Midlands MPs could be lost in boundary shake-up

Five MPs in the Black Country and Staffordshire could lose their seats under a shake-up of boundaries in the West Midlands.

Reforms in the House of Commons will remove 50 of the 650 MPs of the UK at the next General Election in 2015.

It means the main towns and city that make up the Black Country could all lose one of their MPs. MPs could also be lost in Birmingham, Worcestershire and Staffordshire.

The influential Electoral Reform Society has drawn up a list of new constituencies which it believes is the fairest way to give everybody the same level of service from their MP.

If the Parliamentary Voting System and Constituencies Bill is adopted and uses this version it would mean more council areas would be split over constituencies.

Wolverhampton would lose one of its MPs when the city's three seats are consolidated into two. Areas like Penn and Blakenhall, while still run by Wolverhampton City Council, would become part of the new constituency of Dudley.

Areas like Abbey, Bristnall, Old Warley and Soho and Victoria in Sandwell would become part of Edgbaston in Birmingham.

West Bromwich East and West would be merged into one seat.

Sandwell, Dudley and Walsall would all lose one of their MPs while Stafford will be split between a new Stafford and Rugeley seat as well as part of the new Stone and Uttoxeter.