Boundary Commission review: Which seats are changing in the Black Country and Staffordshire?
The future shape of the region's electoral map has been revealed after the Boundary Commission published its final recommendations following a review.
The proposals, which are aimed at evening up the number of voters in each constituency, will see major changes to some seats across the Black Country and Staffordshire.
There will be a net loss of two seats in the region. Other constituencies will be renamed, while dozens of council wards will switch to new parliamentary seats.
Ministers now have four months to sign off on the recommendations. They are set to come in ahead of the next general election, which is likely to take place in late 2024.
Some of the most controversial changes involve the constituencies of Dudley South, South Staffordshire and Stone.
Dudley South – the current seat of Conservative MP Mike Wood – will go completely, its wards split between Stourbridge and the newly named seats of Dudley (formerly Dudley North), and Kingswinford and South Staffordshire.
Mr Wood argued against the changes and now says he plans to apply for candidacy for Kingswinford and South Staffordshire, which includes just over half of his current constituency and part of South Staffordshire, the current seat of Sir Gavin Williamson.
He told the Star: "I am obviously disappointed that the Boundary Commission chose not to listen to all of those local people who argued against splitting up the Dudley South constituency and merging the largest party with half of South Staffordshire.
"Until the next election is called I will continue to work as hard as I can for all of my constituents, wherever in Dudley South they live."
Meanwhile Sir Gavin – who formally objected to the carving up of South Staffordshire – is expected to be a frontrunner for the new seat of Stone, Great Wyrley and Penkridge, which contains most of the existing Stone seat and part of his current seat.
Current Stone MP Sir Bill Cash has announced he is standing down at the next election.
Halesowen and Rowley Regis will be reformed as Halesowen, taking in Quarry Bank and Dudley Wood from Stourbridge, but losing most of Blackheath.
The proposals will see Walsall lose a parliamentary seat, with Walsall South and Walsall North – where Eddie Hughes MP is standing down – both due to be carved up. Replacing them will be a new Walsall and Bloxwich seat, which take in parts of both current constituencies and will sit alongside Aldridge-Brownhills.
Wolverhampton South East, the seat of Labour MP Pat McFadden, will take in three Walsall council wards and lose Blakenhall to Wolverhampton West, the new name for Wolverhampton South West.
Wolverhampton North East will take in Short Heath and Willenhall North from Walsall.
In Sandwell, Smethwick returns to the political map for the first time since 1974, and is comprised of the majority of the current Warley seat plus the bulk of the Blackheath ward.
