PM to go ahead on boundary changes (From South Wales Argus)

PM to go ahead on boundary changes

6:10pm Tuesday 7th August 2012 in News

DAVID Cameron today signalled his intention to press ahead with a Commons vote on redrawing the parliamentary boundaries, despite a warning his Liberal Democrat coalition partners intend to wreck the plan.

Visiting an activity centre in Gilwern, near Abergavenny, Mr Cameron made clear he intended to push forward with the changes when they come back to the Commons in the autumn, even though he faces almost certain defeat with the Lib Dems lining up with Labour.

Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg announced yesterday that he would be ordering his MPs to oppose the new boundaries after a vote by Tory backbenchers derailed his plans to reform the House of Lords.

The proposals to cut the number of parliamentary seats while realigning the boundaries to ensure they have roughly equal numbers of voters is widely seen as the key to the Conservatives chances of outright victory at the next election, giving them up to 20 additional seats.

"We want the boundary change vote to go ahead," he told reporters.

His decision will effectively force Lib Dem ministers to vote against their own Government - throwing the divisions within the coalition into sharp relief.

The changes would mean, in Gwent, the end of Islwyn and Newport East as constituencies, the joining of Caerphilly with Cardiff North and the expansion of the Monmouth seat to take in parts of the existing Newport East seat.