GOVERNMENT plans to equalise constituency sizes across the country could lead to the re-emergence of a cross-Mersey Parliamentary seat.

A University of Liverpool thinktank, Democratic Audit, has warned the Government’s controversial plans, risk a “chaotic” redrawing of boundaries without regard to local loyalties and historic ties.

Wallasey MP Angela Eagle has attacked the Government’s plans and said: “If you look at how the bill suggests boundaries should be redrawn from the Isle of Wight up, a cross river constituency is possible.”

The Government’s proposed changes demand an electorate in almost all seats within 5% of 76,000 but the report by thinktank Democratic Audit said this will require regular, disruptive changes to the electoral map to keep up with population shifts.

Under the proposed changes, the number of parliamentary seats will be cut from 650 to 600, and each – with the exception of two island constituencies in Scotland and the geographically massive Highlands seat of Ross, Skye and Lochaber – will have between 72,200 and 79,800 voters.

The Government argues that this will end the unfair distribution which currently sees the MP for the Isle of Wight elected by 103,480 voters, while the member for Arfon in north Wales answers to just 42,998.

To make the maths work under the Government’s plans, one constituency would have to unite areas in the Isle of Wight and Hampshire, the island of Anglesey would be joined to Bangor across the Menai Strait and a “Devonwall” seat would give one MP responsibility for parts of Cornwall and Devon.

Ms Eagle said the constituencies would be based on arithmetic rather than local interests and ties. She said: “We could end up with a seat starting in Wales, crossing the Dee and stretching across Wirral and over the Mersey into Liverpool.”

She also said MPs in areas with large numbers of young people who fail to register to vote, and poorer areas which have poor voter registration would find themselves representing huge populations.

Ms Eagle also said the legislation currently before Parliament would not allow any way to challenge this as public inquiries would be ruled out.

Democrat Audit author Lewis Baston said across the country, the wards which have traditionally made up the basic building blocks of electoral geography and party organisation will have to be split between constituencies.

Constituencies could straddle wide estuaries such as the Mersey, Humber, Clyde, Forth and Thames, and villages in one Welsh valley could be lumped in with a seat predominantly covering another valley.

The report has called for the Boundary Commission to be given more flexibility in drawing up constituencies, up to 10% variation.

“It appears the Government has chosen to go ahead in haste. We may yet repent at leisure,” said Mr Baston.