WORCESTERSHIRE could lose an MP under Conservative proposals to reduce the financial burden of politicians on the taxpayer.

The Tories expected to announce plans to axe a fifth of Westminster MPs, from 659 to less than 550.

This would mean each MP would represent about 100,000 constituents rather than the 70,000 average they do at the moment and would see Worcestershire's quota reduced from six - excluding Leominster -- to five.

Andrew Tyrie, the shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury, said the move would address voters' disenchantment with politicians by cutting them back and providing better value for money.

The idea follows controversy in October when MPs' expenses were published for the first time revealing that each MP costs around £200,000 a year.

Mid-Worcestershire MP Peter Luff admitted the move would benefit the Tories electorally, and it was "broadly a good idea".

"I think the numbers they are talking about are sensible," he said.

"I wouldn't want my constituency to be too much bigger than it already is - you don't want to go too far because you then lose the professional contact with constituents and that is the strength of the British Parliamentary system."

"I don't think I would deliver a lower level to my constituents. We could easily reduce Worcestershire to five MPs."

The moves would be introduced slowly over the duration of two boundary reviews, which take about 12 years each.

But Labour's Worcester MP, Mike Foster, condemned the scheme as a "gimmick" that the Tories would fail to implement if they got into power.

"I don't believe for one minute that if the Conservatives were to win and they moved from 160 MPs to, say, 350 MPs, they would then start getting rid of seats," he said.