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Edinburgh North and Leith (UK Parliament constituency) facts for kids

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Edinburgh North and Leith is a constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom (at Westminster), first used in the 1997 general election. It elects one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first past the post system of election.

In 1999, a Scottish Parliament constituency was created with the same name and boundaries. See Edinburgh North and Leith (Scottish Parliament constituency). The boundaries of the Westminster constituency were altered, however, in 2005, and the Scottish Parliament constituency retained the older boundaries until 2011. Since then, the seat has mainly been split between the Edinburgh Northern and Leith and Edinburgh Central constituencies at Holyrood, with a small area also located in Edinburgh Western.

At the 2014 Scottish independence referendum, the constituency returned an above average No vote; 60% voted for Scotland to stay in the United Kingdom, while 40% voted Yes to independence. At the 2016 referendum on UK membership of the European Union, the constituency voted to Remain by 78.2%. This constituency was the seventh-highest supporter for a Remain vote.

Constituency profile

The constituency is urbanised, affluent and left-leaning, and covers several northern communities of the city, as well as most of the former burgh of Leith, which controversially amalgamated with the City of Edinburgh in 1920. It has the highest proportion of residents living in tenements and flats of any parliamentary constituency in the United Kingdom, and a relatively high proportion of university graduates. It includes a mix of leafy, expensive residential areas in the South and West of the constituency and densely populated areas nearer to Leith with more young professionals and students, as well as older residents whose families have lived there during several previous generations.

It also includes Calton Hill, the shops and offices on the northern side of Princes Street, Bute House, the official residence of the First Minister of Scotland, St Mary's Episcopal Cathedral, the Edinburgh Playhouse, the Edinburgh Waterfront, the stretch of the Water of Leith from Dean Village to Leith Harbour, the Royal Botanical Gardens, the Western General Hospital and the notable private schools.

Boundaries

When created in 1997, Edinburgh North and Leith was largely a replacement for the Edinburgh Leith constituency, and was one of six constituencies covering the City of Edinburgh council area. One of those six, Edinburgh East and Musselburgh straddled the boundary with the East Lothian council area to take in Musselburgh. In terms of wards used in elections to the City of Edinburgh Council between 1995 and 2007, the constituency included the wards of Broughton, Calton, Granton, Harbour, Lorne, New Town, Newhaven, Pilton, Stockbridge and Trinity.

Constituency boundaries in Scotland were revised for the 2005 election. The number of constituencies within the city was reduced from six to five, each now entirely within the city area, and Musselburgh was reunited with the remainder of East Lothian. A new Edinburgh North and Leith constituency was created, including the whole of the former one, but also taking in the Dean ward from Edinburgh Central and Craigleith ward from Edinburgh West.

As a result of the Local Governance (Scotland) Act 2004, these wards were replaced with new, larger wards for the Council elections on 3 May 2007. The constituency now includes parts of the new wards of Leith, Leith Walk, Forth, Inverleith and City Centre, but none of these exclusively.

Members of Parliament

Election Member Party
1997 Malcolm Chisholm Labour
2001 Mark Lazarowicz Labour Co-op
2015 Deidre Brock SNP

Election results

Elections in the 2010s

General election 2019: Edinburgh North and Leith
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
SNP Deidre Brock 25,925 43.7 Increase 9.7
Labour Gordon Munro 13,117 22.1 Decrease 9.0
Conservative Iain McGill 11,000 18.5 Decrease 8.7
Liberal Democrats Bruce Wilson 6,635 11.2 Increase 6.6
Green Steve Burgess 1,971 3.3 Increase 0.3
Brexit Party Robert Speirs 558 0.9 New
Renew Heather Astbury 138 0.2 New
Majority 12,808 21.6 Increase 18.7
Turnout 59,334 73.0 Increase 1.8
SNP hold Swing Increase 9.4
General election 2017: Edinburgh North and Leith
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
SNP Deidre Brock 19,243 34.0 Decrease 6.9
Labour Gordon Munro 17,618 31.1 Decrease 0.2
Conservative Iain McGill 15,385 27.2 Increase 11.0
Liberal Democrats Martin Veart 2,579 4.6 Increase 0.1
Green Lorna Slater 1,727 3.0 Decrease 2.4
Majority 1,625 2.9 Decrease 6.7
Turnout 56,552 71.2 Decrease 0.5
SNP hold Swing Decrease 3.3
General election 2015: Edinburgh North and Leith
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
SNP Deidre Brock 23,742 40.9 Increase 31.3
Labour Mark Lazarowicz 18,145 31.3 Decrease 6.2
Conservative Iain McGill 9,378 16.2 Increase 1.3
Green Sarah Beattie-Smith 3,140 5.4 Increase 3.2
Liberal Democrats Martin Veart 2,634 4.5 Decrease 29.3
UKIP Alan Melville 847 1.5 New
Left Unity (TUSC) Bruce Whitehead 122 0.2 Decrease 0.3
Majority 5,597 9.6 N/A
Turnout 58,008 71.7 Increase 3.3
SNP gain from Labour and Co-operative Swing Increase 18.7
General election 2010: Edinburgh North and Leith
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Mark Lazarowicz 17,740 37.5 Increase 3.3
Liberal Democrats Kevin Lang 16,016 33.8 Increase 4.6
Conservative Iain McGill 7,079 14.9 Decrease 3.8
SNP Calum Cashley 4,568 9.6 Decrease 0.6
Green Kate Joester 1,062 2.2 Decrease 3.6
Liberal John Hein 389 0.8 New
TUSC Willie Black 233 0.5 New
Socialist Labour David Jacobsen 141 0.3 New
Independent Cameron James MacIntyre 128 0.3 New
Majority 1,724 3.7 Decrease 1.3
Turnout 47,356 68.4 Increase 5.7
Labour and Co-operative hold Swing Decrease 0.7

Elections in the 2000s

General election 2005: Edinburgh North and Leith
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Mark Lazarowicz 14,597 34.2 -7.7
Liberal Democrats Mike Crockart 12,444 29.2 +8.9
Conservative Iain Whyte 7,969 18.7 ±0.0
SNP Davie Hutchison 4,344 10.2 -4.2
Green Mark Sydenham 2,482 5.8 New
Scottish Socialist Bill Scott 804 1.9 -1.7
Majority 2,153 5.0 -21.5
Turnout 42,640 62.7 +8.8
Labour and Co-operative hold Swing -8.3
General election 2001: Edinburgh North and Leith
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Mark Lazarowicz 15,271 45.9 -1.0
Liberal Democrats Sebastian Tombs 6,454 19.4 +6.4
SNP Kaukab Stewart 5,290 15.9 -4.2
Conservative Iain Mitchell 4,626 13.9 -4.0
Scottish Socialist Catriona Grant 1,334 4.0 +3.2
Socialist Labour Don Jacobsen 259 0.8 New
Majority 8,817 26.5 -0.3
Turnout 33,234 53.0 -13.5
Labour and Co-operative hold Swing

Elections in the 1990s

General election 1997: Edinburgh North and Leith
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Malcolm Chisholm 19,209 46.9 N/A
SNP Anne Dana 8,231 20.1 N/A
Conservative Ewen Stewart 7,312 17.9 N/A
Liberal Democrats Hillary Campbell 5,335 13.0 N/A
Referendum Sandy Graham 441 1.1 N/A
Scottish Socialist Gavin Browne 320 0.8 N/A
Natural Law Paul Douglas-Reid 97 0.2 N/A
Majority 10,978 26.8 N/A
Turnout 40,945 66.5 N/A
Scottish Labour hold Swing

See also

  • Politics of Edinburgh
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