Plans for "Chelmsley Wood" seat in doubt

IN DOUBT: A map of the proposed constituency

PLANS to create a new Parliamentary constituency - dubbed Chelmsley Wood and Solihull North - look set to be abandoned.
In proposals outlined last year, it was suggested that the north of the borough, which currently forms part of Meriden, could be bound together with Elmdon, Sheldon and Lyndon as part of a nationwide review of boundaries.
But now that review - which would have seen the total number of MPs reduced from 650 to 600 - looks set to be dropped by the Prime Minister.
Today The Times reported that Theresa May has recognised that the shake-up - which was always likely to be controversial, given that certain members of all parties would be set to lose their seats - could not make it through the House of Commons.
The likelihood of the plans being approved was further reduced by the fact that the Conservatives, who were the architects of the changes, had lost their majority in June's General Election.
It is understood that the Boundary Commission will instead be sent back to the drawing board and asked to consider less radical reforms, which would seek to make constituencies of an equal size without cutting the overall number of MPs.
If a new set of proposals are indeed drawn up it would be the third since 2010. Originally changes were due to take effect before the 2015 General Election, but Mrs May's predecessor David Cameron was forced to abandon the plans after losing a Commons vote.
A different set of changes - including the controversial Chelmsley Wood and Solihull North proposal - was announced last year. Back then it was envisioned that the plans would be put in place by the end of the five-year Parliament, although this timetable was ditched after the snap election was called in April.

The old and the new:
Meriden (existing seat): Castle Bromwich, Chelmsley Wood, Smith's Wood, Kingshurst & Fordbridge, Bickenhill (inc Marston Green), Knowle, Meriden, Blythe, Dorridge & Hockley Heath.
Chelmsley Wood & Solihull  North (proposed seat): Castle Bromwich, Chelmsley Wood, Smith's Wood, Kingshurst & Fordbridge, Bickenhill (inc Marston Green), Sheldon, Elmdon and Lyndon.