Plans to cut the number of MPs to 600 are set to be scrapped by the government.

According to the Evening Standard, proposals to ask the independent Boundaries Commission to make the current 650 constituencies equal in population size will be passed to the prime minister, with a decision expected in the coming weeks.

Final boundary changes for the 600 new constituencies were outlined in 2017 but have not been debated in Parliament due to the previous administration’s lack of majority and domination of Brexit in the House of Commons.

The proposals, which were set to be implemented in 2024, would have given the Conservatives a majority of 104 based on the results of the last general election, with Labour pushed down to just 174 seats.

However, it is thought the Conservatives could gain a dozen or more seats at the next election through the equalisation of seat sizes, due to the concentration of Labour support in smaller seats.

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