High flyer Balls 'to lose seat'

Ed Balls left his job with Gordon Brown to become an MP last year

High-flying minister Ed Balls should definitely lose his constituency, says the Boundaries Commission.

It has confirmed it still thinks his Normanton seat should be abolished because West Yorkshire has too many MPs for its size.

The commission says there should be a new constituency of Normanton, Pontefract and Castleford.

Mr Balls said local people would be furious they had been ignored and would continue their fight to keep the seat.

The boundary commission says it does not want to hear any more representations about the abolition of Normanton, although it will listen to complaints about the proposed name of the new seat.

It argues there should only be 22, not 23, seats in West Yorkshire.

The commission is reviewing constituencies across England. The changes have to be agreed by Parliament and are likely to take effect at the next election.

Part of Mr Balls's seat would be absorbed into the neighbouring constituency held by his wife, Local Government Minister Yvette Cooper.

Mr Balls won his first ministerial post at the last reshuffle, when he was made economic secretary to the Treasury.

He is one of Gordon Brown's strongest allies and was chief economics adviser at the Treasury until he entered Parliament at last year's general election.