The Boundary Commission for England has today published its final recommendations for new constituency boundaries.
It is trying to re-jig the UK’s Parliamentary constituencies, to ensure MPs represent relatively even numbers of people.
The final proposals follow more than a year of public consultation and will see the creation of a new constituency called Leeds West and Pudsey.
This would cover the Leeds City Council electoral wards of Pudsey, Calverley & Farsley, Bramley & Stanningley and Armley.
Farnley and Wortley ward would now be in the proposed Leeds South West & Morley Constituency.
A new Leeds Central and Headingley constituency would be created and group together Kirkstall ward (which includes Burley), Little London & Woodhouse and Headingley & Hyde Park itself.
The final recommendations report was submitted to the Speaker of the House of Commons yesterday, and that report will now be laid before Parliament.
The Commission has now fulfilled its statutory responsibilities, and the submission of the report and its publication ends the Commission’s involvement in the 2023 Boundary Review.
Secretary to the Commission, Tim Bowden, said: “The recommendations we have published today mark the end of a thorough and consultative process to build the new map of Parliamentary constituencies.
“We have taken into account over 60,000 public comments, travelled the country, and heard many passionate views about how best to reflect local community ties in our recommendations. We are confident that our final recommendations are the best reflection of the statutory rules Parliament has set us. We are incredibly grateful to everyone who has participated in the 2023 Boundary Review.”
The government now has four months to bring forward an order to give effect to the final recommendations.
The final recommendations can be viewed on the Commission’s website.
The Boundary Commission for England is an independent and impartial advisory body, constituted under the Parliamentary Constituencies Act 1986. It is responsible for conducting reviews of UK constituencies in England and making recommendations to Parliament.
Each constituency it recommends contains no less than 69,724 electors, and no more than 77,062 (except in England for two ‘protected’ constituencies for the Isle of Wight).
The number of Parliamentary constituencies across the UK remains at 650.
Could someone explain to me why on earth Tyersal and half of Thornbury are included in Leeds West, when there is no direct access between these areas and the rest of the borough, forcing residents to go through Bradford on their way to the rest of Leeds West? How could a committee of “experts” get this so wrong?