DWYFOR Meirionnydd MP Liz Saville Roberts warns plans by the UK Government to slash MPs and create giant new constituencies will have a negative impact on Welsh speaking communities.

The Boundary Commission for Wales has launched a consultation on a new electoral map of Wales as the UK Government presses forward with plans to cut the overall number of MPs from 650 to 600.

Proposals published earlier this month would see the creation of giant new constituencies.

The Dwyfor Meirionnydd constituency would be replaced with a new constituency of north Clwyd and Gwynedd and would stretch from Tywyn in the southwest up to St Asaph in the northeast.

This would mean towns such as Bala and Llanuwchllyn would join a new South Clwyd and Montgomeryshire constituency.

The Dwyfor Meirionnydd constituency was created by the Welsh Boundary Commission for the 2010 general election, and replaced the old north Wales seat of Meirionnydd Nant Conwy.

The new constituency of north Clwyd and Gwynedd would also see towns and villages such as Betws y Coed and Llanrwst joining it from the current Aberconwy constituency.

Under the plans, the new north Clwyd and Gwynedd constituency would have an electorate of 76,147.

Plaid Cymru MP, Liz Saville Roberts said: “I appreciate that there should be fairness in the number of people MPs represent in Westminster.

“But earlier this month the government refused every attempt to strengthen the powers of the Welsh Assembly in the Wales Bill.

“We now learn that the number of voices from Wales in London is to be cut by over 25 per cent. Where is the fairness for Wales?

Read the full story and reaction in this Thursday’s Meirionnydd and Arfon/Dwyfor editions of the Cambrian News