2023 Review of Parliamentary constituencies
Constituencies are changing - have your say now via bcereviews.org.uk, or at a public hearing in your region.
- The Boundary Commission for England (BCE) is required by Parliament to undertake an independent and impartial review of all constituencies in England, to rebalance the number of electors in each constituency; this is because some MPs represent more electors than others.
- The 2023 Boundary Review also requires that the number of constituencies in England increases from 533 to 543.
- The Boundary Commission for England (BCE) is an independent and impartial non-departmental public body, which is responsible for reviewing Parliamentary constituency boundaries in England.
- Local knowledge is needed to help reshape the map of constituencies.
How do I get involved?
- The Commission is holding a secondary consultation on its initial proposals for new constituencies, which takes place from 22 February to 4 April 2022. During the consultation, public hearings will be held across the country to allow members of the public to provide their views in person.
- The Boundary Commission for England welcomes your views on the proposed new boundaries and constituency names and will consider all feedback.
- To have your say, submit your views in writing via the consultation website bcereviews.org.uk by email, or letter; or speak at a public hearing in your region. Find your nearest hearing and book a slot to speak at bit.ly/ bcepublichearings. On the consultation website, you can also view and take into account the responses sent in during the first consultation.
What happens next?
- This is the second round of consultation; another round of consultations will be held later in 2022. Following the conclusion of all three consultation periods, the Commission will look at all the evidence received and form its final recommendations. These will be submitted to Parliament by 1 July 2023.
Further information and resources:
FAQ
Will the changes affect my local council services, bin collections or schools, for example?
No. The boundary changes only relate to Parliamentary constituencies (the area an MP is elected to represent in Parliament). Services and council tax in your local area are set by your local authority and this review does not change local authority boundaries.
When will the new constituencies take effect?
BCE’s final recommendations will be submitted to Parliament by 1 July 2023. After the final report from all four Parliamentary Boundary Commissions has been laid by the Speaker, the Government is required to submit to the Privy Council an Order that gives effect to all four Commissions’ recommendations. After the Privy Council approves the Order, the new constituencies take effect at the next General Election. Any by-elections held in the meantime have to be held on the basis of the old (existing) constituencies.
Will the name of my constituency change following the review?
Possibly. As well as looking at where the boundaries of constituencies should be, the BCE will recommend a specific name for each constituency. Generally, the more a constituency has changed, the more likely it is that the BCE will recommend a change of name. The Commission welcomes views on the naming of proposed constituencies during the consultation.
Have your proposals changed since the first consultation?
No. After the secondary consultation has concluded, we will analyse the responses sent in and decide on any changes to our proposals.
Will this review favour one political party over another?
The Boundary Commission for England is independent and impartial. They will not take into account patterns of voting or the results of elections when reviewing constituency boundaries. The political parties’ views on where boundaries should be do not carry any more weight than those of members of the public.
What happens at a public hearing?
Read BCE’s Guide to public hearings to find out everything you need to know about the hearings. It’s available on BCE’s public hearings page: bit.ly/bcepublichearings.
Where and when is my nearest public hearing?
Please see below for the locations for the South East region hearings. The closest public hearing in this Region will be held in Ashford at Ashford Borough Council, Civic Centre, Tannery Lane, Ashford TN23 1PL. Further information can be found on BCE’s public hearings page: bit.ly/bcepublichearings
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Region
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Location
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Day 1
(10am to 8pm)
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Day 2
(9am to 5pm)
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South East
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Crawley*
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14 March 2022
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15 March 2022
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Portsmouth
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17 March 2022
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18 March 2022
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Reading
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21 March 2022
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22 March 2022
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Ashford
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24 March 2022
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25 March 2022
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Each location marked with * is the lead public hearing for that region.
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Visit www.bcereviews.org.uk to view and comment on the proposed new map of constituencies.