Express & Star

Boundary Review: Two seats to go in Black Country and Staffordshire as part of major shake-up

The Black Country and Staffordshire is set to lose two Parliamentary seats under radical proposals to redraw constituency boundaries.

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Some of the new constituencies suggested by the Boundary Commission

Under final plans submitted to the Government by The Boundary Commission for England, the region will see a dramatic change in its electoral boundaries, with 10 seats changing name and all but three constituencies seeing their make-ups revised.

The region will lose a total of two seats overall.

The move is part of long running plans to reduce the number of MPs from 650 to 600, and to make all constituencies roughly the same size.

Among the changes released today are:

  • Dudley North and Dudley South will be scrapped, with a new Dudley constituency brought in that includes Brierley Hill

  • West Bromwich West and West Bromwich East will disappear, with a new West Bromwich constituency formed

  • A new Walsall and Oscott constituency will replace Walsall South and Walsall North

  • A new Darlaston and Tipton constituency will be formed, taking in parts of Sandwell and Walsall

  • Wolverhampton will keep three constituencies – with the old North East seat to take in Willenhall

Elsewhere under the proposals, Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn's Islington North seat would be axed and Boris Johnson’s majority would be challenged by the new boundaries.

Labour’s leader is the most high profile casualty under the proposed reforms, with his Islington North seat wiped out.

How the constituencies could change

Former foreign secretary Mr Johnson faces a challenge to his 5,034 majority in Uxbridge & Ruislip South, with the seat losing Tory-leaning Yiewsley and gaining Labour-leaning Northolt.

Ex-Brexit Secretary David Davis’ Haltemprice & Howden seat is still on course for abolition.

The final recommendations from the boundary commissions are largely unchanged from a revised set out proposals set out last year.

Downing Street insisted earlier this year that Prime Minister Theresa May remained committed to delivering "more equal and updated" constituency boundaries that all contain a similar number of voters.

Ministers must secure the backing of Parliament if they want to push the plans through but the Commons Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee has previously warned the overhaul is unlikely to pass as some Tories, along with Labour, are opposed to the move.

MPs are set to vote on the changes – which are due to come in at the 2022 General Election – later this year.

Labour said the boundary review, based on rule changes introduced by the former coalition government in 2011, was a Government "power grab" and called for a fresh review that would introduce a new parliamentary map that "benefits our democracy, not just the Conservative Party".

The current 19 seats

  • Dudley North

  • Dudley South

  • Stourbridge

  • Halesowen and Rowley Regis

  • Walsall North

  • Walsall South

  • Aldridge-Brownhills

  • Wolverhampton North East

  • Wolverhampton South East

  • Wolverhampton South West

  • Warley

  • West Bromwich East

  • West Bromwich West

  • Cannock Chase

  • Stafford

  • South Staffordshire

  • Stone

  • Lichfield

  • Wyre Forest

The proposed 17 seats

  • Dudley

  • Stourbridge

  • Warley

  • Halesowen and RR

  • West Bromwich

  • Darlaston and Tipton

  • Aldridge, Brownhills and Bloxwich

  • Walsall and Oscott

  • Wolverhampton East and Willenhall

  • Wolverhampton South and Coseley

  • Wolverhampton West

  • Cannock Chase

  • Lichfield

  • South Staffordshire

  • Stafford

  • Stoke-on-Trent South and Stone

  • Wyre Forest