A Shropshire MP today said the cost of politics should be reduced – as long as the county’s residents do not lose “proper and adequate” representation in Parliament.

Wrekin Tory MP Mark Pritchard made the comments after it was yesterday revealed that the county could lose an MP under plans to redraw constituencies and cut the number of Commons seats.

The county’s political map faces a shake-up under the Tory-Lib Dem coalition Government’s plans to equalise the size of constituencies before the next General Election in 2015.

The Boundary Commission is to be tasked with redrawing constituency boundaries as part of a bid to cut the number of Commons MPs from 650 to 600.

However, the Electoral Reform Society has released its own map of possible new parliamentary constituencies – down-sizing Shropshire’s parliamentary representation from five to four MPs – which would trigger a scramble for seats.

Mr Pritchard said: “I believe the cost of politics should be reduced which means making the House of Commons smaller as long as the people of Shropshire do not lose proper and adequate parliamentary representation.”

North Shropshire’s MP Owen Paterson said: “This is all speculation.”

The Tory MP and Northern Ireland Secretary added: “But I am in favour of equalising constituencies and getting rid of the current extreme differences which give very unbalanced results in favour of Labour.”

Under the Electoral Reform Society’s blueprint, Oswestry & Market Drayton would be made up of all the present North Shropshire electoral wards, plus parts of The Wrekin.

Shrewsbury and Bayston Hill would comprise parts of the existing Shrewsbury & Atcham and Ludlow constituencies.

Parts of The Wrekin, Ludlow and Telford would be served by an MP for Madeley & Bridgnorth.

And a new seat called Telford Dawley & Oakengates/Donnington would also be created.

Under the coalition’s Parliamentary Voting system and Constituencies Bill, the boundaries of parliamentary seats would be changed to have roughly the same number of voters with a five per cent variation around an average constituency size of a 75,000 electorate – which Labour argues will cost the party seats.

It is a claim that has been rejected by the Bill’s architect, Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg, who says the Boundary Commission, not the Government, will redraw the map.

By London reporter Sunita Patel