This week’s byelections are a sharp reminder that a new political map of Britain is now up for grabs
Victory celebrations will be short-lived for the three winners of Thursday’s dramatic Commons byelections. With a general election due next year, new legislators do not have long to make their marks. For them, the fight to be re-elected starts immediately. For two of the three MPs, this will pose a big problem. Their newly won seats will disappear at the general election.
Britain’s parliamentary constituency boundaries have been unchanged for the last four general elections. Since 2010, two attempts at reviewing them anew have run into the sand. A third effort, begun in 2020, has now succeeded. Last month, the four boundary commissions for England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland submitted final decisions on the new boundaries. The new electoral maps will shortly be confirmed by the privy council.
