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Crucial boundary change vote set to split coalition Conservatives lose boundary review vote
(35 minutes later)
The Conservatives are facing possible defeat as Labour and Lib Dem MPs team up to vote down proposals redraw constituency boundaries before 2015. Plans to redraw constituency boundaries before 2015, backed by the Tories, have been defeated in the House of Commons.
The two coalition parties have been in dispute since proposed elections to the House of Lords were dropped last year. MPs voted by 334 to 292 to accept changes made by peers, meaning the planned constituency shake-up will be postponed until 2018 at the earliest.
The PM wants to overturn a defeat by peers earlier this month, which would see the planned constituency shake-up postponed until 2018 at the earliest. It was the first time Lib Dem ministers have voted against their Conservative coalition colleagues in the Commons.
But with no Tory Commons majority, No 10 said "the arithmetic" was difficult. The two parties have been in dispute since proposed elections to the House of Lords were dropped last year.
Leader of the House Andrew Lansley said the attempt by peers to change the bill was a "democratic travesty" and an "abuse of parliamentary process" as it sought to "directly and dramatically intervene" into elections to the Commons.
He urged MPs to reject the changes made by peers, arguing that the plan to cut the number of MPs by 50 to 600 would save the taxpayer £13.5m a year.
Coalition row
"Major disparities" in the size of parliamentary constituencies also needed to be tackled, he said.
"The principle of greater equality in the value of each vote is at the heart of this boundary review," Mr Lansley told MPs. "There can be no justification for retaining the current inequality. I have heard no argument that changes this nor any justification for the Lords in seeking to do so."
Shadow justice secretary Sadiq Khan said Mr Lansley's criticism of the House of Lords was "breathtaking". He said the peers had made the change legitimately and it was "hard luck" for the Conservatives who had missed the opportunity to reform the Lords.
Mr Khan told MPs delaying the review would mean "more time to address the deficiencies in the current electoral register".
The issue of boundary changes has been one of the biggest flashpoints between Prime Minister David Cameron and his deputy Nick Clegg since the two entered government together.The issue of boundary changes has been one of the biggest flashpoints between Prime Minister David Cameron and his deputy Nick Clegg since the two entered government together.
Parliament agreed in principle in 2011 to reduce the number of MPs and to redraw the electoral map to make all constituencies roughly the same size in terms of number of voters.Parliament agreed in principle in 2011 to reduce the number of MPs and to redraw the electoral map to make all constituencies roughly the same size in terms of number of voters.
'Democratic travesty'
Some believe the proposals, which were backed at the time by both coalition parties, would help the Conservatives win up to 20 extra seats at a future election.Some believe the proposals, which were backed at the time by both coalition parties, would help the Conservatives win up to 20 extra seats at a future election.
But a row over plans to reform the Lords - abandoned in the face of Conservative opposition - have since led the Lib Dems to say they will block implementation of the boundary review until after the next election, scheduled for 2015.But a row over plans to reform the Lords - abandoned in the face of Conservative opposition - have since led the Lib Dems to say they will block implementation of the boundary review until after the next election, scheduled for 2015.
The Lib Dems have argued the proposals on the make-up of the Commons and the Lords were part of the same package of constitutional reforms put forward by the coalition in 2010 and accused Conservative backbenchers of not honouring the initial agreement.The Lib Dems have argued the proposals on the make-up of the Commons and the Lords were part of the same package of constitutional reforms put forward by the coalition in 2010 and accused Conservative backbenchers of not honouring the initial agreement.
But Conservatives insist that progress on the two issues was not linked and believe that Lib Dem government ministers should now vote in favour of the boundary proposals or resign. But Conservatives insist that progress on the two issues was not linked and believe that Lib Dem government ministers should have voted in favour of the boundary proposals or resign.
The Tories argue that the current electoral map is weighted in favour of Labour, with more votes tending to be needed to elect a Conservative MP than to elect a Labour MP. Leader of the House Andrew Lansley said the attempt by peers to change the Electoral Registration and Administration Bill was a "democratic travesty" and an "abuse of parliamentary process" as it sought to "directly and dramatically intervene" in elections to the Commons.
'Smaller, cheaper, fairer' He urged MPs to reject the changes made by peers, arguing that the plan to cut the number of MPs by 50 to 600 would save the taxpayer £13.5m a year.
Labour has accused the Conservatives of "gerrymandering" - manipulating constituencies in order to achieve electoral advantage - and they argue the electoral quotas used to decide the size of a constituency do not take account of people who are missing from the electoral register. "Major disparities" in the size of parliamentary constituencies also needed to be tackled, he said.
The Tories are looking to overturn amendments made in the House of Lords to the Electoral Registration and Administration Bill which effectively put the whole process on hold. 'Spite and pettiness'
But Labour, which argues the boundary shake-up is flawed, is expected to join forces with the Lib Dems to oppose this. "The principle of greater equality in the value of each vote is at the heart of this boundary review," Mr Lansley told MPs. "There can be no justification for retaining the current inequality. I have heard no argument that changes this nor any justification for the Lords in seeking to do so."
This would be the first time Lib Dem ministers have voted against their Conservative coalition colleagues in the Commons. Shadow justice secretary Sadiq Khan said Mr Lansley's criticism of the House of Lords was "breathtaking". He said the peers had made the change legitimately and it was "hard luck" for the Conservatives who had missed the opportunity to reform the Lords.
For the Conservatives to defeat an alliance of Lib Dem and Labour MPs, they would need support from the smaller parties. Mr Khan told MPs delaying the review would mean "more time to address the deficiencies in the current electoral register".
But the SNP and Plaid Cymru have both confirmed they intend to vote to delay the boundary review, while the DUP said it was concerned about the "maximum representation for Northern Ireland" not a cut to the number of MPs. Liberal Democrat John Thurso said he had been a supporter of the decision to go into coalition in 2010 and wanted to make the deal work, but he insisted the agreement with the Conservatives was "not a pick and mix menu".
Asked if David Cameron was confident of overturning Lords amendments, his spokesman said: "From the prime minister's perspective, the arithmetic looks pretty difficult." During the Commons debate, a number of Conservatives MPs attacked their coalition partners for changing their position on the boundary review.
He added: "The prime minister's view is that he is strongly in favour of smaller, cheaper and fairer politics but it is important that MPs can consider the issue." Tory Penny Mordaunt accused the Lib Dems of being motivated by "spite, pettiness and self-interest", adding that their "code of conduct" now amounted to "an eye for a coalition eye".
The spokesman indicated that no talks were under way with smaller parties in the hope of securing enough votes to force the bill through.
Mr Clegg has said he hopes the vote will "draw a line" under the issue.