Clegg unveils voting and constituency system reforms

Sweeping reforms to Parliamentary constituencies will be introduced alongside moves to change the voting system, Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg announced yesterday.

The Government's proposed boundary review, equalising the size of all but two constituencies, would be in place in time for its planned 2015 General Election, he said.

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Mr Clegg also confirmed that a referendum on replacing first-past-the-post Westminster elections with the Alternative Vote (AV) would be held on May 5 next year.

He said that legislation on the boundary review would pave the way for the process to be completed by 2013, in time for the selection of candidates ahead of a poll on May 7, 2015.

"That means that, in the event of a vote in favour of AV, the 2015 general election will be held on the new system and according to new boundaries," Mr Clegg told MPs.

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The boundary review would result in the number of MPs being cut from 650 to 600. Mr Clegg said that would save 12m a year in pay, pensions and allowances.

The Boundary Commission will be required to bring all but two constituencies within five per cent of a target number of registered electors.

The two exceptions were the Western Isles and Orkney and Shetland because they are "uniquely placed, given their locations".

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Mr Clegg also overhauled the Government's plans to enshrine fixed-term parliaments in law, renouncing a previous plan requiring 55 per cent of MPs to vote for a dissolution.

Instead, Parliament would be dissolved and an election held if no Government could be formed within 14 days of a simple majority vote of no confidence.

In a statement to the Commons, Mr Clegg said: ""Under the current set-up, votes count more in some parts of the country than others, and millions feel that their votes don't count at all.

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"Elections are won and lost in a small minority of seats. We have a fractured democracy, where some people's votes count and other people's votes don't count, where some people are listened to, and others ignored."