Scotland's electoral map set to be redrawn

Four-fifths of Scottish constituencies will be affected by a review of parliamentary boundaries, according to a new analysis.

By The Newsroom Tuesday, 30th August 2016, 9:16 am Updated Tuesday, 30th August 2016, 10:19 am

Secretary of State for Scotland David Mundell. Picture: Isabel Infantes/PA Wire

Scottish Secretary David Mundell, the only Tory MP in Scotland, could lose his seat to the SNP, as could Ian Murray, the last Labour MP north of the Border.

Across the UK, up to 30 Labour seats may disappear as the number of MPs is cut from 650 to 600, according to the analysis by Tory peer Lord Hayward. Labour accused the government of “gerrymandering” to gain an electoral advantage by pushing ahead with the review, and the SNP said it was trying to “slash the number of Scottish MPs”.

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Details of which constituencies will be redrawn are expected to be published by the Boundary Commission next month, with the review by 2018 ahead of the next scheduled general election in 2020.

Reviews are held periodically to keep the size of the electorate in each constituency roughly the same, although Labour claim the figures being used to do not take into account new voters registered during 2015.

The current review will require constituencies be within five per cent of having 74,769 registered voters. Only 11 of 59 Scottish constituencies are in that range. Scotland will lose six constituencies as part of the process.