Edinburgh North and Leith (UK Parliament constituency)

Not to be confused with Edinburgh Northern and Leith (Scottish Parliament constituency) or Edinburgh North and Leith (Scottish Parliament constituency).

Edinburgh North and Leith
Burgh constituency
for the House of Commons
Map
Interactive map of boundaries from 2024
Location within Scotland
Subdivisions of ScotlandCity of Edinburgh
Major settlementsEdinburgh (part), Leith
Current constituency
Created1997
Member of ParliamentTracy Gilbert (Labour)
Created fromEdinburgh Leith

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.[1] 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 of a Remain vote.[2]

Constituency profile

The constituency is urbanised, affluent and left-leaning,[3] 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.

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.[4] 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.

1997-2005: The City of Edinburgh wards of Broughton, Calton, Granton, Harbour, Lorne, New Town, Newhaven, Pilton, Stockbridge and Trinity.

2005-2010: As above plus Dean and Craigleith wards.

2010-2024: Parts of the City of Edinburgh wards of Leith, Leith Walk, Forth, Inverleith and City Centre.

Updated as a result of the Local Governance (Scotland) Act 2004

2024-present: As above plus Almond ward.[5]

Members of Parliament

Election Member[6] Party
1997 Malcolm Chisholm Labour
2001 Mark Lazarowicz Labour Co-op
2015 Deidre Brock SNP
2024 Tracy Gilbert Labour

Election results

Elections in the 2020s

General election 2024: Edinburgh North and Leith[7][8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Tracy Gilbert 20,805 42.1 +20.4
SNP Deidre Brock 13,537 27.4 −16.4
Scottish Green Kayleigh O'Neill 5,417 10.9 +7.6
Liberal Democrats Mike Andersen 3,879 7.8 −4.7
Conservative Joanna Mowat 3,254 6.6 −11.0
Reform UK Alan Melville 1,818 3.7 +2.8
Socialist Labour David Jacobsen 227 0.5 N/A
Scottish Family Niel Deepnarain 210 0.4 N/A
Communist Richard Shillcock 189 0.4 N/A
Independent Caroline Waterloo 139 0.3 N/A
Majority 7,268 14.7 N/A
Turnout 49,648 63.3 −9.8
Registered electors 78,411
Labour gain from SNP Swing +18.4

Elections in the 2010s

General election 2019: Edinburgh North and Leith[9][10][11]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
SNP Deidre Brock 25,925 43.7 +9.7
Labour Co-op Gordon Munro 13,117 22.1 −9.0
Conservative Iain McGill 11,000 18.5 −8.7
Liberal Democrats Bruce Wilson 6,635 11.2 +6.6
Scottish Green Steve Burgess 1,971 3.3 +0.3
Brexit Party Robert Speirs 558 0.9 New
Renew Heather Astbury 138 0.2 New
Majority 12,808 21.6 +18.7
Turnout 59,334 73.0 +1.8
SNP hold Swing +9.4
General election 2017: Edinburgh North and Leith[12][13]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
SNP Deidre Brock 19,243 34.0 −6.9
Labour Co-op Gordon Munro 17,618 31.1 −0.2
Conservative Iain McGill 15,385 27.2 +11.0
Liberal Democrats Martin Veart 2,579 4.6 +0.1
Scottish Green Lorna Slater 1,727 3.0 −2.4
Majority 1,625 2.9 −6.7
Turnout 56,552 71.2 −0.5
SNP hold Swing −3.3
See also: Opinion polling in United Kingdom constituencies, 2010–15 § Edinburgh North and Leith
General election 2015: Edinburgh North and Leith[14][15]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
SNP Deidre Brock 23,742 40.9 +31.3
Labour Co-op Mark Lazarowicz[16] 18,145 31.3 −6.2
Conservative Iain McGill[17] 9,378 16.2 +1.3
Scottish Green Sarah Beattie-Smith[18] 3,140 5.4 +3.2
Liberal Democrats Martin Veart 2,634 4.5 −29.3
UKIP Alan Melville[19] 847 1.5 New
Left Unity (TUSC) Bruce Whitehead[20] 122 0.2 −0.3
Majority 5,597 9.6 N/A
Turnout 58,008 71.7 +3.3
SNP gain from Labour Co-op Swing +18.7
General election 2010: Edinburgh North and Leith[21]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Co-op Mark Lazarowicz 17,740 37.5 +3.3
Liberal Democrats Kevin Lang 16,016 33.8 +4.6
Conservative Iain McGill 7,079 14.9 −3.8
SNP Calum Cashley 4,568 9.6 −0.6
Scottish Green Kate Joester 1,062 2.2 −3.6
Liberal John Hein 389 0.8 N/A
TUSC Willie Black 233 0.5 N/A
Socialist Labour David Jacobsen 141 0.3 New
Independent Cameron James MacIntyre 128 0.3 New
Majority 1,724 3.7 −1.3
Turnout 47,356 68.4 +5.7
Labour Co-op hold Swing −0.7

Elections in the 2000s

General election 2005: Edinburgh North and Leith
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Co-op 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
Scottish 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 Co-op hold Swing −8.3
General election 2001: Edinburgh North and Leith
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Co-op 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 Co-op hold Swing

Elections in the 1990s

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

See also

References

  1. ^ "Scottish Independence Referendum 2014 results". Archived from the original on 14 May 2021. Retrieved 5 May 2020.
  2. ^ "Revised estimates of leave vote in Westminster constituencies". Archived from the original on 15 March 2017. Retrieved 26 October 2016.
  3. ^ "Edinburgh North and Leith: Seat Details". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 9 November 2021. Retrieved 9 November 2021.
  4. ^ "Fifth Periodical Review". Boundary Commission for Scotland. Archived from the original on 21 September 2007.
  5. ^ "New Seat Details - Edinburgh North and Leith". www.electoralcalculus.co.uk. Retrieved 18 July 2024.
  6. ^ Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "E" (part 1)
  7. ^ "UK Parliamentary General Election 2024 Edinburgh North and Leith Constituency". City of Edinburgh Council. Retrieved 16 July 2024.
  8. ^ "Edinburgh North and Leith results". BBC News. Retrieved 16 July 2024.
  9. ^ "UK Parliamentary General Election – 12 December 2019". The City of Edinburgh Council. Archived from the original on 15 November 2019. Retrieved 15 November 2019.
  10. ^ "Edinburgh North & Leith parliamentary constituency – Election 2019". BBC News. Archived from the original on 8 May 2015. Retrieved 16 December 2019.
  11. ^ "Commons Briefing Paper 8749. General Election 2019: results and analysis" (PDF). London: House of Commons Library. 28 January 2020. Archived (PDF) from the original on 18 November 2021. Retrieved 19 January 2022.
  12. ^ "Who you can vote for: UK Parliamentary General Election 8 June 2017 candidates". City of Edinburgh Council. Archived from the original on 14 May 2017. Retrieved 11 May 2017.
  13. ^ "Commons Briefing Paper 7979. General Election 2017: results and analysis" (PDF) (Second ed.). House of Commons Library. 29 January 2019 [7 April 2018]. Archived (PDF) from the original on 12 November 2019.
  14. ^ "Election Data 2015". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 17 October 2015. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  15. ^ Council, The City of Edinburgh. "UK Parliamentary election results 2015 | The City of Edinburgh Council". www.edinburgh.gov.uk. Archived from the original on 23 September 2015. Retrieved 24 August 2015.
  16. ^ "UK ELECTION RESULTS: EDINBURGH NORTH & LEITH 2015". Archived from the original on 21 September 2019. Retrieved 21 September 2019.
  17. ^ "Iain McGill for Edinburgh North & Leith". Edinburgh Conservative and Unionist Federation. 2014. Archived from the original on 11 January 2015. Retrieved 10 January 2015.
  18. ^ "Edinburgh North & Leith". UK Polling Report. Archived from the original on 5 December 2014. Retrieved 10 December 2014.
  19. ^ "UK Polling Report". Archived from the original on 25 April 2015. Retrieved 27 April 2015.
  20. ^ "Home". Archived from the original on 2 April 2015. Retrieved 17 March 2022.
  21. ^ "Election Data 2010". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 26 July 2013. Retrieved 17 October 2015.

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