Philip Dunne MP will be seeking the views of his constituents on the initial proposals for changes to constituency boundaries, proposed by the Boundary Commission.

Initial proposals by the Boundary Commission, released to the public today, would reform the boundaries of the Ludlow Constituency, which would remain in its existing form but would gain the neighbouring Shropshire Council wards of Burnell and Severn Valley from the Shrewsbury & Atcham constituency. It would also be renamed the Ludlow and Bridgnorth constituency, with a total of 77,034 electors, compared with 69,444 at the last General Election in 2019.

Mr Dunne said:

“The initial Boundary Commission proposals for the Ludlow Constituency include a new name – Ludlow and Bridgnorth – a significant increase in geographic size, and the addition of some 10% of voters, by adding the Shropshire Council wards of Burnell and Severn Valley.

“I shall be studying the detail closely, but on first reading these plans are a less profound change to the electoral boundaries in Shropshire, compared with previous proposals when the Ludlow Constituency would have been divided in three. I shall also be seeking the views of my constituents, particularly on the proposed change of name.”

Under the proposals for Shropshire, The Wrekin constituency would be renamed the Newport and Wellington constituency, with 76,143 electors. It would gain Cheswardine and Hodnet wards from North Shropshire. North Shropshire would lose Cheswardine and Hodnet, and would have 77,052 electors.

Shrewsbury & Atcham constituency would be renamed the Shrewsbury Constituency, and would lose Burnell and Severn Valley wards. It would have 75,139 electors. The Telford constituency would see no ward changes, and would have only 70,768 electors, though with room for population growth.

Across the West Midlands, there are no changes to the number of constituencies in Herefordshire, Shropshire, Worcestershire, Warwickshire, Coventry, and Birmingham and Solihull. Staffordshire and the Black Country reduces from 25 constituencies to 23. So the West Midlands reduces from 57 constituencies to 55.