The 2018 periodic review of Westminster constituencies was an ultimately unfruitful cycle of the process by which constituencies of the House of Commons of the United Kingdom are reviewed and redistributed. The four UK boundary commissions carried out their reviews between 2016 and 2018, but their recommendations were not taken up by the government and were formally laid aside in 2020.
The boundary commissions were to take into account revised rules for the number and size (electoral quota) of constituencies. The proposed changes included having a total of 600 seats rather than 650, as agreed by Parliament in 2011 to meet a reformist aim of the 2010–2015 coalition agreement.
The 2013 periodic review of Westminster constituencies began in 2011 and was intended to be completed by 2013, but a January 2013 vote in the House of Commons stopped the process. The commissions re-commenced their drawing of new boundaries from scratch in 2016, and completed their work in September 2018. Although the proposals were immediately laid before Parliament they were not brought forward by the government for approval. Accordingly, they did not come into effect for the 2019 election, which was contested on 12 December 2019 using the constituency boundaries in place since 2010, as constituted by the fifth periodic review.
The 2018 Review was formally abandoned with the passing of the Parliamentary Constituencies Act 2020, which received Royal Assent on 14 December 2020. The following reviews began in 2021 and concluded in 2023.
Conclusion The four boundary commissions submitted their final recommendations to the secretary of state on 5 September 2018, and made their reports public a week later. Leader of the House of Commons Andrea Leadsom told the House on 13 September 2018 that "it will be some time" before the necessary statutory instruments can be put forward for approval by both the Commons and the Lords.Business of the House – Hansard Hansard.Parliament.uk The proposals were not put forward for approval prior to the calling of the general election held on 12 December 2019, which was contested using the constituency boundaries in place since 2010, as constituted by the fifth periodic review.
Following the 2019 election victory by the Conservative Party, the Government indicated that the Sixth Review would not be implemented. This required primary legislation, as the Government is legally required to give effect to the recommendations from the boundary commissions as set out in their 2018 reports. In addition, it is proposed that the next review, currently due to be completed by 2023, is to be based on a total of 650 seats rather than 600, thereby retaining the current number of MPs.
In May 2020, the government published the Parliamentary Constituencies Bill which, when passed as an Act of Parliament, would formally conclude the provisions of the legislation which created the sixth periodic review by:
[...remov[ing] the duty on the Government to implement the 2018 boundary review recommendations, and the requirement, under section 14 of the PVSC Act 2011 (as amended by the Electoral Registration and Administration Act 2013), to make arrangements, by 30 November 2020, to review the effects of the reduction in the number of constituencies to 600.The Parliamentary Constituencies Act received Royal Assent on 14 December 2020. Under Clause 10, the duty to implement the "current" recommendations of the boundary commissions ceased to have effect on 24 March 2020.
Background The 2013 review process was launched on 4 March 2011 by the Boundary Commission for England, Boundary Commission for Scotland, Boundary Commission for Northern IrelandCurrent Review Boundary Commission for Northern Ireland and Boundary Commission for Wales.2013 Review (English language) Boundary Commission for Wales The changes were to be implemented by virtue of the Parliamentary Voting System and Constituencies Act 2011, which amended the Parliamentary Constituencies Act 1986. Part II of the Act (henceforth referred to as 'PVSaCA') deals with the amendments to the manner in which House of Commons constituencies are formed by the individual boundary commissions. Each commission was obliged to make a final report to the Secretary of State before 1 October 2013 (by virtue of Section 10, Clause 3, which amends Subsection 2 of Section 3 of the 1986 Act).
Following a debate in the House of Lords on 14 January 2013, the Opposition tabled and voted for an amendment to legislation to postpone the date by which the Review ends, which they passed and sent back to the Commons, on a relatively small 69-vote majority.Peers expected to block plan for fewer MPs The Daily Telegraph A Commons vote on 29 January 2013 in agreement meant the review instead began after May 2015 for completion in 2018.Conservatives lose boundary review vote BBC News The Review had been required for completion by October 2013 under the principles of Section 3 of the Parliamentary Constituencies Act 1986 (themselves loosening previous requirements by instead calling for periodic reviews every eight to twelve years) as left intact by Part 2 of the Parliamentary Voting System and Constituencies Act 2011. The Electoral Registration and Administration Act 2013 superseded these principles to make an exception for this Review, delaying it until 2018.
Following the 2015 election, the majority Conservative government considered the boundary review as a priority.Further observations on the British election Washington ExaminerNew Commons boundaries top Conservative government agenda The Daily Telegraph In July 2015, then Prime Minister David Cameron reiterated his plan to go ahead with reducing the number of Members of Parliament and "cut the cost of politics",Prime Minister's Questions 1 July 2015 They Work For You (Hansard Search) saying the proposals were "the right approach". In 2016 each of the four parliamentary boundary commissions of the United Kingdom re-commenced the review process.
The Conservatives won the most seats at the general election in June 2017. The party's manifesto included a pledge to carry on with the review process and reduce the number of MPs to 600. In February 2018, Prime Minister Theresa May was urged by the Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Select Committee to deal with the boundary review process as a matter of priority.
Protected constituencies PVSaCA 'protected' three island constituencies from sharing a seat with another seat outside of the island seats, and they must be rounded up to a whole number of seats based on their population and the electorate quota. They are:
Orkney and Shetland – one seat (the Western Isles of Scotland) – one seat The Isle of Wight – two seats
Timetable In July 2016 the Boundary Commission for England published its guide to the 2018 review. In it, the date for publishing provisional recommendations was set at the week beginning 12 September 2016. The Welsh Commission aimed to publish their Initial Proposals on 13 September 2016.
Distribution of seats The total of 600 constituencies required by the Act were allocated between the four countries of the UK as shown in the table below. The English boundary commission then announced that the number of constituencies allocated to England would be sub-divided by region, with the aim of producing "initial proposals in which each constituency is wholly contained within a single region". The seats allocated to each region are also shown below.
United Kingdom Nation2010/15/17/19 seats2013 review2018 reviewElectorateAllocationChangeAverage sizeElectorateAllocationChangeAverage sizeEngland *53238,332,557 500 −3276,66537,294,494 499 −3374,738(Isle of Wight)1110,9242+155,462105,4482+152,724Northern Ireland181,190,63516 −274,4151,243,36917 −173,139Scotland *573,873,38750−777,4683,842,73651−675,348(Orkney and Shetland)133,7551—33,75533,2291—33,229()121,8371—21,83720,8871—20,887Wales402,281,59630−1076,0532,181,84129−1175,236Total65045,844,691600−5076,40844,562,440600−5074,270
* Excluding the protected island areas
Regions of England Region2010/15/17/19 seats2013 review2018 reviewElectorateAllocationChangeAverage sizeElectorateAllocationChangeAverage sizeEastern58 4,280,707 56 −2 76,4414,242,266 57 −1 74,426East Midlands46 3,361,08944−2 76,3883,275,04644−2 74,433London73 5,266,904 68−5 77,4545,118,884 68−5 75,278North East29 1,971,24926−3 75,8171,874,39625−4 74,976North West75 5,253,01968−7 77,2505,074,30268−7 74,622South East *83 6,192,50481−2 76,4506,067,47581−2 74,907South West55 4,042,475 53 −2 76,2733,930,770 53 −2 74,165West Midlands 59 4,115,668 54−5 76,2163,989,320 53−6 75,270Yorkshire and the Humber 54 3,848,942 50 −4 76,9793,722,035 50 −4 74,441Total532*38,332,557 500 −3276,66537,294,494499–3374,738
* Excluding the protected Isle of Wight
Practical considerations The four commissions published descriptions of how they would carry out their work, and held meetings with representatives of political parties to explain their approach in the light of the more restrictive rules to which they have to work.
For example, the Boundary Commission for England stated in its 2011 newsletter: "The Commission wishes to make very clear that those with an interest in the review process should understand that the defined number of constituencies and the 5% electoral parity target are statutory requirements that it must apply and that it has absolutely no discretion in respect of either matter."
In February 2016 the BCE released conclusions from a meeting with representatives from political parties, confirming that the 2013 review would not be used as the basis for the 2018 review and they would consider splitting electoral wards where necessary. In July 2016 the English commission explained their policy towards splitting electoral wards as follows:
The BCE recognises that in a few cases there may be exceptional and compelling circumstances ... that may make it appropriate to divide a ward. Strong evidence and justification will need to be provided in any constituency scheme that proposes to split a ward, and the number of such ward splits should be kept to an absolute minimum. Examples of circumstances in which the BCE might propose splitting a ward could include: a) where all the possible "whole ward" options in an area would significantly cut across local ties; or b) where splitting a single ward may prevent a significant "domino effect" of otherwise unnecessary change to a chain of constituencies.
Composition of constituencies
At a meeting held in February 2016, the Boundary Commission for Wales confirmed it would recommend 29 constituencies in September of that year.Minutes of the meeting held at Hastings House, Cardiff, at 2:00pm on Monday 29 February 2016. Boundary Commission for Wales In the same meeting the Commission said it would "avoid splitting electoral wards and communities where it was possible to do so".
The Scottish Commission expected few, if any, existing constituencies to remain unchanged and new seats "probably not" all to be constructed from complete electoral wards.Questions and Answers , Boundary Commission for Scotland The Northern Ireland Commission expected "few, if any" constituencies to remain the same.FAQs Boundary Commission for Northern Ireland
Provisional recommendations England The Boundary Commission for England confirmed its provisional recommendations on 13 September 2016.
Scotland The Scottish proposals were published in October 2016. The changes include reducing the number of seats in Glasgow by one.
Wales The Welsh Commission published its recommendations on 13 September 2016, reducing the number of constituencies by over a quarter. Most seats are given English names while six are recommended to be given Welsh names, namely:
Northern Ireland