THOUSANDS of people in Oxfordshire could be in a different parliamentary constituency for the 2020 election under proposals published this morning.

The Boundary Commission has put forward the plans to help reduce the number of MPs from 650 to 600. It would also balance the size of the various electorates, making them no smaller than 71,031 and no larger than 78,507.

Today the authority proposed changes to five of Oxfordshire's six constituencies, leaving only Witney the same, and renamed two of them.

The commission said Oxford East, currently held by Labour MP Andrew Smith, was too small and proposed adding the wards of North and St Margaret's to it, taking them out of Oxford West and Abingdon, held by Conservative MP Nicola Blackwood.

It also said the Banbury constituency was "too large", with the proposals transferring Fringford, Launton, and Ambrosden & Chesterton to the renamed 'Henley and Thame' constituency - currently just called 'Henley'.

This would also absorb Wallingford, currently part of Conservative MP Ed Vaizey's Wantage constituency. But Wantage would absorb the Thames ward, currently part of Oxford West and Abingdon. 

Banbury MP Victoria Prentis' constituency should also be renamed 'Banbury and Bicester', the commission said. 

Meanwhile, it also said the Wheatley, Garsington & Horspath and Sandford & The Wittenhams wards should be moved into Ms Blackwood's Oxford West and Abingdon constituency so that the Henley and Thame would not be too large.

The commission has launched a 12-week consultation on the changes, which would not take effect until 2020. To comment, visit bce2018.org.uk