Planned MP cull could see city lose Westminster seat

Published on Monday 6 September 2010 19:53

Edinburgh is set to lose one of its five seats in the House of Commons under the UK Government's plans to cut the number of MPs.

The move has prompted protests that the Capital's voice at Westminster will be reduced and calls for a rethink on how the share-out of the country's constituencies is calculated.

The Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition wants to reduce the number of MPs from 650 to 600 - a move that would save 12 million a year - meaning the average size of constituency will go up from 71,000 voters to 76,000. Scotland stands to lose about eight of its 59 Westminster seats.

The new seats will be drawn up based on the number of people registered to vote in each area rather than the adult population and Edinburgh South MP Ian Murray claimed the number of people who were not registered was almost enough to make up another constituency.

Official figures show that over 32,000 properties have no-one registered to vote there. In some cases, properties will be unoccupied or the residents will not qualify for a vote, but experts believe the "void" figures reflect large numbers of unregistered voters.

The number of addresses without registered voters is far higher in the city than the surrounding areas. In Edinburgh North & Leith, there are 9461 properties without registered voters - 16.4 per cent of all properties - and in Edinburgh East the figure is 8348 or 17.4 per cent, while in neighbouring East Lothian it is 7.7 per cent and in Midlothian 6.6 per cent.

Mr Murray said: "If everyone was on the register, Edinburgh would stay at five seats. Those who typically do not register include students, people from deprived areas and people in tenement areas.

"But just because they do not register does not mean they are not entitled to come to their MP and expect help."

The move, due to take effect in 2015, will be the second cut in the Capital's representation. Up until 2005, Edinburgh had six MPs, but one seat was lost when Scotland's quota of MPs was cut to 59 after devolution.

Critics are also unhappy with the way the seats will be mapped out. The Boundary Commission will no longer be required to take into account community ties or try to keep constituencies within the area of one local authority.

A UK government spokesman said using the number of electors on the register was the established way of calculating constituency sizes, but since the new boundaries had not been worked out it was "premature" to say Edinburgh would definitely lose a seat.