Political Constituencies, United Kingdom, electoral divisions in the United Kingdom from which Members of Parliament are elected to the House of Commons in the British Parliament. Though the term "constituency" means the body of voters who elect a representative. in modern usage it refers to the area where each body of voters are registered, and hence each constituency is identified by place name. The word first came into use after the 1832 Reform Bill, and spread as the old parliamentary boroughs lost their significance. The area covered by a parliamentary constituency is decided by the Boundary Commission. England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland each have a separate Boundary Commission, classified as advisory bodies within the British civil service. These commissions reassess electoral boundaries every 10-15 years to take account of population changes. Populations within each constituency are not equal: constituencies in Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland have in general fewer electors than in England. Density of representation also varies; Greater London, for example, is still arguably over-represented, with 74 parliamentary seats. Political parties are allowed to propose inquiries by the commissions, and may if successful receive an alteration of constituency boundaries in their favour (as the Labour Party did during the run-up to the 1997 general election). Decisions by the boundary commissions can affect the number of parliamentary seats in the House of Commons; and each commission review usually results in changes that lead to the disappearance of a sitting MP's seat at the next election. However, MPs in "safe" seats may represent a particular area for decades, despite changes in constituency names and boundaries.
