Edinburgh East (UK Parliament constituency)

Edinburgh East
Burgh constituency
for the House of Commons

Outline map

Boundary of Edinburgh East in Scotland.
Subdivisions of Scotland City of Edinburgh
Current constituency
Created 2005
Member of parliament Tommy Sheppard (SNP)
Number of members One
Created from Edinburgh East & Musselburgh
Edinburgh Central
Edinburgh South
18851997
Number of members One
Type of constituency Burgh constituency
Created from Edinburgh
Overlaps
European Parliament constituency Scotland

Edinburgh East is a burgh constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first past the post system of election.

In its present form the constituency was first used in the 2005 general election, but there was also an Edinburgh East constituency from 1885 to 1997.

Boundaries

Edinburgh East is now one of five constituencies covering the City of Edinburgh council area. All are entirely within the city council area. Prior to the 2005 general election, the city area was covered by six constituencies, with one straddling a boundary with another council area.

The Redistribution of Seats Act 1885 provided that the constituency was to consist of the Municipal Wards of Broughton, Calton, and Canongate, and so much of St. Leonard's Ward as lies to the north of a line drawn along the centres of East and West Richmond Streets.[1]

In 1918 the constituency consisted of the "Burgh of Musselburgh and the Canongate and Portobello Municipal Wards of Edinburgh."

The Edinburgh East constituency, as defined in 2005, consists of areas formerly within the constituencies of Edinburgh East and Musselburgh, Edinburgh Central and Edinburgh South.[2] It is largely a replacement for Edinburgh East and Musselburgh. Scottish Parliament constituencies retain the names and boundaries of the older Westminster constituencies.

As implied by the name, Edinburgh East covers an eastern portion of the City of Edinburgh, although it extends well into the city centre. In terms of wards used in elections to the City of Edinburgh Council, 1999 to 2007, it includes the wards of Craigmillar, Duddingston, Holyrood, Leith Links, Meadowbank, Milton, Mountcastle, Portobello, Prestonfield, Restalrig, Southside and Tollcross. The wards are due to be replaced with new wards in 2007, as a consequence of the Local Governance (Scotland) Act 2004.

The constituency is predominantly urban.

The constituency of the 1885 to 1997 period was created when the Edinburgh constituency was abolished, in favour of four new constituencies: Edinburgh East, Edinburgh Central, Edinburgh South and Edinburgh West. Edinburgh Central was abolished in 2005. The South and West constituencies continue in use, with altered boundaries.

Constituency profile

The constituency is home to some of the Scottish capital's most notable tourist attractions, including Edinburgh Castle, Holyrood Palace, the Royal Mile, St Giles' Cathedral and the Scottish Parliament building. The constituency also houses the University of Edinburgh and has a significant student population. Towards the south and east it also includes some of Edinburgh's more deprived areas such as the Craigmillar housing estate.

Members of Parliament

1885 to 1997

ElectionMember[3] Party
1885 George Goschen Independent Liberal
1886 Liberal Unionist
1886 Robert Wallace Liberal
1899 by-election Sir George McCrae Liberal
1909 by-election Sir James Gibson, Bt Liberal
1912 by-election James Myles Hogge Liberal
1924 Thomas Drummond Shiels Labour
1931 David Marshall Mason Liberal
1935 Frederick Pethick-Lawrence Labour
1945 by-election George Reid Thomson Labour
1947 by-election John Wheatley Labour
1954 by-election George Willis Labour
1970 Gavin Strang Labour
1997 constituency abolished: see Edinburgh East and Musselburgh

2005 to present

ElectionMember[3] Party
2005 Gavin Strang Labour
2010 Sheila Gilmore Labour
2015 Tommy Sheppard SNP

Election results

Elections in the 2010s

General Election 2015: Edinburgh East[4][5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
SNP Tommy Sheppard 23,188 49.2 +28.8
Labour Sheila Gilmore 14,082 29.9 -13.5
Conservative James McMordie 4,670 9.9 -1.0
Scottish Green Peter McColl 2,809 6.0 +0.9
Liberal Democrat Karen Utting 1,325 2.8 -16.6
UKIP Oliver Corbishley[6] 898 1.9 N/A
TUSC Ayesha Saleem [7] 117 0.2 -0.4
Majority 9,106 19.3
Turnout 47,089 70.1 +4.7
SNP gain from Labour Swing 21.1
General Election 2010: Edinburgh East[8][9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Sheila Gilmore 17,314 43.4 +3.4
SNP George Kerevan 8,133 20.4 +3.4
Liberal Democrat Beverley Hope 7,751 19.4 -5.0
Conservative Martin Donald 4,358 10.9 +0.6
Scottish Green Robin Harper 2,035 5.1 -0.6
TUSC Gary Clark 274 0.7 -
Majority 9,181 23.0
Turnout 39,865 65.4 +4.5
Labour hold Swing 0.0

Elections in the 2000s

General Election 2005: Edinburgh East[10]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Gavin Strang 15,899 40.0% -9.7
Liberal Democrat Gordon Mackenzie 9,697 24.4% +7.2
SNP Stefan Tymkewycz 6,760 17.0% +0.6
Conservative Mev Brown 4,093 10.3% -0.8
Scottish Green Cara Gillespie 2,266 5.7% +5.7
Scottish Socialist Catriona Grant 868 2.2% -1.8
Death, Dungeons and Taxes Party Brett Harris 89 0.2% N/A
Communist League Peter Clifford 37 0.1% N/A
Majority 6,202 15.6%
Turnout 39,709 61.3 +8.5
Labour hold Swing -8.4

Election in the 1990s

General Election 1992: Edinburgh East[11]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Gavin Strang 15,446 45.7 -4.7
Conservative Kenneth F. Ward 8,235 24.4 -0.3
SNP Debin McKinney 6,225 18.4 +8.9
Liberal Democrat Devin S. Scobie 3,432 10.2 -5.2
Scottish Green Graham W. Farmer 424 1.3 +1.3
Majority 7,211 21.36
Turnout 73.90
Labour hold Swing

Elections in the 1980s

General Election 1987: Edinburgh East[12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Gavin Strang 18,257 50.37
Conservative JF Renz 8,962 24.73
Liberal J Aitken 5,592 15.43
SNP Mungo Bovey 3,434 9.47
Majority 9,295 25.64
Turnout 74.13
Labour hold Swing
General Election 1983: Edinburgh East[13]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Gavin Strang 16,169 33.89
Conservative P Martin 10,303 28.61
Liberal R Macleod 7,570 21.02
SNP P Scott 1,976 5.49
Majority 5,866 16.29
Turnout 70.41
Labour hold Swing

Elections in the 1970s

General Election 1979: Edinburgh East
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Gavin Strang 23,477 53.69
Conservative G Campbell 14,660 33.52
SNP GC MacDougall 5,296 12.11
Communist C Downes 173 0.40
Workers Revolutionary T Brotherstone 124 0.28
Majority 8,817 20.16
Turnout 76.09
Labour hold Swing
General Election October 1974: Edinburgh East
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Gavin Strang 19,669 44.92
SNP GC MacDougall 11,213 25.61
Conservative M Hogg 10,111 23.09
Liberal GN Dalzell 2,578 5.89
Communist I Swann 213 0.49
Majority 8,456 19.31
Turnout 76.20
Labour hold Swing
General Election February 1974: Edinburgh East
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Gavin Strang 20,163 43.66
Conservative DJ May 14,614 31.65
SNP GC MacDougall 7,128 15.44
Liberal J Melling 3,998 8.66
Communist I Swann 274 0.59
Majority 5,549 12.02
Turnout 81.08
Labour hold Swing
General Election 1970: Edinburgh East
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Gavin Strang 22,171 51.87
Conservative N Gow 16,657 38.97
SNP HB Davidson 3,502 8.19
Communist I Swann 413 0.97
Majority 5,514 12.90
Turnout 74.42
Labour hold Swing

Elections in the 1960s

General Election 1966: Edinburgh East
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour George Willis 25,423 60.48
Conservative James Stewart Barry Henderson 16,614 39.52
Majority 8,809 20.96
Turnout 77.40
Labour hold Swing
General Election 1964: Edinburgh East
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour George Willis 24,808 56.15
Conservative RL McEwen 19,376 43.85
Majority 5,432 12.29
Turnout 80.95
Labour hold Swing

Elections in the 1950s

General Election 1959: Edinburgh East
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour George Willis 22,244 50.35
Unionist Earl of Dalkeith 21,932 49.65
Majority 312 0.71
Turnout 80.68
Labour hold Swing
General Election 1955: Edinburgh East
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour George Willis 21,240 52.52
Unionist WIR Fraser 19,198 47.48
Majority 2,042 5.05
Turnout 75.37
Labour hold Swing
Edinburgh East by-election, 1954[14]

Electorate

Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Eustace George Willis 57.7 -3.6
Unionist William Grant 42.4 +3.6
Majority 15.4 -7.2
Turnout 61.8 -22.0
Labour hold Swing -3.6
General Election 1951: Edinburgh East
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Rt Hon. John Thomas Wheatley 25,201 54.08
Unionist William Grant 21,400 45.92
Majority 3,801 8.16
Turnout 83.82
Labour hold Swing
General Election 1950: Edinburgh East
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Rt Hon. John Thomas Wheatley 24,072 53.22
Unionist CEM Donaldson 17,531 38.76
Liberal John Hope 3,632 8.03
Majority 6,541 14.46
Turnout 83.18
Labour hold Swing

Elections in the 1940s

Edinburgh East by-election, 1947
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Rt Hon. John Thomas Wheatley 16,906 50.5
Liberal National (Conservative) D Mathews 11,490 34.4
Liberal John Junor 3,379 10.1
SNP Mary Fraser Dott 1,682 5.0
Majority 5,416 16.2
Edinburgh East by-election, 1945
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour George Thomson 15,482 61.6
Unionist Lt. Thomas Galloway Dunlop Galbraith 9,665 38.4
Majority 5,817 23.1
General Election 1945

Electorate 49,163

Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Rt Hon. Frederick William Pethick-Lawrence 19,300 56.4
Unionist William Angus Sinclair 12,771 37.3
SNP FC Yeaman 2,149 6.3
Majority 6,529 19.1
Turnout 69.6
Labour hold Swing

General Election 1939/40: Another general election was required to take place before the end of 1940. The political parties had been making preparations for an election to take place from 1939 and by the end of this year, the following candidates had been selected; Labour: Rt Hon. Frederick Pethick-Lawrence, Liberal: Unionist:

Elections in the 1930s

General Election 1935

Electorate 39,676

Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Rt Hon. Frederick William Pethick-Lawrence 13,341 43.20
Unionist Minna G Cowan 12,229 39.60
Liberal David Marshall Mason 5,313 17.20
Majority 1,112 3.60
Turnout 68.63
Labour gain from Liberal Swing
General Election 1931

Electorate 39,676

Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal David Marshall Mason 17,372 56.98
Labour Thomas Drummond Shiels 10,244 33.60
National (Scotland) Rev T.T. Alexander 2,872 9.42
Majority 7,128 23.38
Turnout 76.84
Liberal gain from Labour Swing

Elections in the 1920s

General Election 1929: Edinburgh East
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Thomas Drummond Shiels 13,933 47.2 +5.3
Liberal Thomas Pringle McDonald 8,687 29.4 +1.5
Unionist Richard Cobden Thyne 6,889 23.3 -4.6
Majority 5,246 17.8 +6.1
Turnout 29,509 76.5 -0.2
Labour hold Swing +1.9
General Election 1924: Edinburgh East
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Thomas Drummond Shiels 8,460 41.9 n/a
Unionist Charles Black Milne 6,105 30.2 -1.5
Liberal James Myles Hogge 5,625 27.9 -40.4
Majority 2,355 11.7 n/a
Turnout 20,190 74.2 +15.7
Labour gain from Liberal Swing n/a
General Election 1923: Edinburgh East
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal James Myles Hogge 10,876 68.3 +8.5
Unionist Charles John Morris Mancor 5,045 31.7 n/a
Majority 5,831 36.6 17.0
Turnout 15,921 58.5 -7.5
Liberal hold Swing n/a
General Election 1922: Edinburgh East
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal James Myles Hogge 10,551 59.8 -2.4
National Liberal Sam McDonald 7,088 40.2 +2.4
Majority 3,463 19.6 -4.8
Turnout 17,639 66.0 +13.5
Liberal hold Swing -2.4

Elections in the 1910s

General Election 1918: Edinburgh East
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal James Myles Hogge 8,460 62.2 +7.2
National Democratic
  • Alexander E Balfour
5,136 37.8 n/a
Majority 3,324 24.4 +14.4
Turnout 13,596 52.5
Liberal hold Swing n/a
James Hogge
By-election 1912: Edinburgh East[15]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal James Myles Hogge 5,064 55.0 -8.0
Liberal Unionist John Gordon Jameson 4,139 45.0 +8.0
Majority 925 10.0 -16.0
Turnout 73.7
Liberal hold Swing -8.0
General Election December 1910: Edinburgh East[15]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Sir James Puckering Gibson 6,436 63.0
Conservative R.M. Cameron 3,782 37.0
Majority 2,654 26.0
Turnout 81.0 -7.0
Liberal hold Swing
General Election January 1910: Edinburgh East[15]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Sir James Puckering Gibson 6,760 61.3
Liberal Unionist Patrick Johnstone Ford 4,273 38.7
Majority 2,487 22.6 +17.2
Turnout 88.0
Liberal hold Swing

Elections in the 1900s

James Gibson
Edinburgh East by-election, 1909[16]

Electorate 11,710

Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal James Puckering Gibson 4,527 52.7 -20.4
Liberal Unionist Patrick Johnstone Ford 4,069 47.3 +20.4
Majority 5.4 -40.8
Turnout 73.4 -4.7
Liberal hold Swing -20.4
General Election 1906: Edinburgh East[17]

Electorate 11,572

Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal George McCrae 6,606 73.1
Liberal Unionist Dr Rankin Dawson 2,432 26.9
Majority 4,174 46.2
Turnout 78.1
Liberal hold Swing
General Election 1900: Edinburgh East[18]

Electorate

Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal George McCrae 4,461 58.5 -3.8
Liberal Unionist R. Scott-Brown 3,170 41.5 +3.8
Majority 1,291 17.0
Turnout 69.2 -4.0
Liberal hold Swing -3.8

Elections in the 1890s

By-election 23 June 1899: Edinburgh East[18]

Electorate 10,730

Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal George McCrae 4,891 62.3
Liberal Unionist Harry G. Younger 2,961 37.7
Majority 1,930 24.6
Turnout 73.2
Liberal hold Swing
General Election 1895: Edinburgh East[18]

Electorate 9,437

Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Dr Robert Wallace 3,499 53.4
Liberal Unionist Harry G. Younger 3,050 46.6 +5.2
Majority 449 6.8
Turnout 69.4
Liberal hold Swing
General Election 1892: Edinburgh East[19]

Electorate 8,840

Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Dr Robert Wallace 3,969 58.6
Liberal Unionist R.W.M. Fullarton 2,809
Majority 1,160 17.2
Turnout 76.7
Liberal hold Swing

Elections in the 1880s

General Election 1886: Edinburgh East[20]

Electorate 7,639

Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Robert Wallace 3,694 62.1
Liberal Unionist Rt Hon George Joachim Goschen 2,253 37.9
Majority 1,441 24.2
Turnout 77.9
Liberal hold Swing
General Election 1885: Edinburgh East[20]

Electorate 7,639

Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Rt Hon George Joachim Goschen 4,337 69.2 n/a
Conservative Benjamin Francis Conn Costelloe 1,929 30.8 n/a
Majority 2,408 38.4 n/a
Turnout 82.0 n/a
Liberal win (new seat)

See also

Notes and references

Craig, F. W. S. (1983). British parliamentary election results 1918-1949 (3 ed.). Chichester: Parliamentary Research Services. ISBN 0-900178-06-X.

  1. Redistribution of Seats Act 1885, Sixth Schedule
  2. Fifth Periodical Review, Boundary Commission for Scotland
  3. 1 2 Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "E" (part 1)
  4. "Election Data 2015". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 17 October 2015. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  5. http://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/downloads/download/1363/uk_parliamentary_election_results_2015
  6. http://ukpollingreport.co.uk/2015guide/edinburgheast/
  7. http://www.tusc.org.uk/txt/320.pdf
  8. "Election Data 2010". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 17 October 2015. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  9. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/election2010/results/constituency/822.stm
  10. "Election Data 2005". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  11. "Election Data 1992". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  12. "Election Data 1987". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  13. "Election Data 1983". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  14. By-election in British Politics by Cook & Ramsden
  15. 1 2 3 Debrett's House of Commons and the Judicial Bench, 1916
  16. British parliamentary election results 1885-1918
  17. Whitaker's Almanack, 1907
  18. 1 2 3 Debrett's House of Commons and the Judicial Bench, 1901
  19. Whitaker's Almanack, 1893
  20. 1 2 Debrett's House of Commons and Judicial Bench, 1889

Coordinates: 55°56′39″N 3°08′29″W / 55.94415°N 3.1414°W / 55.94415; -3.1414

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