The Fourth Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies was undertaken in the United Kingdom between 1991 and 1995 by the four Boundary Commissions. As well as changes to constituency boundaries, the Reviews recommended an increase of five seats in England (524 to 529), two in Wales (38 to 40) and one in Northern Ireland (17 to 18), with Scotland continuing to have 72 seats. The number of MPs in the House of Commons therefore increased from 651 to 659. 144 new constituencies were created, offset by 136 which were abolished. The new boundaries were first used for the 1997 general election.
Review process
Under the terms of the Parliamentary Constituencies Act 1986, as enacted, the Boundary Commissions were required to present their final recommendations between 10 and 15 years after the submission of their previous reports. As the final reports for the Third Periodic Review had been submitted between October 1982 and February 1983, the final reports for the Fourth Review were due to be submitted no later than February 1998. Accordingly, the English Commission had commenced their review in February 1991 and the Scottish Commission had commenced theirs in February 1992. In the meantime, reflecting concerns that the period between reviews was too long, the Government proposed that the gap between reviews should be reduced to between 8 and 12 years and that the deadline for the Fourth Review should be brought forward to 31 December 1994. This was legislated through the Boundary Commissions Act 1992.
The final reports were submitted as follows:
- Scotland - 15 December 1994
- Wales - 16 December 1994
- England - 12 April 1995
- Northern Ireland - 20 June 1995
Changes
As a result of changes to the names of seats, it is not always easy to clearly identify newly created constituencies or those abolished during the review process. One way of considering this is to link each proposed seat with an existing seat which contributes the most voters to that new seat. Any proposed seat which cannot be linked to an existing seat is then considered to be a "new" constituency. Conversely, any existing seat which is not linked to a proposed seat is considered to have been abolished.
The tables below list the names of existing seats which were not replicated in the final proposals for the fourth review ("old seats"), and links them with proposed seats which did not exist prior to the review ("new seats"). Those seats which are not linked can be regarded as being genuinely abolished or newly created. There are a number of instances where existing seats are effectively abolished and re-created under the same name, as set out in the notes.
England
The number of seats in England increased by five. 19 non-metropolitan counties gained one seat each, with Hampshire gaining two. This was offset by a reduction of ten seats in Greater London, two each in Greater Manchester and West Midlands, and one each in Lancashire and Merseyside.
In Greater London, the Commission, for the first time, decided to pair some London Boroughs together to reduce the variation in the size of electorates. These are detailed in the table below.
County
|
No. of seats
|
Old seat
|
New seat
|
Notes
|
Before
|
After
|
Avon
|
10
|
10
|
|
|
|
Bedfordshire
|
5
|
6
|
North Bedfordshire
|
Bedford
|
|
|
North East Bedfordshire
|
Comprised the largest part of the existing Mid Bedfordshire seat, which was reconfigured and effectively formed a new constituency.
|
Berkshire
|
7
|
8
|
East Berkshire
|
Bracknell
|
|
Windsor and Maidenhead
|
Maidenhead
|
|
|
Windsor
|
|
Buckinghamshire
|
7
|
7
|
|
|
|
Cambridgeshire
|
6
|
7
|
|
North West Cambridgeshire
|
|
South West Cambridgeshire
|
South Cambridgeshire
|
|
Cheshire
|
10
|
11
|
|
Weaver Vale
|
|
Cleveland
|
6
|
6
|
Langbaurgh
|
Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland
|
|
Cornwall
|
5
|
5
|
Truro
|
Truro and St Austell
|
Name change only.
|
Cumbria
|
6
|
6
|
|
|
|
Derbyshire
|
10
|
10
|
|
|
|
Devon
|
11
|
11
|
Honiton
|
East Devon
|
|
Plymouth, Drake
|
|
Plymouth, Drake was absorbed into Plymouth, Sutton, with the bulk of that seat now forming the majority of the new seat of South West Devon.
|
|
South West Devon
|
South Hams
|
Totnes
|
|
Tiverton
|
Tiverton and Honiton
|
|
Dorset
|
7
|
8
|
|
Mid Dorset and North Poole
|
|
Durham
|
7
|
7
|
|
|
|
East Sussex
|
8
|
8
|
|
|
|
Essex
|
16
|
17
|
|
North Essex
|
Major reconfiguration.
|
North Colchester
|
Colchester
|
South Colchester and Maldon
|
Maldon and East Chelmsford
|
Chelmsford
|
West Chelmsford
|
|
Rochford
|
Rayleigh
|
|
Southend East
|
Rochford and Southend East
|
|
Gloucestershire
|
5
|
6
|
Cirencester and Tewksbury
|
The Cotswolds
|
|
|
Tewkesbury
|
|
West Gloucestershire
|
Forest of Dean
|
|
Greater London
|
84
|
74
|
Hendon North
|
Hendon
|
London borough of Barnet
|
Hendon South
|
|
Finchley
|
Finchley and Golders Green
|
Greenwich
|
Greenwich and Woolwich
|
London boroughs of Bexley and Greenwich
|
Woolwich
|
|
Erith and Crayford
|
Erith and Thamesmead
|
Bexleyheath
|
Bexleyheath and Crayford
|
Chislehurst
|
Bromley and Chislehurst
|
London borough of Bromley
|
Ravensbourne
|
|
Croydon North East
|
|
London borough of Croydon
|
Croydon North West
|
Croydon North
|
Ealing, Acton
|
Ealing, Acton and Shepherd's Bush
|
London boroughs of Ealing and Hammersmith and Fulham
|
Hammersmith
|
|
Fulham
|
Hammersmith and Fulham
|
The City of London and Westminster South
|
Cities of London and Westminster
|
Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea and Cities of London and Westminster
|
Westminster North
|
Regent's Park and Kensington North
|
Kensington
|
|
Chelsea
|
Kensington and Chelsea
|
Richmond and Barnes
|
Richmond Park
|
Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames and borough of Richmond upon Thames
|
Kingston upon Thames
|
|
Surbiton
|
Kingston and Surbiton
|
Southwark and Bermondsey
|
North Southwark and Bermondsey
|
London boroughs of Lambeth and Southwark
|
Peckham
|
Camberwell and Peckham
|
Dulwich
|
Dulwich and West Norwood
|
Norwood
|
|
Bethnal Green and Stepney
|
Bethnal Green and Bow
|
London boroughs of Newham and Tower Hamlets
|
Bow and Poplar
|
Poplar and Canning Town
|
Newham South
|
|
Newham North East
|
East Ham
|
Newham North West
|
West Ham
|
Chingford
|
Chingford and Woodford Green
|
London boroughs of Redbridge and Waltham Forest
|
Wanstead and Woodford
|
|
Leyton
|
Leyton and Wanstead
|
Greater Manchester
|
30
|
28
|
Stretford
|
|
|
Davyhulme
|
Stretford and Urmston
|
|
Altrincham and Sale
|
Altrincham and Sale West
|
|
Manchester, Wythenshawe
|
Wythenshawe and Sale East
|
|
Littleborough and Saddleworth
|
Oldham East and Saddleworth
|
|
Oldham Central and Royton
|
Oldham West and Royton
|
|
Oldham West
|
|
|
Salford East
|
Salford
|
|
Hampshire
|
15
|
17
|
|
North East Hampshire
|
Comprised the majority of the existing East Hampshire seat, which was reconfigured and effectively formed a new constituency.
|
New Forest
|
New Forest West
|
|
Romsey and Waterside
|
New Forest East
|
|
|
Romsey
|
|
Hereford and Worcester
|
7
|
8
|
|
Redditch
|
Comprised the majority of the existing Mid Worcestershire seat, which was reconfigured and effectively formed a new constituency.
|
South Worcestershire
|
West Worcestershire
|
|
Hertfordshire
|
10
|
11
|
North Hertfordshire
|
North East Hertfordshire
|
|
|
Hitchin and Harpenden
|
|
West Hertfordshire
|
Hemel Hempstead
|
|
Humberside
|
9
|
10
|
Kingston upon Hull West
|
Kingston upon Hull West and Hessle
|
|
Bridlington
|
East Yorkshire
|
Major reconfiguration
|
|
Beverley and Holderness
|
Beverley
|
Haltemprice and Howdon
|
Boothferry
|
Brigg and Goole
|
Glanford and Scunthorpe
|
Scunthorpe
|
|
Brigg and Cleethorpes
|
Cleethorpes
|
|
Isle of Wight
|
1
|
1
|
|
|
|
Kent
|
16
|
17
|
Faversham
|
Sittingbourne and Sheppey
|
|
|
Faversham and Mid Kent
|
|
Mid Kent
|
Chatham and Aylesford
|
|
Maidstone
|
Maidstone and The Weald
|
|
Lancashire
|
16
|
15
|
Lancaster
|
Lancaster and Wyre
|
|
Wyre
|
|
|
Blackpool North
|
Blackpool North and Fleetwood
|
|
Leicestershire
|
9
|
10
|
|
Charnwood
|
|
Lincolnshire
|
6
|
7
|
Gainsborough and Horncastle
|
Gainsborough
|
|
East Lyndsey
|
Louth and Horncastle
|
|
Holland with Boston
|
Boston and Skegness
|
|
Stamford and Spalding
|
South Holland and The Deepings
|
|
|
Grantham and Stamford
|
|
Grantham
|
Sleaford and North Hykeham
|
|
Merseyside
|
17
|
16
|
Knowsley North
|
Knowsley North and Sefton East
|
|
Liverpool, Broadgreen
|
Liverpool, Wavertree
|
|
Liverpool, Mossley Hill
|
|
|
Norfolk
|
8
|
8
|
|
|
|
North Yorkshire
|
6
|
7
|
Harrogate
|
Harrogate and Knaresborough
|
|
|
Vale of York
|
|
York
|
City of York
|
Name change only
|
Scarborough
|
Scarborough and Whitby
|
Name change only
|
Northamptonshire
|
6
|
6
|
|
|
|
Northumberland
|
4
|
4
|
|
|
|
Nottinghamshire
|
11
|
11
|
|
|
|
Oxfordshire
|
6
|
6
|
|
|
|
Shropshire
|
4
|
5
|
|
Telford
|
Comprised the majority of the existing The Wrekin seat, which was reconfigured and effectively formed a new constituency.
|
Somerset
|
5
|
5
|
|
|
|
South Yorkshire
|
15
|
15
|
Barnsley East
|
Barnsley East and Mexborough
|
|
Staffordshire
|
11
|
12
|
|
Stone
|
Major reconfiguration
|
Mid Staffordshire
|
Lichfield
|
Cannock and Burntwood
|
Cannock Chase
|
|
South East Staffordshire
|
Tamworth
|
|
Suffolk
|
6
|
7
|
Central Suffolk
|
Central Suffolk and North Ipswich
|
|
|
West Suffolk
|
Comprised the majority of the existing Bury St Edmunds seat, which was reconfigured and effectively formed a new constituency.
|
Surrey
|
11
|
11
|
North West Surrey
|
Surrey Heath
|
|
Chertsey and Walton
|
Runnymede and Weybridge
|
|
Esher
|
Esher and Walton
|
|
Tyne and Wear
|
13
|
13
|
Wallsend
|
North Tyneside
|
|
Newcastle upon Tyne East
|
Newcastle upon Tyne East and Wallsend
|
|
Gateshead East
|
Gateshead East and Washington West
|
|
Houghton and Washington
|
Houghton and Washington East
|
|
Warwickshire
|
5
|
5
|
|
|
|
West Midlands
|
31
|
29
|
Dudley East
|
Dudley North
|
|
Dudley West
|
Dudley South
|
|
Halesowen and Stourbridge
|
Stourbridge
|
Electorate of Halesowen and Stourbridge distributed more-or-less equally between two new constituencies.
|
Halesowen and Rowley Regis
|
Warley West
|
|
|
Warley East
|
Warley
|
|
Birmingham, Small Heath
|
|
|
Birmingham, Sparkbrook
|
Birmingham, Sparkbrook and Small Heath
|
|
Coventry South East
|
Coventry South
|
|
Coventry South West
|
|
|
West Sussex
|
7
|
8
|
Arundel
|
Bognor Regis and Littlehampton
|
|
|
Arundel and South Downs
|
|
Shoreham
|
East Worthing and Shoreham
|
|
Worthing
|
Worthing West
|
|
West Yorkshire
|
23
|
23
|
Morley and Leeds South
|
Morley and Rothwell
|
|
Wiltshire
|
5
|
6
|
|
North Swindon
|
|
Swindon
|
South Swindon
|
|
Wales
The number of seats in Wales was increased from 38 to 40 through the creation of an additional seat in the counties of Clwyd and Dyfed.
Scotland
The number of seats in Scotland remained at 72, with an additional seat in Grampian region being offset by the loss of a seat in the City of Glasgow in Strathclyde region.
Region
|
No of seats
|
Old seat
|
New seat
|
Before
|
After
|
Borders
|
2
|
2
|
|
|
Central
|
4
|
4
|
Clackmannan
|
Ochil
|
Dumfries and Galloway
|
2
|
2
|
|
|
Fife
|
5
|
5
|
|
|
Grampian
|
6
|
7
|
|
Aberdeen Central
|
Kincardine and Deeside
|
West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine
|
Highland
|
3
|
3
|
Caithness and Sutherland
|
Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross
|
Ross, Cromarty and Skye
|
Ross, Skye and Inverness West
|
Inverness, Nairn and Lochaber
|
Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber
|
Lothian
|
10
|
10
|
Edinburgh East
|
Edinburgh East and Musselburgh
|
Edinburgh, Leith
|
Edinburgh North and Leith
|
Strathclyde
|
33
|
32
|
Monklands East
|
Airdrie and Shotts
|
Monklands West
|
Coatbridge and Chryston
|
Motherwell North
|
Hamilton North and Bellshill
|
Motherwell South
|
Motherwell and Wishaw
|
Hamilton
|
Hamilton South
|
Greenock and Port Glasgow
|
Greenock and Inverclyde
|
Renfrew West and Inverclyde
|
West Renfrewshire
|
Glasgow, Garscadden
|
Glasgow, Anniesland
|
Glasgow, Hillhead
|
Glasgow, Kelvin
|
Glasgow Central
|
|
Glasgow, Provan
|
Glasgow, Baillieston
|
Tayside
|
5
|
5
|
East Angus
|
Angus
|
Perth and Kinross
|
Perth
|
Islands Areas
|
2
|
2
|
|
|
Northern Ireland
The number of seats in Northern Ireland was increased from 17 to 18 through the creation of West Tyrone. This comprised the majority of the existing Mid Ulster seat, which was reconfigured and effectively formed a new constituency.