Fourth Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies explained

The Fourth Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies was undertaken in the United Kingdom between 1991 and 1995 by the four Boundary Commissions.[1] As well as changes to constituency boundaries, the Reviews recommended an increase of five seats in England (524 to 529), two in Wales (38 to 40) and one in Northern Ireland (17 to 18), with Scotland continuing to have 72 seats. The number of MPs in the House of Commons therefore increased from 651 to 659.[2] 144 new constituencies were created, offset by 136 which were abolished. The new boundaries were first used for the 1997 general election.

Review process

Under the terms of the Parliamentary Constituencies Act 1986, as enacted, the Boundary Commissions were required to present their final recommendations between 10 and 15 years after the submission of their previous reports.[3] As the final reports for the Third Periodic Review had been submitted between October 1982 and February 1983, the final reports for the Fourth Review were due to be submitted no later than February 1998. Accordingly, the English Commission had commenced their review in February 1991 and the Scottish Commission had commenced theirs in February 1992. In the meantime, reflecting concerns that the period between reviews was too long, the Government proposed that the gap between reviews should be reduced to between 8 and 12 years and that the deadline for the Fourth Review should be brought forward to 31 December 1994. This was legislated through the Boundary Commissions Act 1992.[4]

The final reports were submitted as follows:

Changes

As a result of changes to the names of seats, it is not always easy to clearly identify newly created constituencies or those abolished during the review process. One way of considering this is to link each proposed seat with an existing seat which contributes the most voters to that new seat. Any proposed seat which cannot be linked to an existing seat is then considered to be a "new" constituency. Conversely, any existing seat which is not linked to a proposed seat is considered to have been abolished.

The tables below list the names of existing seats which were not replicated in the final proposals for the fourth review ("old seats"), and links them with proposed seats which did not exist prior to the review ("new seats"). Those seats which are not linked can be regarded as being genuinely abolished or newly created. There are a number of instances where existing seats are effectively abolished and re-created under the same name, as set out in the notes.

England

The number of seats in England increased by five. 19 non-metropolitan counties gained one seat each, with Hampshire gaining two. This was offset by a reduction of ten seats in Greater London, two each in Greater Manchester and West Midlands, and one each in Lancashire and Merseyside.

In Greater London, the Commission, for the first time, decided to pair some London Boroughs together to reduce the variation in the size of electorates. These are detailed in the table below.

CountyNo. of seatsOld seatNew seatNotes
BeforeAfter
Avon1010
Bedfordshire56Bedfordshire NorthBedford
Bedfordshire North EastComprised the largest part of the existing Bedfordshire Mid seat, which was reconfigured and effectively formed a new constituency.
Berkshire78Berkshire EastBracknell
Windsor and MaidenheadMaidenhead
Windsor
Buckinghamshire77
Cambridgeshire67Cambridgeshire North East
Cambridgeshire South WestCambridgeshire South
Cheshire1011Weaver Vale
Cleveland66LangbaurghMiddlesbrough South and Cleveland East
Cornwall55TruroTruro and St AustellName change only.
Cumbria66
Derbyshire1010
Devon1111HonitonDevon East
Plymouth DrakePlymouth, Drake was absorbed into Plymouth Sutton, with the bulk of that seat now forming the majority of the new seat of Devon South West.
Devon South West
South HamsTotnes
TivertonTiverton and Honiton
Dorset78Dorset Mid and Poole North
Durham77
East Sussex88
Essex1617Essex NorthMajor reconfiguration.
Colchester NorthColchester
Colchester South and MaldonMaldon and Chelmsford East
ChelmsfordChelmsford West
RochfordRayleigh
Southend EastRochford and Southend East
Gloucestershire56Cirencester and TewksburyCotswold
Tewkesbury
Gloucestershire WestForest of Dean
Greater London8474Hendon NorthHendonLondon borough of Barnet
Hendon South
FinchleyFinchley and Golders Green
GreenwichGreenwich and WoolwichLondon boroughs of Bexley and Greenwich
Woolwich
Erith and CrayfordErith and Thamesmead
BexleyheathBexleyheath and Crayford
ChislehurstBromley and ChislehurstLondon borough of Bromley
Ravensbourne
Croydon North EastLondon borough of Croydon
Croydon North WestCroydon North
Ealing ActonEaling, Acton and Shepherd's BushLondon boroughs of Ealing and Hammersmith and Fulham
Hammersmith
FulhamHammersmith and Fulham
City of London and Westminster SouthCities of London and WestminsterRoyal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea and Cities of London and Westminster
Westminster NorthRegent's Park and Kensington North
Kensington
ChelseaKensington and Chelsea
Richmond and BarnesRichmond ParkRoyal Borough of Kingston upon Thames and borough of Richmond upon Thames
Kingston upon Thames
SurbitonKingston and Surbiton
Southwark and BermondseyNorth Southwark and BermondseyLondon boroughs of Lambeth and Southwark
PeckhamCamberwell and Peckham
DulwichDulwich and West Norwood
Norwood
Bethnal Green and StepneyBethnal Green and BowLondon boroughs of Newham and Tower Hamlets
Bow and PoplarPoplar and Canning Town
Newham South
Newham North EastEast Ham
Newham North WestWest Ham
ChingfordChingford and Woodford GreenLondon boroughs of Redbridge and Waltham Forest
Wanstead and Woodford
LeytonLeyton and Wanstead
Greater Manchester3028Stretford
DavyhulmeStretford and Urmston
Altrincham and SaleAltrincham and Sale West
Manchester, WythenshaweWythenshawe and Sale East
Littleborough and SaddleworthOldham East and Saddleworth
Oldham Central and RoytonOldham West and Royton
Oldham West
Salford EastSalford
Hampshire1517Hampshire North EastComprised the majority of the existing Hampshire East seat, which was reconfigured and effectively formed a new constituency.
New ForestNew Forest West
New Forest East
Romsey and WatersideRomsey
Hereford and Worcester78RedditchComprised the majority of the existing Worcestershire Mid seat, which was reconfigured and effectively formed a new constituency.
Worcestershire SouthWorcestershire West
Hertfordshire1011Hertfordshire NorthHertfordshire North East
Hitchin and Harpenden
Hertfordshire WestHemel Hempstead
Humberside910Kingston upon Hull WestKingston upon Hull West and Hessle
BridlingtonYorkshire EastMajor reconfiguration
Beverley and Holderness
BeverleyHaltemprice and Howdon
BoothferryBrigg and Goole
Glanford and ScunthorpeScunthorpe
Brigg and CleethorpesCleethorpes
Isle of Wight11
Kent1617FavershamSittingbourne and Sheppey
Faversham and Kent Mid
Kent MidChatham and Aylesford
MaidstoneMaidstone and The Weald
Lancashire1615LancasterLancaster and Wyre
Wyre
Blackpool NorthBlackpool North and Fleetwood
Leicestershire910Charnwood
Lincolnshire67Gainsborough and HorncastleGainsborough
Lindsey EastLouth and Horncastle
Holland with BostonBoston and Skegness
Stamford and SpaldingSouth Holland and The Deepings
Grantham and Stamford
GranthamSleaford and North Hykeham
Merseyside1716Knowsley NorthKnowsley North and Sefton East
Liverpool BroadgreenLiverpool Wavertree
Liverpool Mossley Hill
Norfolk88
North Yorkshire67HarrogateHarrogate and Knaresborough
Vale of York
YorkCity of YorkName change only
ScarboroughScarborough and WhitbyName change only
Northamptonshire66
Northumberland44
Nottinghamshire1111
Oxfordshire66
Shropshire45TelfordComprised the majority of the existing The Wrekin seat, which was reconfigured and effectively formed a new constituency.
Somerset55
South Yorkshire1515Barnsley EastBarnsley East and Mexborough
Staffordshire1112StoneMajor reconfiguration
Staffordshire MidLichfield
Cannock and BurntwoodCannock Chase
Staffordshire South EastTamworth
Suffolk67Suffolk CentralSuffolk Central and Ipswich North
Suffolk WestComprised the majority of the existing Bury St Edmunds seat, which was reconfigured and effectively formed a new constituency.
Surrey1111Surrey North WestSurrey Heath
Chertsey and WaltonRunnymede and Weybridge
EsherEsher and Walton
Tyne and Wear1313WallsendTyneside North
Newcastle upon Tyne EastNewcastle upon Tyne East and Wallsend
Gateshead EastGateshead East and Washington West
Houghton and WashingtonHoughton and Washington East
Warwickshire55
West Midlands3129Dudley EastDudley North
Dudley WestDudley South
Halesowen and StourbridgeStourbridgeElectorate of Halesowen and Stourbridge distributed more-or-less equally between two new constituencies.
Halesowen and Rowley Regis
Warley West
Warley EastWarley
Birmingham, Small Heath
Birmingham, SparkbrookBirmingham, Sparkbrook and Small Heath
Coventry South EastCoventry South
Coventry South West
West Sussex78ArundelBognor Regis and Littlehampton
Arundel and South Downs
ShorehamWorthing East and Shoreham
WorthingWorthing West
West Yorkshire2323Morley and Leeds SouthMorley and Rothwell
Wiltshire56Swindon North
SwindonSwindon South

Wales

The number of seats in Wales was increased from 38 to 40 through the creation of an additional seat in the counties of Clwyd and Dyfed.

CountyNo of seatsOld seatNew seat
BeforeAfter
Clwyd56Clwyd North WestClwyd West
Vale of Clwyd
Clwyd South WestClwyd South
Dyfed45Ceredigion and Pembroke NorthCeredigion
PembrokePreseli Pembrokeshire
Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire
CarmarthenCarmarthen East and Dinefwr
Gwent66
Gwynedd44
Mid Glamorgan77
Powys22
South Glamorgan55
West Glamorgan55

Scotland

The number of seats in Scotland remained at 72, with an additional seat in Grampian region being offset by the loss of a seat in the City of Glasgow in Strathclyde region.

RegionNo of seatsOld seatNew seat
BeforeAfter
Borders22
Central44ClackmannanOchil
Dumfries and Galloway22
Fife55
Grampian67Aberdeen Central
Kincardine and DeesideAberdeenshire West and Kincardine
Highland33Caithness and SutherlandCaithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross
Ross, Cromarty and SkyeRoss, Skye and Inverness West
Inverness, Nairn and LochaberInverness East, Nairn and Lochaber
Lothian1010Edinburgh EastEdinburgh East and Musselburgh
Edinburgh, LeithEdinburgh North and Leith
Strathclyde3332Monklands EastAirdrie and Shotts
Monklands WestCoatbridge and Chryston
Motherwell NorthHamilton North and Bellshill
Motherwell SouthMotherwell and Wishaw
HamiltonHamilton South
Greenock and Port GlasgowGreenock and Inverclyde
Renfrew West and InverclydeRenfrewshire West
Glasgow GarscaddenGlasgow Anniesland
Glasgow HillheadGlasgow Kelvin
Glasgow Central
Glasgow ProvanGlasgow Baillieston
Tayside55Angus EastAngus
Perth and KinrossPerth
Islands Areas22

Northern Ireland

The number of seats in Northern Ireland was increased from 17 to 18 through the creation of West Tyrone. This comprised the majority of the existing Mid Ulster seat, which was reconfigured and effectively formed a new constituency.

Notes and References

  1. Rossiter 1999, The Boundary Commissions: Redrawing the UK's Map of Parliamentary Constituencies
  2. Web site: Johnston . Neil . 17 November 2022 . Constituency boundary reviews and the number of MPs . 15 December 2022 . House of Commons library . 76.
  3. Web site: Parliamentary Constituencies Act 1986 (as enacted) . 15 December 2022 . Legislation.gov.uk.
  4. Web site: Boundary Commissions Act 1992 (as enacted) . 15 December 2022 . Legislation.gov.uk.
  5. Web site: 11 April 1995 . The Parliamentary Constituencies (Scotland) Order 1995 . 15 December 2022 . legislation.gov.uk.
  6. Web site: 11 April 1995 . The Parliamentary Constituencies (Wales) Order 1995 . 15 December 2022 . legislation.gov.uk.
  7. Web site: 28 June 1995 . The Parliamentary Constituencies (England) Order 1995 . 15 December 2022 . legislation.gov.uk.
  8. Web site: 23 November 1995 . The Parliamentary Constituencies (Northern Ireland) Order 1995 . 15 December 2022 . legislation.gov.uk.