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Deep in the bowels of the deputy prime minister's office, fundamental changes to the British constitution are being planned. Before the summer recess, Nick Clegg has promised a parliamentary viewing of the proposals for a referendum to change the voting system for future general elections and a parliamentary boundary review. There are rumours the public will get a chance to vote on the proposals in May, next year. Paul Wheeler is director of the Political Skills Forum Both elements of the coalition government see great value in these proposals, albeit they wish for very different outcomes. For local councils facing massive cuts in their expenditure, such issues might seem of little immediate concern. Yet they will be fundamental to the success of these constitutional changes. . Before the four boundary commissions – England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland – begin their work, they will be influenced by the size of the registered electorate. And who is responsible for registering voters – yes, the very same local councils which have seen their overall budgets massively reduced. . The Electoral Commission has recently published evidence that more than three million people who are eligible to vote are missing from the current electoral registers. Combine this with the Government's intention to fast-forward the move to individual voter registration so that it is no longer possible for a landlord or head of household to register all those eligible to vote. But local councils' obligations do not stop there. For, it is the responsibility of councils to prepare the boundary review plans for public consultation and discussion by the individual boundary commissions. . The overwhelming consideration will be equality of size. While the debate is ongoing, the current estimates are that the Government will propose a reduction in 50 constituencies, with a consequent increase in size to 80,000 registered electors. So, it may not seem the biggest concern in town hall budget-making at the moment, but what individual councils do over the next 12 months may have huge implications for British democracy.

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WHITEHALL

Soapbox

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