Edinburgh West (Scottish Parliament constituency)

Edinburgh West was a constituency of the Scottish Parliament (Holyrood) from 1999 until 2011. It elected one Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) by the plurality (first past the post) method of election. It was also one of nine constituencies in the Lothians electoral region, which elected seven additional members, in addition to nine constituency MSPs, to produce a form of proportional representation for the region as a whole.

Not to be confused with Edinburgh West (UK Parliament constituency).

Edinburgh West
Former burgh constituency
for the Scottish Parliament
Edinburgh West shown within the Lothian electoral region and the region shown within Scotland
Former constituency
Created1999
Abolished2011
Council areaCity of Edinburgh
Replaced byEdinburgh Western

From the Scottish Parliament election, 2011, the Edinburgh West constituency was re-drawn and renamed Edinburgh Western.

Electoral region

The other eight constituencies of the Lothians region were Edinburgh Central, Edinburgh East and Musselburgh, Edinburgh North and Leith, Edinburgh Pentlands, Edinburgh South, Linlithgow, Livingston and Midlothian.

The region covered the City of Edinburgh council area, the West Lothian council area, part of the Midlothian council area, and part of the East Lothian council area.

Constituency boundaries and council area

The Edinburgh West constituency was created at the same time as the Scottish Parliament, in 1999, with the name and boundaries of an existing Westminster constituency. In 2005, however, Scottish Westminster (House of Commons) constituencies were mostly replaced with new constituencies.[1]

The Holyrood constituency covers a western portion of the City of Edinburgh council area. The rest of the city area is covered by five other constituencies, all also in the Lothians electoral region: Edinburgh North and Leith, Edinburgh Central, Edinburgh Pentlands, Edinburgh East and Musselburgh and Edinburgh South,

Edinburgh West has boundaries with the Edinburgh North and Leith constituency, the Edinburgh Central constituency, and the Edinburgh Pentlands constituency.

Edinburgh East and Musselburgh also covers the Musselburgh portion of the East Lothian council area. The rest of the East Lothian area is covered by the East Lothian constituency, which is in the South of Scotland electoral region.

Wards

Edinburgh West includes the wards of Cramond, Dalmeny and Kirkliston, Davidson's Mains, East Craigs, Gyle, Muirhouse and Drylaw, Murrayfield, North East Corstorphine, South Queensferry, South East Corstorphine, and Stenhouse, part of the Craigleith ward, which is split with Edinburgh Central, and part of the Pilton ward, which is split with Edinburgh North and Leith. The wards were created in 1999, at the same time as the constituency, and are due to be replaced with new wards in 2007, without change to constituency boundaries.

From the 2011 election, Edinburgh West is to be redrawn and renamed "Edinburgh Western". The electoral wards used in this seat are;

  • In full: Almond, Drum Brae/Gyle
  • In part: Forth, Inverleith, Corstorphine/Murrayfield

Constituency profile

Edinburgh West is mostly suburban, but takes in rural areas to the west. It includes Cramond, Davidson's Mains, East Craigs, Gyle, Murrayfield, Ratho, South Queensferry, a part of the Craigleith area and a part of the Pilton area.

Members of the Scottish Parliament
ElectionMemberParty
1999 Margaret Smith Scottish Liberal Democrats
2011 constituency abolished: replaced by Edinburgh Western

Election results
2007 Scottish Parliament election: Edinburgh West
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Margaret Smith 13,677 39.4 -3.9
SNP Sheena Cleland 7,791 22.4 +10.0
Conservative Gordon Lindhurst 7,361 21.2 -4.4
Labour Richard Meade 5,343 15.4 +0.3
Majority 5,886 16.9 -0.9
Turnout 34,752 57.9 +2.5
Liberal Democrats hold Swing
2003 Scottish Parliament election: Edinburgh West
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Margaret Smith 14,434 43.34 +6.88
Conservative James Douglas-Hamilton 8,520 25.58 +0.14
Labour Carol Fox 5,046 15.15 −6.16
SNP Alyn Smith 4,133 12.41 −5.61
Scottish Socialist Pat Smith 993 2.98 +2.98
Scottish Peoples Alliance Bruce Skivington 175 0.53 +0.53
Majority 5,914 17.76 +6.74
Turnout 33,301 55.38 −11.97
Liberal Democrats hold Swing
1999 Scottish Parliament election: Edinburgh West
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Margaret Smith 15,161 36.46 N/A
Conservative James Douglas-Hamilton 10,578 25.44 N/A
Labour Carol Fox 8,860 21.31 N/A
SNP Graham Sutherland 6,984 16.80 N/A
Majority 4,583 11.02 N/A
Turnout 41,583 N/A
Liberal Democrats win (new seat)

See also

References
  1. See The 5th Periodical Report of the Boundary Commission for Scotland Archived September 21, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
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