The Speaker of the House of Commons has today (28th June) laid before Parliament reports detailing the final recommendations of the 2023 Review of Parliamentary constituencies by the four UK Boundary Commissions. The Boundary Commission for Wales has therefore recommended the creation of the Montgomeryshire and Glyndwr constituency, which will see Montgomeryshire’s current boundaries retained and extended to include several new wards, which are currently within the constituency of Clwyd South.
The UK’s four Boundary Commissions have been reviewing the number of Parliamentary constituencies within the UK, so that they better reflect the current population levels within cities, towns and rural communities. Although the overall number of MPs across the UK is to remain the same at 650, the number in Wales will be reduced from 40 to 32. This is due to the mandate that constituencies must be within 5% of the permitted population range of 69,724 to 77,062 voters (excluding the protected constituency of Ynys Mon).
The Boundary Commission for Wales’s final recommendations will now take effect automatically from the next General Election.
Welcoming the news, Craig Williams MP said:
“It is a momentous day within Montgomeryshire’s history, as we have final confirmation that our historic county and Parliamentary constituency is to be preserved and enlarged to create the new Montgomeryshire and Glyndwr constituency at the next General Election.
“It is fantastic news that Montgomeryshire will continue to be represented within Parliament, having been so since 1542. We will also be welcoming several new neighbouring communities with open arms.
“I have always accepted the importance for Parliamentary constituencies to be relatively even in terms of population size. Maintaining Montgomeryshire as a whole within the larger seat of Montgomeryshire and Glyndwr acknowledges the extremely strong cultural and historic ties of the county and Parliamentary seat, whilst also meeting the parameters of the review.
“A huge thank you again to all who gave their valuable time in giving submissions to the Commission’s consultations in support of keeping Montgomeryshire as a whole, which the Commission has acknowledged was key within their final recommendation to the Speaker and Parliament.”
For further information on the Boundary Commission for Wales’s Final Recommendations report, visit https://bcomm-wales.gov.uk/reviews/06-23/2023-parliamentary-review-final-recommendations
