Proposals to move two Havering wards into a ‘Dagenham North’ constituency look set to be defeated after the Liberal Democrats withdrew their support for parliamentary boundary changes.

As reported in the Recorder in September of last year, the Boundary Commission proposed to move Brooklands and Mawneys wards from Romford into a new Dagenham North constituency in the House of Commons.

The move would have seen the number of MPs in Parliament cut from 650 to 600.

Every local constituency in the country would be affected differently, and Romford landmarks like Queen’s Hospital and Romford Greyhound Stadium moved into ‘Dagenham North’.

It would also have meant that different Dagenham North constituency parties would have selected candidates in those wards for elections to Havering Council.

But today (Monday) Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg said he would be instructing his MPs to vote against the national plans when they come before MPs.

Mr Clegg cited his failure to secure agreement on House of Lords reform with the Conservative Party for withdrawing his support for boundary changes.

He said: “Clearly I cannot permit a situation where Conservative rebels can pick and choose the parts of the contract they like while Liberal Democrat MPs are bound to the entire agreement.

“Coalition works on mutual respect; it is a reciprocal arrangement, a two way street.

“So I have told the Prime Minister that when, in due course, parliament votes on boundary changes for the 2015 election I will be instructing my party to oppose them.

“When part of a contract is broken, it is normal to amend that contract in order then to move on.”