Gesture politics

Opponents of Gordon Brown’s former lieutenant will also note the irony after Mr Balls, first elected in Normanton in 2005, had to move swiftly to become Labour’s candidate for Morley and Outwood following the boundary review which preceded last year’s election.

However, these machinations, both locally and nationally, should not be about personalities. They should be about doing the right thing for the country and many will question whether so much time and money should be devoted to scaling back Westminster’s MPs by 50 when the economy is so stagnant.

Though David Cameron did set out this policy in advance of the election as a response the Parliamentary expenses scandal, it does still smack of gesture politics – especially as he is still expecting the Boundary Commission to operate at a record speed, and that some of the proposed changes will create even greater geographical ambiguities than exist at present.

What is actually required is a wholesale review of national and local government representation that examines the role, and expectations, of MPs and councillors. With the costs of both roles have increased many times over with the advent of a new professional class of politician, it may be right that some responsibilities is certain.

For, while MPs may be unpopular, they are rarely accused of being lazy. And, if this shake-up is taken to its logical conclusion, fewer MPs will mean more work for those who remain at Parliament, and even less time for them to devote to constituency matters. Is that what Mr Cameron wants?