Boundary changes could leave Lib Dems with 11 seats
The Liberal Democrats face a "double whammy" of declining support and boundary changes that could destroy their chances of holding the balance of power after the next election.
The latest "poll of polls" for The Independent suggests that Nick Clegg could see his number of MPs reduced from 57 to 19 unless the party improves its ratings. The figure slumps to just 11 MPs when the proposed new parliamentary map is taken into account.
In practice, election experts believe the Liberal Democrats would do better than that because they would target their resources on the most winnable constituencies and their MPs have often defied the odds by holding on to their seats. But the experts say the reduction in the number of MPs from 650 to 600 will hurt the Liberal Democrats proportionately more than Labour or the Conservatives.
In another headache for Mr Clegg, Liberal Democrats who oppose the Coalition with the Conservatives are to form a rebel group within the party.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/boundary-changes-could-leave-lib-dems-with-11-seats-6677174.html
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