Lib-Dem seats at risk due to boundary review shake-up

Under threat: Lib-Dem seats could be at risk due to a boundary shake-up
12 April 2012

Almost a quarter of Liberal Democrat-held seats could disappear at the next election, according to independent analysis of a major boundary review.

The academic study points to the potential for a bruising showdown between the governing coalition parties over the shake-up of the electoral map.
Reducing the number of MPs by 50 and redrawing boundaries was secured by the Conservatives as part of the deal to allow the Liberal Democrats a referendum on voting reform.

It was portrayed by Labour as an attempt to "gerrymander" constituency divisions to reduce the Opposition's prospects and create more "safe" Tory seats.

The formal process of dividing up the UK is not due to be completed by the four Boundary Commissions representing England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland until September.

But political research organisation Democratic Audit, based at the University of Liverpool, has produced a map based on the criteria set down for the official review.

And it suggests all parties could be hit - raising the prospect that Prime Minister David Cameron could face a backbench Conservative revolt as well as Lib Dem rebels.

The map shows fairly even numbers of seats being lost across the parties - 16 Conservative, 17 Labour and 14 Liberal Democrats.

But for the junior coalition partner that would represent 24.6% of all the seats it won at last year's general election - to 5.2% for the Tories and 6.6% Labour.

Among potential losers were reported to be Lib Dem Ministers Norman Baker, Sarah Teather and Andrew Stunell and Conservative colleagues Grant Shapps and Hugh Robertson.

Potential contests between neighbouring MPs for one combined seat were reported to include Treasury Chief Secretary Danny Alexander versus his former party leader Charles Kennedy.

Another could pit Chancellor George Osborne against the chairman of the backbench Tory 1922 committee Graham Brady.

A Liberal Democrat source played down the research and said the only picture that counted was the official map being drawn up by the Commissions.

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