Edinburgh West is a burgh constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, first contested at the 1885 general election.[n 1] It has been represented since 2017 by Christine Jardine of the Liberal Democrats.
Prior to the 2005 general election, the boundaries were the same as the Edinburgh West Scottish Parliament constituency, created in 1999, later replaced by the Edinburgh Western Scottish Parliament constituency.
History
This commuter belt seat, distinctively in the city, was Unionist/Conservative for over 65 years, from the 1931 general election until the 1997 general election, although the Liberal/SDP Alliance and later the Liberal Democrats repeatedly came close to winning in the 1980s and early 1990s. By the time of the 2024 general election, the Conservatives had dropped to fourth place with just 5.5% of the vote.
After 1997, the seat was held by the Liberal Democrats until the 2015 general election. The Member of Parliament (MP) between the 2015 and 2017 general elections was Michelle Thomson, who was elected for the Scottish National Party (SNP) in May 2015. In September 2015, she resigned the party whip and sat as an Independent. Thomson chose not to seek reelection either for the SNP or as an Independent candidate.[2] At the 2017 general election, Christine Jardine of the Liberal Democrats gained the seat with a majority of 2,988 votes. Jardine held the seat in 2019 with a slightly increased margin, and again in 2024, when her majority increased to 16,470 votes (31.4%).
Up to 2024, the seat had been relative to others a marginal seat since 2005, as the winner's majority had not exceeded 8.2% of the vote since the 30% majority won in that year. The seat has changed hands twice electorally since that year and once through resigning the party whip.
Constituency profile
This is an affluent, left-leaning and pro-European seat[3] covering the northwestern portion of Edinburgh. It is mostly suburban, but takes in rural areas within the council area including Kirkliston and South Queensferry. Edinburgh Airport and Murrayfield Stadium are within the seat.
Boundaries
The seat was created when the Edinburgh constituency was abolished, in 1885, replaced by four seats: Edinburgh East, Edinburgh Central, Edinburgh South and Edinburgh West. The Central constituency was abolished in 2005. The East constituency was replaced by Edinburgh East and Musselburgh from 1997 to 2005 and again from 2024. The South and West constituencies have been in continuous use (with alterations to boundaries) since 1885.
1885–1918: The St. Andrew, St. Stephen, St. Bernard and St. Luke wards of the municipal burgh of Edinburgh.[4]
1918–1950: The Dalry, Gorgie, Haymarket and St. Bernard's wards of the county of the city of Edinburgh.[5]
1950–1955: The Corstorphine, Murrayfield-Cramond, St. Bernard's and Pilton wards of the county of the city of Edinburgh.[6]
1955–1974: The Corstorphine (with the exception of the area added by the Edinburgh Corporation Order Confirmation Act 1954), Murrayfield-Cramond, and Pilton wards of the county of the city of Edinburgh, and part of the St. Bernard's ward.[7]
1974–1983: The Corstorphine and Murrayfield-Cramond wards of the county of the city of Edinburgh, and that part of Pilton ward which is not included in the Edinburgh Leith constituency.[8]
1983–1997: Electoral divisions 11 (Cramond/Parkgrove), 15 (Corstorphine North), 16 (Telford/Blackhall), 19 (Corstorphine South) and 26 (Moat/Stenhouse) in the City of Edinburgh.[9]
1997–2005: Electoral divisions 11 (Queensferry/Kirkliston), 12 (Cramond/Blackhall), 13 (Drylaw/Muirhouse), 16 (Corstorphine North), and 21 (Corstorphine South) in the City of Edinburgh.[10]
2005–2024: Under the Fifth Review of UK Parliament constituencies, the constituency boundaries were defined in accordance with the ward structure in place on 30 November 2004 and contained the City of Edinburgh wards of Cramond, Dalmeny and Kirkliston, Davidson's Mains, East Craigs, Gyle, Muirhouse and Drylaw, Murrayfield, North East Corstorphine, Queensferry, South East Corstorphine and Stenhouse.
Before the 2005 general election, the seat was one of six covering the City of Edinburgh council area. Five were entirely within the city council area. One, Edinburgh East and Musselburgh, straddled the boundary with the East Lothian council area to take in Musselburgh. Constituency boundaries were revised for the 2005 election: Edinburgh West was enlarged, to include an area formerly within Edinburgh Central, and became one of five seats covering the city area.[11]
Further to the Local Governance (Scotland) Act 2004, the ward structure in the City of Edinburgh was changed. Consequently, from 2007, none of the new Edinburgh wards were wholly within the constituency. After further minor changes in 2017, the constituency contained the whole of the Almond ward, and Drum Brae/Gyle and Corstorphine/Murrayfield were almost entirely within it, together with a minority of Inverleith and small sections of Pentland Hills, City Centre and Sighthill/Gorgie.
2024–present: Further to the 2023 review of Westminster constituencies which came into effect for the 2024 general election, the boundary with the neighbouring constituency of Edinburgh North and Leith was revised. The remainder of the Corstorphine/Murrayfield ward was transferred from Edinburgh North and Leith, along with a further part of the Inverleith ward. To partly compensate, the eastern-most part of the Almond ward was moved in the opposite direction. The constituency now covers the following wards or part wards of the City of Edinburgh:[12][13]
- The bulk of Almond ward - except the Muirhouse area;
- a small part of Pentland Hills ward, comprising Ratho and surrounding rural areas;
- the bulk of Drum Brae/Gyle ward;
- western areas of Inverleith ward, comprising about half its electorate;
- the whole of Corstorphine/Murrayfield ward;
- a small part of Sighthill/Gorgie ward; and
- the western-most part of City Centre ward, comprising the West Coates area.
Members of Parliament
Election results
Elections in the 2020s
Elections in the 2010s
Elections in the 2000s
Elections in the 1990s
Elections in the 1980s
Elections in the 1970s
Elections in the 1960s
Elections in the 1950s
Elections in the 1940s
Elections in the 1930s
Elections in the 1920s
Elections in the 1910s
Elections in the 1900s
Elections in the 1890s
Elections in the 1880s
- Caused by Buchanan's resignation to seek re-election as a Liberal candidate.
See also
Notes
References
- ^ "2023 review final recs news release" (PDF). Boundary Commission for Scotland.
- ^ a b "Nicola Sturgeon learned of SNP MP allegations from Sunday newspaper". BBC News. 30 September 2015. Retrieved 1 October 2015.
- ^ "Edinburgh West: Seat Details". Electoral Calculus.
- ^ "Chap. 23. Redistribution of Seats Act, 1885". The Public General Acts of the United Kingdom passed in the forty-eighth and forty-ninth years of the reign of Queen Victoria. London: Eyre and Spottiswoode. 1885. pp. 111–198.
- ^ Fraser, Hugh (1918). The Representation of the People Act, 1918: with explanatory notes. London: Sweet and Maxwell.
- ^ "Representation of the People Act 1948: Schedule 1", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, 1948 c. 65 (sch. 1), retrieved 23 July 2023
- ^ "The Parliamentary Constituencies (Scotland) (Edinburgh North and Edinburgh West) Order 1955. SI 1955/28". Statutory Instruments 1955. Part II. London: Her Majesty's Stationery Office. 1956. pp. 2194–2195.
- ^ "The Parliamentary Constituencies (Scotland) Order 1970", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, SI 1970/1680, retrieved 23 July 2023
- ^ "The Parliamentary Constituencies (Scotland) Order 1983", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, SI 1983/422, retrieved 23 July 2023
- ^ "The Parliamentary Constituencies (Scotland) Order 1995", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, SI 1995/1037, retrieved 23 July 2023
- ^ "Fifth Periodical Review". Boundary Commission for Scotland. Archived from the original on 9 October 2007.
- ^ 2023 Review UK Parliament constituencies Boundary Commission for Scotland
- ^ "The Parliamentary Constituencies Order 2023". Schedule 3.
- ^ Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "E" (part 1)
- ^ "Edinburgh West results". BBC News. Retrieved 16 July 2024.
- ^ "UK Parliamentary General Election 2024 Edinburgh West Constituency". City of Edinburgh Council. Retrieved 16 July 2024.
- ^ "Edinburgh West notional election - December 2019". Rallings & Thrasher, Professor David Denver (Scotland), Nicholas Whyte (NI) for Sky News, PA, BBC News and ITV News. UK Parliament. Retrieved 11 July 2024.
- ^ "UK Parliamentary General Election – 12 December 2019". The City of Edinburgh Council. Archived from the original on 15 November 2019. Retrieved 15 November 2019.
- ^ "Edinburgh West parliamentary constituency – Election 2019". BBC News. Retrieved 16 December 2019.
- ^ "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.
- ^ "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.
- ^ "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.
- ^ "Election Data 2015". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 17 October 2015. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
- ^ Council, The City of Edinburgh. "The City of Edinburgh Council download – UK Parliamentary election results 2015 – Council and democracy – Elections and voting – Election results". www.edinburgh.gov.uk. Archived from the original on 23 September 2015. Retrieved 24 August 2015.
- ^ "Election Data 2010". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 26 July 2013. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
- ^ "Lib Dems' Barrett to quit as MP". BBC News. 25 July 2009. Retrieved 1 May 2010.
- ^ "BBC NEWS – Election 2010 – Edinburgh West". BBC News.
- ^ "Election Data 2005". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
- ^ "Election Data 2001". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
- ^ "Election Data 1997". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
- ^ "Political Science Resources: links to UK and US politics". www.psr.keele.ac.uk.
- ^ "Election Data 1992". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
- ^ "Politics Resources". Election 1992. Politics Resources. 9 April 1992. Archived from the original on 24 July 2011. Retrieved 6 December 2010.
- ^ "Election Data 1987". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
- ^ "Election Data 1983". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
- ^ The Times' Guide to the House of Commons. 1950.
- ^ Whitaker's Almanack, 1944
- ^ Whitaker's Almanack, 1939
- ^ The Times House of Commons, 1935
- ^ Whitaker's Almanack, 1934
- ^ a b c d e British Parliamentary Election Results 1885–1918, FWS Craig
- ^ Oliver and Boyd's Edinburgh Almanack, 1927
- ^ British Parliamentary Election Results 1918–1949, FWS Craig
- ^ Whitaker's Almanack, 1920
- ^ a b Debrett's House of Commons and the Judicial Bench, 1916
- ^ a b c d e f g h Craig, FWS, ed. (1974). British Parliamentary Election Results: 1885–1918. London: Macmillan Press. ISBN 9781349022984.
- ^ a b c Whitaker's Almanack, 1907
- ^ Whitaker's Almanack, 1893
- ^ a b c Debrett's House of Commons and Judicial Bench, 1889
External links
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55°57′09″N 3°19′58″W / 55.95250°N 3.33278°W / 55.95250; -3.33278