The MPs for Montgomeryshire and Brecon and Radnorshire, Glyn Davies and Chris Davies, have called for the proposals to reduce the number of parliamentary constituencies from 650 to 600 to be reconsidered by the UK Government.

The proposals reduce the number of MPs in Wales from the current 40 to 29, carving up Glyn Davies' Montgomeryshire constituency into three and extending the size of Chris Davies' Brecon and Radnorshire seat.

The Powys MPs are both in favour of the boundaries being reviewed, but aren't happy about the way in which the new constituencies have been divided up, and the overall loss of seats in the House of Commons.

In Glyn Davies' Politically Speaking column on page 10 of this week’s County Times, he says: “My view is that the proposals are a total dog’s dinner. And it’s not the fault of the Boundary Commissions.

“The blame lies squarely on the politicians who stitched up the commissioners so tightly that they had no real choice but deliver the dog’s dinner.”

He also said, speaking to the BBC on Monday morning, that the proposed changes are "destroying centuries of history and fundamentally undermining democracy in Central Wales".

“I continue to do all I can to cause delay and a rethink of these damaging proposals," he said.

Chris Davies MP said: “With leaving the European Union the UK Parliament will be taking on much more legislation and the Welsh Assembly are also looking to expand even though they are only taking on a slightly bigger workload.

“I would feel much happier if the government re-looked at the reorganisation in order to maintain the current 650 seats, and I am working closely with my Powys colleague Glyn Davies MP to see how this can be achieved.”

Ian Harrison, who presented a petition to save the shire and offered alternative boundary proposals to the Boundary Commission, said: “We were certainly disappointed to see that the commission had paid no attention to either our alternative proposal or our petition, which offered a better solution than their own.

“We were also disappointed and frustrated that the local Lib Dems supported the commission’s proposal to break up Montgomeryshire.

“Our one hope is that our MP, Glyn Davies, will continue the battle in Westminster and convince fellow MPs to vote against the commission’s proposal and save our ancient constituency. We don’t know when the vote will be yet. Hopefully soon.”