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Jeremy Corbyn’s seat at risk under plans to reduce number of MPs

Exceptions to this are the Isle of Wight, which is being split into two new constituencies, and other island seats Orkney & Shetland and Na h-Eileanan an Iar (Western Isles).

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The initial boundary adjustment proposals for England and Wales follow those for Northern Ireland which were disclosed last week.

“This constructive approach is in strong contrast to the Labour party, which is riddled with infighting and threats of deselection”.

Corbyn is now facing a leadership challenge mounted after the resignation of around 20 members of his shadow cabinet, and a no confidence vote in which 172 out of Labour’s 230 MPs voted against the party leader. They are based on an out-of-date version of the electoral register with almost two million voters missing.

The draft proposals, put forward by the Boundary Commission, reduce the number of MPs in England from 533 to 501 and in Wales from 40 to 29.

In practice, a seat for the Labour leader should easily be found, with the leader’s aides saying that the best outcome would be for “us all to move east”, with Abbott taking up Hackney Central, to which she also has a claim, Meg Hillier – who has a claim to both Hackney Central and Hackney West & Bethnal Green taking the seat of Hackney West & Bethnal Green, and Rushanara Ali, the MP for Bow and Bethnal Green, moving to take the seat of Poplar and Limehouse, whose current MP, Jim Fitzpatrick, is widely expected to stand down at the next election.

A public consultation is now underway into the proposals and final plans are due in October 2018.

Speaking to BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, he said that some MPs’ behaviour had been “shocking” and disloyal to the leadership and members had a right to have a say.

In Northern Ireland, analysis of the initial proposals indicates the various parties will face tougher competition in many seats, particularly in the three Belfast constituencies replacing the current four.

The Boundary Commission for England said government legislation required it to use the December 2015 data.

There was one moment of lightness when an MP, leaving the meeting, told reporters as he left: “All women shortlist in Islington, that’s what we want”, a reference to Corbyn’s seeming battle to keep a seat.

Jonathan Ashworth, the shadow minister without portfolio, said: “People in Jeremy’s office will be tearing their hair out at that contribution, because that’s not the position of Jeremy or his people”. There is nothing fair about redrawing boundaries with millions left out, and reducing the number of elected MPs while the unelected House of Lords continues to grow.

“It’s fair to say that if this were to go through, she’d not only be hitting the Labour Party but she’d be ridding herself of some of her most bothersome MPs. The commission must rethink and ensure that no elector loses out”.

Liberal Democrats said they were “confident” of holding all of their eight seats under the proposals and gaining at least one in Cambridge.

“Tory claims that this process will lead to “equal votes of equal value” are plain wrong”, said a party spokesman.

Chris Skidmore, minister for the constitution, said: “Equalising the size of constituencies in the Boundary Review will mean everyone’s vote will carry equal weight”.

He said the process would save taxpayers £66m over five years by cutting the number of MPs, adding: “As it stands, some constituencies have twice as many electors as other constituencies and that can not be right”.

The Boundary Commission for England on Tuesday published its proposed maps for the areas on which the 2020 general election should be fought.

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The commission did not take political ramifications into account, but took an independent view, he stressed.

The House of Commons is going to see a reduced number of MPs