Clegg bid to change votes and seats

Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg has unveiled proposals to reform the voting system and revise boundaries
12 April 2012

Sweeping reforms to parliamentary constituencies will be introduced alongside moves to change the voting system, Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg has announced.

The Government's proposed boundary review, equalising the size of all but two constituencies, would be in place in time for its planned 2015 general election, he said.

Mr Clegg also confirmed that a referendum on replacing first-past-the-post Westminster elections with the Alternative Vote (AV) will be held on May 5 next year.

He said that legislation on the boundary review would pave the way for the process to be completed by 2013, in time for the selection of candidates ahead of a poll on May 7 2015. "That means that, in the event of a vote in favour of AV, the 2015 general election will be held on the new system and according to new boundaries," Mr Clegg told MPs.

The boundary review would result in the number of MPs being cut from 650 to 600. Mr Clegg said that would save £12 million a year in pay, pensions and allowances. The Boundary Commission will be required to bring all but two constituencies within 5% of a target number of registered electors. The two exceptions were the Western Isles and Orkney and Shetland because they are "uniquely placed, given their locations".

Mr Clegg also overhauled the Government's plans to enshrine fixed-term parliaments in law, renouncing a previous plan requiring 55% of MPs to vote for a dissolution.

Under a Bill to be introduced within the next few weeks, Parliament would be dissolved and an election held if no Government could be formed within 14 days of a simple majority vote of no confidence. There would also be the power for MPs to call an "early and immediate" dissolution, but a majority of two-thirds would be needed in those circumstances.

In a statement to the Commons, Mr Clegg said: "Together these proposals help correct the deep unfairness in the way we hold elections in this country.

"Under the current set-up, votes count more in some parts of the country than others, and millions feel that their votes don't count at all. Elections are won and lost in a small minority of seats. We have a fractured democracy, where some people's votes count and other people's votes don't count, where some people are listened to, and others ignored."

Shadow justice secretary Jack Straw said Labour backed a referendum on AV, which it promised in its own manifesto. But he said the party would oppose the legislation because of the "outrageously partisan" boundary changes designed to "gerrymander" constituencies. Six of the 10 largest constituencies and only three of the 10 smallest were Labour-held, he pointed out.

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