Edinburgh West (Scottish Parliament constituency)

Scottish Parliament constituency infobox
Name = Edinburgh West
Type = burgh


Region = Lothians
Year = 1999
MSP = Margaret Smith (Scottish politician)
Party = Liberal Democrats
Council = City of Edinburgh

Edinburgh West is a constituency of the Scottish Parliament (Holyrood). It elects one Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) by the plurality (first past the post) method of election. Also, however, it is one of nine constituencies in the Lothians electoral region, which elects seven additional members, in addition to nine constituency MSPs, to produce a form of proportional representation for the region as a whole.

Electoral region

:"See also "Lothians Scottish Parliament region

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

The region covers 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 [See [http://www.bcomm-scotland.gov.uk/ "The 5th Periodical Report of the Boundary Commission for Scotland] "] .

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.

Description of the constituency

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

Election results

Election box candidate with party link
party = Scottish Liberal Democrats
candidate = Margaret Smith
votes = 13,677
percentage = 39.4
change = -3.9 Election box candidate with party link
party = Scottish National Party
candidate = Sheena Cleland
votes = 7,791
percentage = 22.4
change = +10.0 Election box candidate with party link
party = Scottish Conservative Party
candidate = Gordon Lindhurst
votes = 7,361
percentage = 21.2
change = -4.4Election box candidate with party link
party = Scottish Labour Party
candidate = Richard Meade
votes = 5,343
percentage = 15.4
change = +0.2Election box majority
votes = 5,886
percentage = 16.9
change = Election box turnout
votes = 34,752
percentage = 57.9
change = +2.5 Election box hold with party link
winner = Scottish Liberal Democrats
loser =
swing =

Election box candidate with party link
party = Scottish Liberal Democrats
candidate = Margaret Smith
votes = 14,434
percentage = 43.34
change = +6.88 Election box candidate with party link
party = Scottish Conservative Party
candidate = James Douglas-Hamilton
votes = 8,520
percentage = 25.58
change = +0.14 Election box candidate with party link
party = Scottish Labour Party
candidate = Carol Fox
votes = 5,046
percentage = 15.15
change = −6.16 Election box candidate with party link
party = Scottish National Party
candidate = Alyn Smith
votes = 4,133
percentage = 12.41
change = −5.61 Election box candidate with party link
party = Scottish Socialist Party
candidate = Pat Smith
votes = 993
percentage = 2.98
change = +2.98 Election box candidate with party link
party = Scottish Peoples Alliance
candidate = Bruce Skivington
votes = 175
percentage = 0.53
change = +0.53 Election box majority
votes = 5,914
percentage = 17.76
change = +6.74Election box turnout
votes = 33,301
percentage = 55.38
change = −11.97 Election box hold with party link
winner = Scottish Liberal Democrats
loser =
swing =

Election box candidate with party link
party = Scottish Liberal Democrats
candidate = Margaret Smith
votes = 15,161
percentage = 36.46
change = N/A Election box candidate with party link
party = Scottish Conservative Party
candidate = James Douglas-Hamilton
votes = 10,578
percentage = 25.44
change = N/A Election box candidate with party link
party = Scottish Labour Party
candidate = Carol Fox
votes = 8,860
percentage = 21.31
change = N/A Election box candidate with party link
party = Scottish National Party
candidate = Graham Sutherland
votes = 6,984
percentage = 16.80
change = N/A Election box majority
votes = 4,583
percentage = 11.02
change = N/AElection box turnout
votes =
percentage =
change =

Footnotes

See also

* Politics of Edinburgh