A NEW vision of how Oxford should be represented in future parliaments is to be considered by the Boundary Commission.

The commission had put forward preliminary proposals which would see slight alterations made to the Oxford East and Oxford West and Abingdon constituencies.

But it will now consider representations from the Labour and Green Party groups on the city council, which are intended to ensure areas in the new Oxford East seat would be more 'culturally and socially connected'.

Under the commission's plans the council wards of North and St Margaret's, currently in the Oxford West and Abingdon constituency, would be moved into Oxford East.

But Labour and the Greens have proposed moving Jericho and Osney ward instead of St Margaret's.

City council leader Labour councillor Bob Price said: "We think it makes sense.

"If you look at the city and the way it works and will work with the development going on Jericho and Osney is an integral part of the city centre.

"Jericho is right next to the city centre and provides housing and employment.

"Osney is planned for significant development as part of the university and our development of the west end of the city.

"It makes sense to have that as part of Oxford East."

The Boundary Commission has proposed widespread re-drawing of parliamentary constituencies across the United Kingdom as part of Government plans to cut the number of MPs from 650 to 600 by the 2020 General Election.

It is currently consulting on the plans and will publish revised proposals in the middle of next year based on the responses it receives.

At a meeting of the city council's executive board on Thursday night the board decided the Labour and Green recommendations would be put forward by the local authority, rather than a rival Liberal Democrat vision.

The Lib Dems have suggested that both North and St Margaret's should remain in Oxford West and Abingdon, which would also gain Carfax and Holywell wards from Oxford East.

Garsington, Sandford and Wheatley would then move in to Oxford East.

Lib Dem group leader Andrew Gant said: "We were looking at the piece as a a whole, rather than just Oxford city and how the different communities across the county fit together.

"It seems to us a little odd that Jericho and Osney – which is the westernmost part of the city – would be in a seat called Oxford East.

"There are strong community ties between Garsington, Sandford and Wheatley and Oxford East."

The Lib Dem proposals will be submitted to the Boundary Commission independently of the city council's response, which Mr Gant said was 'a majority view, not a unanimous one'.