article: The number of Welsh MPs will fall from 40 to 29 at the next general election as part of a move to reduce the number of MPs across the UK from 650 to 600. The changes are being made as a result of rules that require broadly equal numbers of voters in each constituency. Welsh constituencies currently have, on average, fewer voters than English ones. Changes that would have cut the number of Welsh MPs from 40 to 30 were blocked by the Liberal Democrats during the coalition government after an outcry from Labour MPs. Stand by for a repeat of that row. Today's revised proposals are based on new figures on the electoral register. The average number of voters in each constituency, according to the Office for National Statistics, is 54,300 in Wales, 66,700 in Scotland, 68,200 in Northern Ireland and 70,100 in England. The Boundary Commission for Wales said it would publish "initial proposals" for Welsh constituencies later this year, to be followed by a period of consultation. The new map will be drawn with the goal of ensuring each seat has between 71,031 and 78,507 electors. The average size of the electorate per constituency across the UK is 74,769, with the electorate of each constituency having to be within 5% of that - meaning each must have between 71,031 and 78,507 voters. Under the proposals, England will lose 32 MPs, Northern Ireland one and Scotland six to create a smaller House of Commons.
summary: Wales will lose more than a quarter of its MPs under a review of parliamentary constituencies.