The room in Wandsworth Town Hall where the boundary commission are holding their public consultation holds 100. But only 15 sit on the upholstered red leather seats.
Inside the hall, delegates are given a quarter of an hour to speak. Listening to the process? Two workers from the boundary commission.
Bob Farrance, an adviser to the commission and one of those listening, says the whole consultation process should take a year. The proposals to cut the number of MPs from 650 to 600 were published in September, and public hearings are currently being held across England.
Farrance says the process is "designed for people to make real submissions" adding that based on previous history "we expect to be making some changes".
On a dreary Monday morning, Wandsworth is holding the last of the five in London. Similar meetings have been held in Kensington, Brent, Lewisham and Newham, and the public can make written submissions online. Once the hearings are over, the written evidence will be published and more submissions invited. Then consultation will report by Autumn 2012.
The hearing will continue until 8 this evening, after opening to the public at 11am. MPs, speakers from local authorities and political parties, as well as concerned residents, are allocated 15 minutes to make the case supporting or opposing the changes.
Halfway through the meeting, the council worker on the door estimates 18 people have come to give their views on plans to cut the number of MPs in London from 73 to 68. It is at the apex of local democracy. But outside the Town Hall, no one approached in the street by Huff Post UK seems to know what the boundary commission is, or that the meeting is taking place. None are certain of what constituency they currently live in, or what changes are proposed in their area.
But the meeting itself has attracted big names: among those billed to speak during Monday's 10 hour hearing include MPs Kate Hoey, Laura Sandys, Tom Brake, Paul Burstow and Simon Hughes.
When taking to the stand everyone is asked to give their name, address and political affiliation. Many don't use the full quarter of an hour, and some fail to turn up at all.
Alan Swinton, a member of the Conservative party speaking for Sutton and Cheam manages a sentence: "I speak in favour of the changes".
A middle aged man who works for the Conservative party and declines to give his name explains that some people are asked to come to the consultation to avoid it only attracting members of the public who oppose the changes.
Political parties go to all the consultations, he says, to report back on what's said. So is it boring? He smiles. "It has its moments. It is not meant to be exciting, it is a job that has to be done."
He adds: "Parties bring people. It is important people register their support as well as discontent."
Inside the hall there's little evidence of the tension about the changes MPs warned about.
But there are grumblings. Neil Martin, the chair of Mitcham local residents association, says he wants to register how "appalled" he is by the changes. And he doesn't think the residents association will be happy either.
"I would urge the commission to reject the proposals to carve up Mitcham… Mitcham will be irretrievably damaged by being at the conjunction of three constituencies."
His views are echoed by Siobhain McDonagh. McDonagh has been Labour MP for Mitcham for 14 years, and prior to that spent 18 years as a councilor. She's previously referred to the boundary changes as a "very British coup".
After listening to delegates for an hour, she rises to stand up for her constituency. "Mitcham needs to stay together in order to ensure its people are represented...
"Anybody who holds my role, in order to fight for Mitcham needs to be the MP for the whole of Mitcham."
Others also complain about constituency changes. Philip Bradley a member of the Labour party in Tooting warns the hearing: "The boundary commission has cut across physical and human geography features".
In the front row, a man in a suit nods his head, while flicking through an A-Z of London.