WILTSHIRE MPs are to meet in London this afternoon to discuss plans that will change the county's political map in the run-up to the next general election in 2020.

Under draft plans just published, the number of parliamentary constituencies will fall significantly, reducing the number of MPs in Parliament by 50 to 600.

Most seats will change in size and character for the first time in at least a decade.

The shake-up, which was drawn up by the independent Boundary Commissions of England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, will in some areas pit existing MPs against each other for re-election and could have a big impact on the outcome of the 2020 poll.

Today North Wiltshire MP James Gray said that he broadly welcomed the change to his constituency which would see it return to a similar make-up as before the previous boundary change which created the new Chippenham constituency which today is held by Michelle Donelan.

If the draft plan was adopted Mr Gray would gain back Chippenham but lose Calne and Box.

He said: "This is a very early stage of discussion but if it was to end up as proposed I would not have any major misgivings."

But he did think the redrawn constituency would be better keeping its North Wiltshire name rather than being called Chippenham.

Ms Donelan's constituency would lose Chippenham and be concentrated on the west Wiltshire towns of Trowbridge and Melksham.

There would changes to the constituency of South Wiltshire MP Andrew Murrison who would lose the final part of Trowbridge that he kept in the previous boundary change.

Devizes MP Claire Perry would gain Calne but lose villages on Salisbury Plain.