Boundary bid has failed (From Malvern Gazette)

Boundary bid has failed

11:00am Sunday 3rd February 2013 in News

MALVERN'S MP has hit out after attempts to change parliamentary boundaries and cut the number of politicians suffered a death blow in the House of Commons.

MPs have voted by 334 to 292 to delay the changes until 2018 at the earliest.

If the changes were forced through now, the West Worcestershire seat held by Harriett Baldwin would have been renamed Malvern and Ledbury, while the Mid-Worcestershire one held by Peter Luff would have been called Evesham at the next General Election.

Malvern Wells would have been included in the Evesham seat to take its population to 77,000 in line with other constituency sizes across the country, and the overall number of MPs nationwide cut from 650 to 600.

The Government’s defeat was largely down to a revolt from Liberal Democrat MPs, who followed the lead of deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg.

Mrs Baldwin said: “At a time when we are trying to reduce the deficit, I voted to cut the cost of politics by reducing the number of MPs from 650 to 600 to save over £13 million a year.

“It is a great shame that Labour and the Liberal Democrats voted against this cut and also postponed the opportunity to fight the next General Election in constituencies with more equal electorates.”

Bill Wiggin MP, who represents North Herefordshire, which would also have been affected, said: “I voted for it because we need to reduce the number of MPs – but that’s what happens when the Lib Dems vote against something.”