Why the number of MPs in Wales is being cut from 40 to 32 at the 2024 General Election

All but one of the Welsh constituencies have changed and the number of MPs in Wales will see a cut from 40 to 32. Credit: ITV Cymru Wales

There are new parliamentary constituency boundaries for almost every part of Wales at the 2024 General Election.

Only Ynys Môn is exempt from the changes, with several Welsh seats having now vanished as the number of MPs from Wales drops from 40 to 32.

The new seat boundaries take effect from when voters head to the polls for the General Election on 4 July.

  • Why has the number of MPs from changed?

These changes came into effect after a boundary commission review that ended last year.

It all follows an earlier UK Government decision to ensure each constituency has a similar number of voters in it - between 69,724 and 77,062.

Because of that, Wales will lose eight seats, as the country has some of the smallest constituencies in the UK.

Reviews have taken place in each of the four nations.

The boundaries of nearly all existing Welsh constituencies have been altered, with the exception of Ynys Môn, which has "protected status" and will have no changes to the island of Anglesey seat's name or boundaries.

  • What does this mean for voters?

Essentially, it means the areas MPs will be representing is changing in many cases.

Voters will have to find the name of their constituency that has changed since the 2019 General Election when they choose a candidate to be their MP from 4 July.

With boundary changes affecting most constituencies, many voters will be voting in unfamiliar territory.


  • Will the boundaries change for the next Senedd elections?

Elections to the Welsh Parliament are controlled by the Senedd, not the UK Parliament and the rules for the way they are run are due to change.

From 2026, there will be more Senedd members - 96, compared to the current 60 - and the way they will be elected is changing too, from a mixture of first-past-the-post and proportional representation to a fully proportional system.

For that election in 2026, the constituency boundaries will be based on the new parliamentary boundaries but with a difference - they will be joined together in pairs, to make 16 "super-constituencies" which will each return six members.

From 2026, there'll be more Senedd members - 96 compared to the current 60 - and the way that they'll be elected is changing too. Credit: PA