Labour tasted victory today in the Commons. MPs voted 253 to 37 in favour of Pat Glass’s private member’s bill to stop the government reducing the number of MPs from 650 to 600, as part of the boundary change review. The bill will now face a second vote, where the Tories are confident they can thwart it. Figures in the party put Labour’s success down to many Tory MPs having returned to their constituencies, as well as a successful whipping operation from Nick Brown
While Glass has said she has no personal agenda — given that she is stepping down as an MP at the next election — a u-turn on the plans would certainly help her beleaguered party. While the changes proposed by the Boundary Commission aim to ensure each constituency has a similar population, Labour are expected to lose the most seats of any party.
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