With an 80 seat-majority and no threat of abolishing any seats, Britain will finally see a long-overdue constituency boundary review passed during this Parliament. The last time boundaries were refreshed to match population was in 2007, taking effect in the 2010 general election. Labour isn’t prepared to accept this equalising democratic reform lying down however; proposing an amendment to today’s Parliamentary Constituencies Bill that “this House… declines to give a Second Reading”, claiming the reforms:

• “Disproportionately and undemocratically concentrate power over constituency sizes and boundaries in the hands of the executive” Even though the boundary commission drawing them up is independent of government…
• Coronavirus deaths will have had an impact on the “preparation of electoral registers”

Perhaps the real reason Starmer’s opposing the new reforms is they abandon the previously-planned abolition of Corbyn’s Islington seat…