I also fundamentally disagree with the restrictions imposed on Boundary Commissions in framing the new boundaries. The current Act limits the size of constituencies within a 5% tolerance of the average (71,000 to 78,000) - allowing little discretion to make allowance for history, geography and cultural difference. The Act is a ‘camel’ built by bureaucrats with little knowledge of what’s practical. 

“The argument that cutting the number of MPs “cuts the cost of politics” is a good PR line, but utter nonsense, when the membership of the House of Lords is around 800. And at the same time, our MEPs are being abolished altogether. The whole fiasco was concocted in response to public outrage about the abuse of Parliamentary expenses in the past, and undermined democracy, especially in Wales.”

To see the full report, visit http://bcomm-wales.gov.uk/2018-review/?lang=en