Help us draw the line to make Parliamentary constituencies more equal
Tim Bowden, Secretary to the Boundary Commission for England
What are the local ties which bind together your constituency? Is it where you send your children to school, your place of worship, your library – or, perhaps, the community groups you attend? Over the next eight weeks, we want you to tell us how we can best reflect your local community as we reshape the map of Parliamentary constituency boundaries in England.
Currently, the number of electors in some constituencies is much higher than in others. The Boundary Commission for England, an independent and impartial public body, is redrawing the boundaries of Parliamentary constituencies to make sure each one has between 69,724 and 77,062 electors (there’s an exception to that rule for the Isle of Wight); as part of this process, the number of constituencies in England will increase from 533 to 543. The 2023 Boundary Review will therefore ensure that each MP represents roughly the same number of electors in each new constituency.
Today, for the first time, you are able to view what the new map of constituencies may look like. By visiting our consultation portal, www.bcereviews.org.uk, you can view our initial proposals for the new constituencies, compare them to the existing pattern and submit your views before the consultation closes on 2 August 2021.
Your feedback is important. During the last review, we changed over half of our proposals to reflect the local knowledge submitted by the public during the consultation process. It is now over to you to tell us whether your area is best represented in the boundaries and constituency names we have proposed; and if not, how these can be improved.
We look forward to reading your representations.
Help us draw the line – go to www.bcereviews.org.uk and have your say.
This blog is part of a series which aims to illuminate the work going on behind the scenes at the Commission. Keep an eye out on this page to hear from members of the review and corporate teams about their role in the 2023 Boundary Review.