MP Harriett Baldwin has today commented on the Boundary Commissioner’s revised proposals which re-draw possible constituency boundaries for the General Election in 2015. The Boundary Commission has been asked by Parliament to reduce the number of MPs from 650 to 600 and to ensure that all constituencies are approximately equal in size. The initial proposals were published for public consultation and created a Malvern and Ledbury constituency, but placed Malvern Wells in an Evesham constituency. The parish council, the District Councillors, the MP and many others wrote to the Commission and this week a new set of proposals were revealed which seem to make more geographic sense for Malvern. After a further period of consultation, these will be put to a vote in the Houses of Parliament next year. Harriett, who remains MP for West Worcestershire until the next General Election in 2015, commented on the new proposals. She said: “At a time when the public finances are under pressure, it is right that MPs should be asked to raise their productivity and that their numbers should be cut.” “It is also right that everyone’s vote should carry an equal weight, which is why we need constituencies that are about the same size. “The current Labour MP in Stoke-on-Trent was elected with 12,605 votes, whereas I received over 27,000 in West Worcestershire. My constituents’ votes should count every bit as much as Stoke-on-Trent’s voters.” “I am pleased that the new Malvern and Ledbury seat will include Malvern Wells, which had been excluded in the last proposals.” “I am grateful that local people took the trouble to participate in the review and I think that this set of proposals makes more sense. There is a now a further consultation which ends on 10th December 2012.”