A Tory MP is calling for the new name of his constituency to be changed because it is too difficult to say.
Simon Jupp is urging the Boundary Commission to think again after it proposed re-labelling his East Devon seat as ‘Exeter East and Exmouth’.
The MP told MailOnline that whoever ends up representing the area will ‘struggle’ when they want to mention it in the House of Commons.
He insisted it should be switched to Exmouth and East Exeter instead – pointing out that way round would also better reflect the geographical distribution of voters.
The Commission published its provisional blueprint for 2024 earlier this week, with a final consultation taking place over the next month.
The protracted process – which has involved years of haggling between political parties – should conclude with boundaries being redrawn to take account of population changes for the first time since 2005.
Simon Jupp (pictured in the Commons) is urging the Boundary Commission to think again after it proposed re-labelling his East Devon seat as ‘Exeter East and Exmouth’
Mr Jupp said he is making a last-ditch appeal for the Commission to tweak the name of Exeter East and Exmouth
Every seat will have around 70,000 voters, with only a handful escaping redrawing or a name change. Overall experts say the equalisation could boost the Tories by five to 10 MPs.
Mr Jupp said he is making a last-ditch appeal for the Commission to tweak Exeter East and Exmouth.
It is not yet clear whether he would stand in the new seat, or neighbouring Honiton & Sidmouth.
But he said: ‘Whoever is the candidate will struggle to say it because it is quite so odd. It should be changed to Exmouth and East Exeter
‘There will be 21,000 people in Exeter in the seat and nearly 40,000 in Exmouth in the seat.
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‘Common sense dictates that the larger population is more prominent in a name.’
Mr Jupp added: ‘You want to mention your constituency name as much as possibly in Parliament. It would be better to have something that rolls off the tongue a lot easier.
‘Otherwise you have to break it up and say, Shape Kapseln Höhle der Löwen ”my constituents in East Exeter and Exmouth and surrounding villages”… it is very easy for me at the moment to say ”in East Devon”.’
Philip Cowley, a professor of politics at Queen Mary University of London, has pointed out that the boundary overhaul has increased the average number of characters in constituency names to 16 in England.
In 1950 the average length was just 12.6 characters.
The figure is also 16 in Wales, up from 12.7 in 2010 proposals, while in Scotland it has reached 21.2 from 19.8 in 2005.
In 1950, there were just 53 seats with a ‘compound’ name, including ‘and’ to reflect multiple communities.
Now there are due to be 221, according to Professor Cowley.
Every seat will have around 70,000 voters, with only a handful escaping redrawing or a name change
Conservatives