Every eight years, the independent Boundary Commission assesses the parliamentary seats and changes them so that they are roughly the same size. It’s a necessary part of our democratic system and the latest changes will come into force next year, probably just in time for the general election. The commissioners try to create constituencies with a sensible geographic identity and, unlike the US, they are not influenced by party politics. In America, it is the prevailing party that fixes the boundaries and their partiality gave the world the word ‘gerrymandering’. Interestingly, whenever the US proposes a constitution for other countries, it always arranges for the same kind of independent boundary commission that we have in the UK.
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Save our family farms
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