Scottish Labour MPs whose seats have vanished in the Boundary Commission shake-up have been told to select one constituency to contest at the next general election.

The ruling comes in light of the Boundary Commission's proposals to cut the number of Scottish MPs at the next general election by 13.

The decision by Labour Party officials that candidates must commit themselves to a single constituency will annoy some MPs.

Those in cities like Glasgow and Edinburgh, where a number of seats are being lost, had been hoping to keep their options open by putting their names forward in more than one constituency.

	Click here for a detailed map of the new seats

Although the Boundary Commission's recommendations are barely a week old and selection procedures are still some way off, the jockeying for position is already beginning in earnest.

Officials are now drawing up procedures aimed at forestalling divisive selection contests.

Under the plans, MPs in cities like Glasgow and Edinburgh - where more than one constituency is to be lost - will have to commit themselves to a single seat before knowing whether they stand a realistic chance of winning the party nomination.

Because of the disruption caused by the Boundary Commission's proposals, the Scottish party will also exempted from the national Labour policy aimed at boosting the number of female MPs.

MPs anomaly

That is likely to be unpopular with many Labour activists north of the border.

The Boundary Commission report plans to cut the number of members elected to the House of Commons from 72 to 59.

Labour, which holds 56 of Scotland's 72 seats, looks set to be the biggest loser under the shake-up, which has been brought about by that party's decision to introduce devolution.

The Scotland Act, which paved the way for the establishment of the Scottish Parliament, contained an agreement to end the anomaly of Scotland's over-representation at Westminster.

The three other parties could also lose seats under the redrawn boundaries.

Loss ahead?

The Tories could witness their only Scottish seat fall into Labour hands as the Galloway and Upper Nithsdale constituency is extended to include Dumfries.

The Liberal Democrats could go down from 10 MPs to nine as one of the Borders constituencies disappears.

And the Scottish National Party could also lose one of its five seats as Tayside North disappears.

Click here for a closer look at the changes.