New UK Parliamentary constituencies in Scotland have been proposed
The Boundary Commission for Scotland has today published its Revised Proposals for new UK Parliamentary constituencies in Scotland as part of its 2023 Review.
Today marks the start of a 4-week public consultation, running until Monday 5 December 2022.
The Commission has prepared these Revised Proposals after considering the responses to its consultations on the Initial Proposals which were published in October 2021 and again in February 2022 when the Commission held five public hearings.
For the 2023 Review, Scotland has been allocated 57 constituencies, two fewer than at present. England has been allocated 543 (+10), Northern Ireland 18 (no change) and Wales 32 (-8). The UK Parliament has retained 650 constituencies.
Two of the 57 constituencies in Scotland (Na h-Eileanan an Iar (the Western Isles) and Orkney and Shetland) are protected in the legislation and will not be subject to change.
As set out in legislation, each of the remaining 55 constituencies must:
- Be within five per cent of the UK electoral quota of 73,393 (ie to have between 69,724 and 77,062 electors), except where a constituency is larger than 12,000 square kilometres when it may have fewer than 69,724 electors; and
- Not exceed the maximum permitted area of 13,000 square kilometres.
– Lord Matthews, Deputy Chair of the Boundary Commission for Scotland
The Boundary Commission for Scotland is grateful for the responses received during our previous consultations including those presented at the five public hearings that we held across Scotland earlier this year. It has considered all representations very carefully and, where possible, has tried to respond positively to suggestions.
The legislative requirements of the review do mean The Boundary Commission for Scotland is not always able to incorporate alternatives and sometimes of course we receive conflicting views or suggestions with unintended consequences for other parts of Scotland. The Boundary Commission for Scotland very much look forward to receiving views on the Revised Proposals after which it will finalise our proposals before submitting them to the Speaker of the House of Commons by 1 July next year.
Of the 55 mainland constituencies in the Revised Proposals: 20 constituency boundaries are unchanged from the Initial Proposals; three constituencies have only their name changed; 35 constituencies have only their boundaries changed; and 20 constituencies have both their name and boundaries changed.
Among the changes from the Initial Proposals are:
- The reconfiguration of boundaries in our constituency groupings of Angus, Clackmannanshire, Dundee City, Falkirk, Fife, Perth & Kinross and West Lothian council areas; Aberdeenshire, Argyll & Bute, Highland and Moray council areas; Dumfries and Galloway, East Dunbartonshire, North Lanarkshire and South Lanarkshire council areas.
- Changes to the proposed boundaries in Glasgow City council area in the south, north-west and east of the city;
- Changes to the boundary in the north, south and east of City of Edinburgh council area; and
- Changes to the boundary in Musselburgh, East Lothian.
Other points to note:
- Nine existing constituencies, in addition to the two defined in legislation, are retained with boundaries unchanged since 2005. The nine existing constituencies are: Ayr and Carrick; Central Ayrshire; East Renfrewshire; Edinburgh Southwest; Kilmarnock and Loudoun; Midlothian; North Ayrshire and Arran; Stirling; West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine. 18 existing constituencies were within quota, but we have only retained nine due to the knock-on consequences of neighbouring or nearby constituencies.
- The largest proposed constituency by area is Inverness-shire and Wester Ross at 11,066 square kilometres (currently Ross, Skye and Lochaber at 12,768 square kilometres).
- The smallest proposed constituency by area is Glasgow West at 19 square kilometres (currently Glasgow North at 17 square kilometres).
- The proposed constituency with the fewest electors, at 69,748 will be Glasgow Southeast (currently Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross at 46,924).
- The proposed constituency with the most electors, at 77,046 will be Clackmannanshire and Forth Valley (currently Linlithgow and East Falkirk at 88,506).
- 36 of the proposed mainland constituencies are within a single council area; two constituencies contain parts of three council areas.
After considering the responses to this consultation on the Revised Proposals, the Commission will develop its Final Recommendations and submit its report to the Speaker of the House of Commons by 1 July 2023.
The consultation will run from 8 November until 5 December 2022. Members of the public and interested parties can view the Revised Proposals and submit comments on the Commission’s consultation site at www.bcs2023review.com.
Further information can be found on the Commission’s website: 2023 Review of UK Parliament Constituencies | The Boundary Commission for Scotland (independent.gov.uk)
