The Boundary Commission for Scotland is to outline its plans to reduce the number of Scottish MPs from 59 to 53 on Thursday.

Here, BBC Scotland’s Andrew Kerr looks at the reasons for the changes – and what they could mean for Scottish MPs.

This is a story as old as our parliaments, as old as representative democracy. Where do we get our officials from to represent us and how many should there be?

Remember from the days of school history – the stories of the “rotten” or “pocket” boroughs”. Just a few voters or the landowner could send someone to parliament. Old Sarum, near Salisbury in Wiltshire, was perhaps the most notorious.

The practice was swept away in the 1832 Reform Act.

There are now new plans afoot for Scottish MPs – the 59 people who fly down to Westminster every week to represent our views.

It is possible that SNP MPs could have to fight each other to stand in the next general election and that pro-union MPs will face a struggle to get back into parliament.

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ARTICLE SOURCE: >> http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-37667282