Somerset's political map could be completely redrawn ahead of the next general election, with two new seats being created.

The Boundary Commission for England (BCE) has published its initial proposals for the new parliamentary constituencies which would take effect before the next UK general election.

The proposals see the UK map being significantly withdrawn to take account of population changes, with Somerset getting two additional MPs.

Residents now have eight weeks to have their say on the new boundaries, with the public consultation scheduled to end on August 2.

Under the proposals, the total number of seats in the House of Commons will remain at 650 – but the number of constituencies in England will increase from 533 to 543.

The new boundaries are designed to make representation more equal, with each of the new seats having a population of between 69,724 and 77,062 people.

BCE secretary Tim Bowden said: "Today's proposals mark the first time people get to see what the new map of parliamentary constituencies might look like.

"But these are just our initial thoughts. Help us draw the line to make the number of electors in each parliamentary constituency more equal.

"We want to hear the views of the public to ensure that we get the new boundaries for parliamentary constituencies right."

The current parliamentary constituency boundaries take account of the different local authorities governing the area.

The area covered by Somerset County Council is currently divided into five constituencies – Bridgwater and West Somerset, Somerton and Frome, Taunton Deane, Wells and Yeovil, all of which currently have Conservative MPs.

Under the new proposals, these boundaries will be redrawn with new seats being created – with some of the new seats including parishes from neighbouring counties.

Here's how the new seats will look:

BRIDGWATER – expected constituents: 71,418

To create this new seat, Bridgwater will be separate from its current West Somerset neighbours, and will join up with Burnham-on-Sea, Highbridge and other coastal settlements from the current Wells seat.

The new boundary essentially follows the western boundaries of the Sedgemoor district – with eastern settlements like Axbridge and Cheddar moving into the neighbouring Wells and Mendips seat.

While Bridgwater and West Somerset MP Ian Liddell-Grainger has enjoyed a majority since his seat was created in 2010, Labour has held a strong presence in Bridgwater itself for many years.

And with the Liberal Democrats making gains in North Petherton and Burnham-on-Sea at the last Sedgemoor elections in 2019, this could end up being quite a close fight.

The new boundaries also mean Bridgwater's MP will no longer have the Hinkley Point C power station in their constituency, since that will become part of Tiverton and Minehead.

FROME – expected constituents: 70,202

The existing Somerton and Frome seat – held by David Warburton since 2015 – is one of the largest seats in Somerset, covering around 900 square miles.

The new Frome constituency takes the eastern extreme of the current seat, including Frome and Bruton while losing some of the villages east of Shepton Mallet.

It also includes Midsomer Norton and Radstock, which currently form part of the North East Somerset seat held by Jacob Rees-Mogg since 2010.

This means the new Frome constituency straddles three local authority areas – Bath and North East Somerset, Mendip and South Somerset – which could lead to disagreements down the line.

While Mr Warburton has enjoyed a large majority since being elected, strong pockets of Labour support near Radstock, coupled with strong showings by both the Lib Dems and Greens in Frome, could come into play.

GLASTONBURY AND SOMERTON – expected population: 69,990

The new Glastonbury and Somerton seat is being created out of the majority of the existing Somerton and Frome seat, including the towns of Castle Cary, Langport, Somerton and Wincanton (but not Bruton).

It will also include the town of Glastonbury and the neighbouring village of Street – meaning the seat straddles the Mendip and South Somerset districts.

At district level, several political parties have strong pockets of support, with the Conservatives doing well in Langport and Wincanton, while the Lib Dems and Greens won in Street and Glastonbury back in 2019.

Like the new Frome seat, this may end up being a constituency where many of the more left-leaning parties end up competing for the same votes.

TAUNTON – expected constituents: 71,194

The existing Taunton Deane constituency has been held by Defra minister Rebecca Pow since 2015, though her majority did fall slightly at the last general election.

The proposed Taunton seat will retain Somerset's county town, as well as Wellington and the surrounding villages – but it will lose Wiveliscombe and settlements like Bishops Lydeard at the southern end of the Quantock Hills.

The Lib Dems have traditionally polled well in local elections in Taunton and Wellington, and remain the largest party on Somerset West and Taunton Council despite three recent resignations (with two upcoming by-elections).