East Lothian (Scottish Parliament constituency)

Scottish Parliament constituency infobox
Name = East Lothian
Type = county


Region = South of Scotland
Year = 1999
MSP = Iain Gray
Party = Labour
Council = East Lothian

East Lothian 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 South of Scotland 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 "South of Scotland Scottish Parliament region

The other eight constituencies of the South of Scotland region are Ayr, Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley, Clydesdale, Cunninghame South, Dumfries, Galloway and Upper Nithsdale, Roxburgh and Berwickshire and Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale.

The region covers the Dumfries and Galloway council area, the Scottish Borders council area, the South Ayrshire council area, part of the East Ayrshire council area, part of the East Lothian council area, part of the Midlothian council area, part of the North Ayrshire council area and part of the South Lanarkshire council area.

Constituency boundaries and council area

The East Lothian 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 most of the East Lothian council area. A western (Musselburgh) portion of the council area is covered by the Edinburgh East and Musselburgh constituency, which also covers an eastern portion of the City of Edinburgh council area.

Edinburgh East and Musselburgh is within the Lothians electoral region.

Member of the Scottish Parliament

Election results

Election box candidate with party link
party = Scottish Labour Party
candidate = Iain Gray
votes = 12,219
percentage = 35.4
change = -8.5 Election box candidate with party link
party = Scottish National Party
candidate = Andrew Sharp
votes = 9,771
percentage = 28.4
change = +11.8 Election box candidate with party link
party = Scottish Liberal Democrats
candidate = Judy Hayman
votes = 6,249
percentage = 18.1
change = +0.5 Election box candidate with party link
party = Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
candidate = Bill Stevenson
votes = 6,232
percentage = 18.1
change = +1.5 Election box majority
votes = 2,448
percentage = 7.1
change = Election box turnout
votes = 34,471
percentage = 56.2
change = +0.1Election box hold with party link
winner = Scottish Labour Party
swing =

Election box candidate with party link
party = Scottish Labour Party
candidate = John Home Robertson
votes = 13,683
percentage = 43.85
change = −7.29 Election box candidate with party link
party = Scottish Liberal Democrats
candidate = Judy Hayman
votes = 5,508
percentage = 17.65
change = + 6.62 Election box candidate with party link
party = Scottish National Party
candidate = Andrew Wood
votes = 3,931
percentage = 12.24
change = -7.6 Election box candidate with party link
party = Scottish Conservative Party
candidate = Stuart Thomson
votes = 5,459
percentage = 17.49
change = + 1.68 Election box candidate with party link
party = Scottish National Party
candidate = Tom Roberts
votes = 5,174
percentage = 16.58
change = −5.44 Election box candidate with party link
party = Scottish Socialist Party
candidate = Hugh Kerr
votes = 1,380
percentage = 4.42
change = + 4.42 Election box majority
votes = 8,175
percentage = 26.20
change = −2.93Election box turnout
votes = 31,204,
percentage = 52.69
change = −11.47 Election box hold with party link
winner =Scottish Labour Party
loser =
swing =

Election box candidate with party link
party = Scottish Labour Party
candidate = John Home Robertson
votes = 19,220
percentage = 51.14
change = n/a Election box candidate with party link
party = Scottish National Party
candidate = Calum Millar
votes = 8,274
percentage = 22.02
change = n/a Election box candidate with party link
party = Scottish Conservative Party
candidate = Christine Richards
votes = 5,941
percentage = 15.81
change = n/a Election box candidate with party link
party = Scottish Liberal Democrats
candidate = Judy Hayman
votes = 4,147
percentage = 11.03
change = n/a Election box majority
votes = 10,946
percentage = 29.13
change = n/aElection box turnout
votes =
percentage =
change = n/a

Footnotes