Setting Boundaries

Over the thirteen years of the past Labour government, the cost of politics doubled. We did not see a doubling in the quality of that government.  So just as we try to achieve more with less in every other walk of life, so we must in Parliament.

At 650 there are too many MPs.  The House of Commons is the largest lower house of any major Western democracy.  Even the world's largest democracy, India, makes do with 545 MPs.  They have twenty times our population.

This is why Conservatives introduced legislation, with cross party support, to instruct the Boundary Commission to reduce the number of MPs by fifty in time for the next General Election. This work has the potential to save over £12 million a year and helps to demonstrate that we really are all in this together.

At the same time as bringing down costs the Boundary Commission’s work will help reduce the inequities in the electoral system.  In 2010, despite Conservatives attaining both a higher share of the vote and a substantially larger popular vote lead than Labour did in 2005, the Conservatives still won fewer seats in 2010 than Labour in the preceding election.

The work of the Boundary Commission will redress this balance by insisting that voters per seat be within 5% of the average.  In this way every vote carries equal influence and every MP is equally representative.  A basic requirement of democracy.

For more on this story and a down loadable copy of the initial proposals of the Boundary Commission click here.