SDLP leader could lose his south Belfast seat in proposed boundary changes

SOUTH BELFAST could lose its seat in proposed boundary changes.

And Ballymena will leave its current home in North Antrim and move to a bigger south Antrim constituency.

Howerver, the proposals by a Westminster boundary review team are unlikely to go ahead because of a fall out by the Liberal Democrats with their Conservative colleagues.

Despite the developments in London, the NI review team will continue its work which to date has cost the public purse £500,000.

And that figure could top the £1 million mark by the time the review team finish their work in Northen Ireland.

After the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats agreed to form a coalition, the government announced plans to reduce the number of MPs from 650 to 600.

But the deal unravelled and now Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg has said his MPs will vote the plan down.

In their latest report, the boundary commissioners stick by their controversial proposed abolition of the South Belfast seat, currently held by SDLP leade Dr Alasdair McDonnell.

However, they have made changes in Antrim, moving Ballymena into South Antrim, renaming North Antrim as Coleraine and North Antrim, and replacing a suggested Mid Antrim seat with an East Antrim constituency.

But all the changes hang by a thread as the Downing Street coalition can’t agree on the proposed changes.