David Cameron was clear. He wanted to reduce the number of parliamentary seats from 650 seats to 600.
Estimates varied, but Labour was set to be the big loser (quelle surprise) – holding more seats with smaller populations in urban areas – and some estimates suggested the party would forfeit up to 30 MPs.
However, hope springs eternal and now the Boundary Commission for England has announced that it is starting afresh, keeping the number of seats at 650.
In fact, ten new seats are to be created in England – mainly in the south east – coming at the expense of the north and midlands and Wales.
The commission will publish draft proposals for new seats in the summer with rounds of consultation next year before final proposals are submitted to Parliament in July 2023.
Tim Bowden, Secretary to the Boundary Commission, confirmed there is ‘likely to be a large degree of change across the country.’
Logically, this will delay the selection of parliamentary candidates, leaving as little as 18 months before the next general election to put candidates in place.
However, an election in winter 2024 is unlikely, so if we assume a spring or autumn date, candidates will have only been in place for between nine and 14 months.
This plays to the advantage of incumbent MPs – especially those Red Wall Tories – who can expect to have a built a profile in at least part of any new seats.
Yet, it could have been a far worse outcome for Labour and makes the mammoth task of winning the next election just that little bit smaller.