COTSWOLD MP Geoffrey Clifton-Brown agrees with the Boundary Commission for England that "the current system is unfair" as Cotswolds constituency boundaries are shaken up.

Following a report released this month by the commission on proposed constituency boundary changes, the Cotswolds could gain 5,245 voters in Nailsworth from the Stroud constituency and lose 5,245 voters in Wotton-under-Edge and 1,662 voters in Kingswood to a new constituency called Dursley, Thornbury and Yate.

The changes would mean that the Cotswolds constituency would lose 1516 voters, from 76,210 in 2015 to 74,694 in the 2020 General Elections. 

Changes are being made to parliamentary constituency boundaries across the UK to ensure that electorates are more equal in size.

The Commission is working to guidelines to reduce the number of constituencies in the South West from 55 to 53. 

Every constituency must contain between 71,031 and 78,507 electors (within five per cent of the electoral quota) and no larger than 13,000 square kilometres. 

Under the draft plans, the number of MPs in the UK would reduce form 650 to 600.

The Boundary Commission's report for the initial proposals wrote: "Having included the wards of Boyd Valley, and Frampton Cotterell in other constituencies, the existing Thornbury and Yate constituency needs to gain electors from Stroud district.

"To bring this constituency within 5 percent of the electoral quota, we propose to include five Stroud district wards, including the towns of Cam and Dursley, from the existing Stroud constituency, and two wards (Kingswood and Wotton-under-Edge) from the existing The Cotswolds constituency.

"We propose to include the Stroud district ward of Nailsworth in The Cotswolds constituency to ensure that it is within per cent of the electoral quota."

Geoffrey Clifton Brown said: "Currently the system is very unfair. The Isle of Wight has 108,000 voters whilst Wirral West has 55,000.

"The aim must be to equalise these numbers. In certain areas – such as Gloucester and South Gloucestershire, the new constituencies will cross administrative county boundaries with the movement of Wotton-under-Edge and Kingswood.

"This will have a great effect on people on the ground and I cautiously await the results.

"For my part, I will continue to represent those constituents that are currently in The Cotswolds until the next general election."

The Cotswolds, a Conservative stronghold, has been represented in the House of Commons by Mr Clifton-Brown for 24 years since 1992.

In the 2015 General Election, Mr Clifton-Brown won with 32,045 votes, ahead of Liberal Democrat candidate Paul Hodgkinson with 10,568 votes.

Kingswood is currently represented by a Conservative councillor and Wotton-under-Edge is represented by two Liberal Democrats and one Green Party councillor in Stroud District Council. 

The Cotswolds will be losing both these wards.

Nailsworth, which the Cotswolds will be gaining, is a Labour voter stronghold, with two Labour and one Green Party councillor representing the ward in Stroud District Council.

Members of the public are invited to respond to the boundary proposals by by December 5 2016 on the Boundary Commission's website (www.bce2018.org.uk).