“Reformers are still left wondering where voting reform figures in the new government’s priorities. Whether the measures outlined today amount to a Big Bang or a damp squib will depend on the timetable.

“We note the urgency placed on Lords reform. We of course welcome steps to modernise the Upper House, but the Commons is still the cockpit of our democracy. The crisis of trust in politics began in the Commons, and requires urgent attention, starting with the voting system.

“Plans to reduce and equalise seats in the Commons are a populist, but a very Red Herring. The government would be wise not to muddy the water by making reform of the voting system part of a bigger package.

“There are arguments to be had over the size of the Commons and what ‘equalising seats’ should even mean, but they are separate from the argument that we need to change the voting system.”