Edinburgh Western (Scottish Parliament constituency)

Edinburgh Western (Gaelic: Dùn Èideann an Iar) is a constituency of the Scottish Parliament (Holyrood) covering part of the City of Edinburgh council area. It elects one Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) by the plurality (first past the post) method of election. It is one of nine constituencies in the Lothian electoral region, which elects seven additional members, in addition to the 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 Western
Burgh constituency
for the Scottish Parliament
Edinburgh Western shown within the Lothian electoral region and the region shown within Scotland
Population85,095 (2019)[1]
Current constituency
Created2011
PartyScottish Liberal Democrats
MSPAlex Cole-Hamilton
Council areaCity of Edinburgh
Created fromEdinburgh West

The constituency was created in 2011, when it replaced the former Edinburgh West constituency.

The seat has been held by Alex Cole-Hamilton of the Scottish Liberal Democrats since the 2016 Scottish Parliament election.

Electoral region
See also: Lothian (Scottish Parliament electoral region)

The other eight constituencies of the Lothian region are: Almond Valley, Edinburgh Central, Edinburgh Eastern, Edinburgh Northern and Leith, Edinburgh Pentlands, Edinburgh Southern, Linlithgow and Midlothian North and Musselburgh.

The region includes all of the City of Edinburgh council area, parts of the East Lothian council area, parts of the Midlothian council area and all of the West Lothian council area.

Constituency boundaries and council area

The City of Edinburgh council area is represented in the Scottish Parliament by five constituencies: Edinburgh Central, Edinburgh Eastern, Edinburgh Northern and Leith, Edinburgh Pentlands, Edinburgh Southern and Edinburgh Western.

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.[2]

For the 2011 Scottish Parliament election, Edinburgh West was redrawn and renamed "Edinburgh Western". The electoral wards used in this seat are:[3]

Members of the Scottish Parliament

As Edinburgh Western

ElectionMemberParty
2011 Colin Keir SNP
2016 Alex Cole-Hamilton Liberal Democrats

Election results

2020s
2021 Scottish Parliament election: Edinburgh Western[4][5][6]
Party Candidate Constituency Regional
Votes % ±% Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Alex Cole-Hamilton[lower-alpha 1] 25,578 54.7 Increase12.8 11,923 25.5 Increase4.6
SNP Sarah Masson 15,693 33.5 Decrease0.9 14,409 30.7 Decrease1.4
Conservative Sue Webber 2,798 6.0 Decrease8.3 9,350 20.0 Decrease5.6
Labour Margaret Graham 2,515 5.4 Decrease4.0 5,140 11.0 Decrease0.6
Scottish Green 4,101 8.7 Increase1.8
Alba 614 1.3 New
All for Unity 240 0.5 New
Animal Welfare 237 0.5 New
Scottish Family 227 0.5 New
Libertarian Daniel Fraser 201 0.4 New 107 0.2 New
Abolish the Scottish Parliament 94 0.2 New
Freedom Alliance (UK) 90 0.2 New
Women's Equality 86 0.2 Decrease0.6
Reform UK 64 0.1 New
Communist 44 0.1 New
UKIP 42 0.1 Decrease1.4
Independent Ashley Graczyk 27 0.1 New
SDP 25 0.1 New
Renew 9 0.0 New
Majority 9,885 21.2 Increase13.7
Valid Votes 46,785 46,829
Invalid Votes 116 67
Turnout 46,901 71.5 Increase6.8 46,895 71.5 Increase6.8
Liberal Democrats hold Swing Increase6.9
Notes
  1. Incumbent member for this constituency

In 2021, Edinburgh Western set the record for the most votes ever cast for a single candidate in a Scottish Parliament election.[7]

2010s
2016 Scottish Parliament election: Edinburgh Western[8][9]
Party Candidate Constituency Region
Votes % ±% Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Alex Cole-Hamilton 16,645 41.9 Increase14.1 8,321 20.9 Increase9.0
SNP Toni Giugliano 13,685 34.4 Decrease1.4 12,835 32.2 Decrease5.9
Conservative Sandy Batho 5,686 14.3 Decrease0.8 10,199 25.6 Increase10.8
Labour Cat Headley 3,750 9.4 Decrease12.0 4,624 11.6 Decrease5.9
Scottish Green 2,760 6.9 Increase1.8
UKIP 594 1.5 Increase0.7
Women's Equality 309 0.8 New
RISE 115 0.3 New
Solidarity 101 0.3 Increase0.2
Majority 2,960 7.5 N/A
Valid Votes 39,766 39,858
Invalid Votes 124 55
Turnout 39,890 64.7 Increase5.0 39,913 64.7 Increase5.1
Liberal Democrats gain from SNP Swing
Notes
    2011 Scottish Parliament election: Edinburgh Western[10][11][12]
    Party Candidate Constituency Region
    Votes % ±% Votes % ±%
    SNP Colin Keir 11,965 35.8 N/A 12,747 38.1 N/A
    Liberal Democrats Margaret Smith[lower-alpha 1] 9,276 27.7 N/A 3,988 11.9 N/A
    Labour Lesley Hinds 7,164 21.4 N/A 5,870 17.5 N/A
    Conservative Gordon Lindhurst 5,047 15.1 N/A 4,952 14.8 N/A
    Independent Margo MacDonald[lower-alpha 1] 2,707 8.1 N/A
    Scottish Green 1,728 5.2 N/A
    All-Scotland Pensioners Party 424 1.3 N/A
    UKIP 268 0.8 N/A
    BNP 200 0.6 N/A
    Liberal 156 0.5 N/A
    Socialist Labour 131 0.4 N/A
    Scottish Christian 92 0.3 N/A
    Scottish Socialist 92 0.3 N/A
    CPA 66 0.2 N/A
    Solidarity 28 0.1 N/A
    Independent Ken O'Neil 12 0.0 N/A
    Independent Mev Brown 6 0.0 N/A
    Independent David Hogg 6 0.0 N/A
    Majority 2,689 7.9 N/A
    Valid Votes 33,452 33,473
    Invalid Votes 152 99
    Turnout 33,604 59.6 N/A 33,572 59.6 N/A
    SNP win (new seat)
    Notes
    1. Incumbent member on the party list, or for another constituency

    See also

    References
    1. Scottish Parliamentary Constituency (SPC) Population Estimates (2011 Data Zone based), National Records of Scotland; retrieved 6 May 2021 (accompanying summary notes)
    2. See The 5th Periodical Report of the Boundary Commission for Scotland Archived September 21, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
    3. "First Periodic Review of Scottish Parliament Boundaries Final Report" (PDF). Boundaries Scotland. May 2010. p. 138. Retrieved 7 July 2021.
    4. Constituencies A-Z | Edinburgh Western, BBC News; retrieved 7 May 2021
    5. "Edinburgh Western constituency results". City of Edinburgh Council. 6 May 2021. Retrieved 12 July 2021.
    6. "Edinburgh Western regional results". City of Edinburgh Council. 6 May 2021. Retrieved 12 July 2021.
    7. Douglas, Barrie (20 August 2021). "Alex Cole-Hamilton named new Scottish Liberal Democrats leader". Evening Standard.
    8. "Edinburgh Western MSP Constituency Results". City of Edinburgh Council. 5 May 2016. Retrieved 12 July 2021.
    9. "Lothian regional results". City of Edinburgh Council. 5 May 2016. Retrieved 12 July 2021.
    10. "Western MSP Constituency Results 2011". City of Edinburgh Council. 5 May 2016. Retrieved 12 July 2021.
    11. "2011 Results of Regional List". City of Edinburgh Council. 5 May 2016. Retrieved 12 July 2021.
    12. "Results and turnout at the 2011 Scottish Parliament election". Electoral Commission. Retrieved 3 June 2021.
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