Edinburgh South (UK Parliament constituency)

Edinburgh South
Burgh constituency
for the House of Commons

Outline map

Boundary of Edinburgh South in Scotland.
Subdivisions of Scotland City of Edinburgh
Current constituency
Created 1885
Member of parliament Ian Murray (Labour)
Created from Edinburgh
Overlaps
European Parliament constituency Scotland

Edinburgh South is a constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, first used in the general election of 1885. It elects one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first past the post system of election. The current MP is the Labour Party's Ian Murray who was first elected at the 2010 general election with a majority of just 316 votes.[1] He held his seat at the 2015 election with an increased majority, as the only Labour MP in Scotland.

Prior to the 2005 general election the constituency had the same boundaries as the Scottish Parliament constituency with the same name.

Boundaries

When created in 1885, the Westminster constituency was partly a replacement for the Edinburgh constituency. The Redistribution of Seats Act 1885 provided that the constituency was to consist of the Municipal Wards of St. George, St. Cuthbert, and Newington.[2]

In 1918 the constituency consisted of the "Merchiston, Morningside, and Newington Municipal Wards of Edinburgh."

In 2005, prior to the general election, Edinburgh South 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.

For the 2005 election, the constituency was enlarged to enclude areas from the former Edinburgh Pentlands constituency, and became one of five constituencies covering the city area, all entirely within that area.[3]

The constituency covers a southern portion of the city area, and is predominantly suburban. In terms of wards used in elections to the City of Edinburgh Council 1999 to 2007, it includes the wards of Alnwickhill, Fairmilehead, Gilmerton, Kaimes, Marchmont, Merchiston, Moredun, Little France, Newington, North Morningside and the Grange, Sciennes, and South Morningside.

These wards were replaced with new wards in 2007, as a result of the Local Governance (Scotland) Act 2004. The constituency therefore contains almost no electoral division in its entirety. Those within its boundaries are Southside/Newington, Meadows/Morningside, a handful of streets from the extreme north-east of Fountainbridge/Craiglockhart ward, Colinton/Fairmilehead, and Liberton/Gilmerton.

Members of Parliament

YearMember[4]Party
1885 Sir George Harrison Liberal
1886 Hugh Childers Liberal
1892 Herbert Paul Liberal
1895 Robert Cox Liberal
1899 Arthur Dewar Liberal
1900 Sir Andrew Agnew Liberal Unionist
1906 Arthur Dewar Liberal
1910 Charles Lyell Liberal
1917 Sir Edward Parrott Liberal
1918 Charles David Murray Unionist
1922 Samuel Chapman Unionist
1945 William Darling Unionist
1957

Michael Clark Hutchison

 Unionist
1965 Conservative
1979 Michael Ancram Conservative
1987 Nigel Griffiths Labour
2010 Ian Murray Labour
2015

Election results

Elections in the 2010s

2015 general election

At the 2015 general election, Edinburgh South became the only constituency in Scotland with a Labour MP.

General Election 2015: Edinburgh South[5][6][7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Labour Ian Murray 19,293 39.1 +4.4
SNP Neil Hay 16,656 33.8 +26.1
Conservative Miles Briggs 8,626 17.5 -4.1
Scottish Green Phyl Meyer 2,090 4.2 +2.2
Liberal Democrats Pramod Subbaraman 1,823 3.7 -30.3
UKIP Paul Marshall 601 1.2 n/a
Scottish Socialist Colin Fox 197 0.4 n/a
Majority 2,637 5.4 +4.7
Turnout 49,286 74.9 +1.1
Labour hold Swing -10.9

2010 general election

On 1 February 2010, Nigel Griffiths announced that he would not stand as the Labour candidate in the 2010 general election,[8] and Labour then chose local councillor Ian Murray as their candidate. The Liberal Democrats selected former Edinburgh councillor Fred Mackintosh, the Scottish Conservatives selected veterinary surgeon Dr. Neil Hudson, the SNP selected financial consultant Sandy Howat, and the Green Party selected former research scientist Steve Burgess.

The constituency was a top target seat for both the Liberal Democrats and the Conservatives against the Labour Party — the Lib Dem candidate had been just 405 votes behind the successful Labour candidate in the previous general election. In early 2008 Charles Clarke included it in his "Doomsday Memo" of at-risk Labour constituencies, predicting that it could be taken by the Liberal Democrats with a swing of under 0.5%.[9] In October 2009 a polling of marginal Scottish constituencies suggested that it could be taken by the Liberal Democrats.[10] In the event, Labour managed to hold on to the seat, restricting the swing to just 0.1% to the Liberal Democrats.

General Election 2010: Edinburgh South[11][12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Labour Ian Murray 15,215 34.7 +1.5
Liberal Democrats Fred Mackintosh 14,899 34.0 +1.7
Conservative Neil Hudson 9,452 21.6 -2.5
SNP Sandy Howat 3,354 7.7 +1.5
Scottish Green Steve Burgess 881 2.0 -1.2
Majority 316 0.7%
Turnout 43,801 73.8 +4.4
Labour hold Swing -0.1

Elections in the 2000s

General Election 2005: Edinburgh South[13]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Labour Nigel Griffiths 14,188 33.2 -6.1
Liberal Democrats Marilyne MacLaren 13,783 32.3 +7.0
Conservative Gavin Brown 10,291 24.1 +1.4
SNP Graham Sutherland 2,635 6.2 -3.1
Scottish Green Steve Burgess 1,387 3.2 N/A
Scottish Socialist Morag Robertson 414 1.0 -1.2
Majority 405 0.9% -13.9
Turnout 42,698 69.9 +9.2
Labour hold Swing -6.5
General Election 2001: Edinburgh South[14]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Labour Nigel Griffiths 15,671 42.2 -4.7
Liberal Democrats Marilyne MacLaren 10,172 27.4 +9.7
Conservative Gordon Buchan 6,172 16.6 -4.7
SNP Heather Williams 3,683 9.9 -3.0
Scottish Socialist Colin Fox 933 2.5 N/A
Legalise Cannabis Margaret Hendry 535 1.4 N/A
Majority 5,499 14.8 -10.7
Turnout 37,166 57.7 -14.1
Labour hold Swing -7.2

Elections in the 1990s

General Election 1997: Edinburgh South[15]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Labour Nigel Griffiths 20,993 46.8 +5.3
Conservative Elizabeth Smith 9,541 21.3 -10.8
Liberal Democrats Mike Pringle 7,911 17.6 +4.2
SNP John Hargreaves 5,791 12.9 +0.1
Referendum Ian McLean 504 1.1
Natural Law Bradley Dunn 98 0.2 -0.0
Majority 11,452 25.5
Turnout 44,838 71.8
Labour hold Swing +8.1
General Election 1992: Edinburgh South[16]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Labour Nigel Griffiths 18,485 41.5
Conservative Struan Stevenson 14,309 32.1
Liberal Democrats Bob McCreadie 5,961 13.4
SNP Roger Knox 5,727 12.8
Natural Law George Manclark 108 0.2
Majority 4,176 9.4
Turnout 44,590 72.67
Labour hold Swing

Elections in the 1980s

General Election 1987: Edinburgh South[17]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Labour Nigel Griffiths 18,211 37.66
Conservative Michael Ancram 16,352 33.81
Social Democratic David Allan Graham 10,900 22.54
SNP Catherina McMillan Moore 2,455 5.08
Green Ruth Vera Clark 440 0.91
Majority 1,859 3.84
Turnout 77.67
Labour gain from Conservative Swing
General Election 1983: Edinburgh South[18]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative Michael Ancram 16,485 36.76
Social Democratic J. Godfrey 12,830 28.61
Labour R. McCreadie 12,824 28.60
SNP Neil MacCallum 2,256 5.03
Ecology L. Hendry 450 1.00
Majority 3,655 8.15
Turnout 71.73
Conservative hold Swing

Elections in the 1970s

General Election 1979: Edinburgh South
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative Michael Ancram 17,986 39.74
Labour Gordon Brown 15,526 34.30
Liberal J.P.B. Lovell 7,400 16.35
SNP R. Shirley 3,800 8.40
Ecology S.M. Biggar 552 1.22
Majority 2,460 5.43
Turnout 77.30
Conservative hold Swing
General Election October 1974: Edinburgh South
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative Michael Clark Hutchison 14,962 35.92
Labour C. Haddow 11,736 28.18
SNP R. Shirley 9,034 21.69
Liberal N.L. Gordon 5,921 14.22
Majority 3,226 7.74
Turnout 74.18
Conservative hold Swing
General Election February 1974: Edinburgh South
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative Michael Clark Hutchison 18,784 41.74
Labour T.J. Davies 12,403 27.54
Liberal N. Gordon 8,073 17.93
SNP R. Shirley 5,770 12.81
Majority 6,381 14.17
Turnout 80.83
Conservative hold Swing
General Election 1970: Edinburgh South
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative Michael Clark Hutchison 19,851 48.12
Labour John Henderson 15,071 36.53
Liberal Ronald H. Guild 3,469 8.41
SNP David J. Stevenson 2,861 6.94
Majority 4,780 11.59
Turnout 73.99
Conservative hold Swing

Elections in the 1960s

General Election 1966: Edinburgh South
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative Michael Clark Hutchison 20,820 53.16
Labour James W. Kerr 15,487 39.54
SNP H. McLean Robertson 2,856 7.29
Majority 5,333 13.62
Turnout 77.63
Conservative hold Swing
General Election 1964: Edinburgh South
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Unionist Michael Clark Hutchison 21,375 53.17
Labour James W. Kerr 13,555 33.72
Liberal Ronald H. Guild 5,272 13.11
Majority 7,820 19.45
Turnout 80.32
Unionist hold Swing

Elections in the 1950s

General Election 1959: Edinburgh South
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Unionist Michael Clark Hutchison 22,799 57.59
Labour Alex D. Reid 11,285 28.51
Liberal William Douglas-Home 5,505 13.91
Majority 11,514 29.08
Turnout 81.18
Unionist hold Swing
Edinburgh South by-election, 1957
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Unionist Michael Clark Hutchison 14,421 45.58 -21.94
Labour James A. Forsyth 9,781 30.91 -1.57
Liberal William Douglas-Home 7,439 23.51 N/A
Majority 4,640
Unionist hold Swing
General Election 1955: Edinburgh South
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Unionist Sir William Young Darling 24,836 67.52
Labour James A. Forsyth 11,949 32.48
Majority 12,887 35.03
Turnout 77.24
Unionist hold Swing
General Election 1951: Edinburgh South
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Unionist Sir William Young Darling 25,545 72.58
Labour James A. Forsyth 10,030 27.42
Majority 16,515 45.15
Turnout 81.43
Unionist hold Swing
General Election 1950: Edinburgh South
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Unionist Sir William Young Darling 23,081 65.01
Labour William Paisley Earsman 8,725 24.57
Liberal Lionel Henry Daiches 3,699 10.42 n/a
Majority 14,356 40.43
Turnout 82.14
Unionist hold Swing

Election in the 1940s

General Election 1945: Edinburgh South
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Unionist William Darling 23,652 70.77
Labour William Paisley Earsman 9,767 29.23
Majority 13,885 41.55
Turnout 66.50
Unionist hold Swing

Elections in the 1930s

General Election 1935: Edinburgh South[19]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Unionist Sir Samuel Chapman 27,254 83.55 n/a
Labour Mrs Barbara Woodburn 5,365 16.45 n/a
Majority 21,889 67.11 n/a
Turnout 67.56 n/a
Unionist hold Swing n/a
General Election 1931: Edinburgh South[20]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Unionist Sir Samuel Chapman unopposed n/a n/a
Unionist hold Swing n/a

Elections in the 1920s

General Election 1929: Edinburgh South[21]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Unionist Sir Samuel Chapman 19,541 56.7 -7.7
Liberal Arthur Pillans Laurie 9,849 28.6 -7.0
Labour Arthur Woodburn 5,050 14.7 n/a
Majority 9,692 28.1 -0.7
Turnout
Unionist hold Swing -0.4
General Election 1924: Edinburgh South[22]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Unionist Sir Samuel Chapman 15,854 64.4
Liberal David Cleghorn Thomson 8,777 35.6
Majority
Turnout
Unionist hold Swing
General Election 1923: Edinburgh South[23]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Unionist Sir Samuel Chapman 12,504
Liberal W. Hope 10,194
Majority
Turnout
Unionist hold Swing
1922 General Election: Edinburgh South
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Unionist Sir Samuel Chapman 14,843 67.7 +9.9
National Liberal Catherine Buchanan Alderton 7,408 33.3 -9.9
Majority 7,435 35.4 +19.8
Turnout 22,251
Unionist hold Swing +9.9
Edinburgh South by-election, 1920 [24]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Unionist Charles David Murray 11,176 57.8
Liberal Daniel Turner Holmes 8,177 42.3
Majority
Turnout
Unionist hold Swing

Elections in the 1910s

General Election 1918: Edinburgh South[25]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Conservative Charles David Murray 14,854
Liberal David Caird 4,955

On 12 May 1917, Sir James Edward Parrott was returned unopposed.[26]

General Election December 1910: Edinburgh South[27]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Liberal Charles Henry Lyell 9,576
Conservative Charles David Murray 7,986
Edinburgh South by-election, 1910 [27]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Liberal Charles Henry Lyell 8,694 57.7
Liberal Unionist Ralph George Campbell Glyn 6,367 42.3
Majority 2,327 15.4
Liberal hold Swing N/A
General Election January 1910: Edinburgh South[27]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Liberal Arthur Dewar 10,235
Conservative Harold B Cox 7,901

Elections in the 1900s

Edinburgh South by-election, 1909[28]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Liberal Arthur Dewar 8,186
Conservative Harold B Cox 6,965
Arthur Dewar
General Election 1906: Edinburgh South[29]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Liberal Arthur Dewar 8,945 59.9
Conservative William C. Smith 5,985 40.1
General Election 1900: Edinburgh South[30]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Liberal Unionist Sir Andrew Noel Agnew 5,766
Liberal Arthur Dewar 5,655

Elections in the 1890s

Edinburgh South by-election, 1899
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Liberal Arthur Dewar 5,820
Conservative Andrew Gilbert Wauchope 4,989
General Election 1895: Edinburgh South
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Liberal Unionist Robert Cox 4,902
Liberal Herbert Woodfield Paul 4,795
Majority 97
General Election 1892: Edinburgh South
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Liberal Herbert Woodfield Paul 4,682
Liberal Unionist Lewis MacIver 4,251
Majority 431

Elections in the 1880s

Hugh Childers
General Election 1886: Edinburgh South
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Liberal Hugh Culling Eardley Childers 3,778
Liberal Unionist Robert Purvis 2,191
Majority 1,587

At a by-election on 9 February 1886, Mr Childers having accepted office, he was returned unopposed.

Edinburgh South by-election, January 1886
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Liberal Hugh Culling Eardley Childers 4,029
Conservative Hon Walter George Hepburne-Scott 1,730
General Election 1885: Edinburgh South
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Liberal Sir George Harrison 4,273
Liberal Thomas Raleigh 2,874
Majority 1,399

Referendum results

2016 European Union membership referendum

Constituency Remain votes Leave votes Remain (%) Leave (%) Valid votes
Edinburgh South 37,069 10,549 77.8% 22.2% 47,618
United Kingdom 16,141,241 17,410,742 48.1% 51.9% 33,551,983

2014 Scottish independence referendum

Constituency Yes votes No votes Yes (%) No (%) Valid votes
Edinburgh South 20,340 38,298 34.7% 65.3% 58,738
Scotland 1,617,989 2,001,926 44.7% 55.3% 3,619,915

See also

Notes and references

  1. ↑ http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/election_2010/scotland/8667399.stm
  2. ↑ Redistribution of Seats Act 1885, Sixth Schedule
  3. ↑ Fifth Periodical Review, Boundary Commission for Scotland
  4. ↑ Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "E" (part 1)
  5. ↑ "Election Data 2015". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 17 October 2015. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  6. ↑ http://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/downloads/download/1363/uk_parliamentary_election_results_2015
  7. ↑ http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/politics/constituencies/S14000024
  8. ↑ Labour MP Nigel Griffiths to quit at election BBC News, 1 February 2010
  9. ↑ Battleground Seats Times Online
  10. ↑ THE 2009 POLITICSHOME ELECTORAL INDEX PoliticsHome
  11. ↑ "Election Data 2010". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 26 July 2013. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  12. ↑ General Election 2010 - Edinburgh South BBC News
  13. ↑ "Election Data 2005". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  14. ↑ "Election Data 2001". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  15. ↑ "Election Data 1997". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  16. ↑ "Election Data 1992". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  17. ↑ "Election Data 1987". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  18. ↑ "Election Data 1983". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  19. ↑ Whitaker's Almanack, 1939
  20. ↑ Whitaker's Almanack, 1934
  21. ↑ Oliver and Boyd's Edinburgh Almanack, 1930
  22. ↑ Oliver and Boyd's Edinburgh Almanack, 1927
  23. ↑ The Times, 8 December 1923
  24. ↑ The Times, 23 April 1920. By-election followed Charles Murray's appointment as Solicitor-General for Scotland
  25. ↑ Whitaker's Almanack, 1920
  26. ↑ The Times, 14 May 1917
  27. 1 2 3 Debrett's House of Commons and the Judicial Bench, 1916
  28. ↑ "South Edinburgh Election". Surrey Mirror. 5 March 1909. Retrieved 42654 – via British Newspaper Archive. (subscription required (help)). Check date values in: |access-date= (help)
  29. ↑ Whitaker's Almanack, 1907
  30. ↑ Debrett's House of Commons and the Judicial Bench, 1901

Coordinates: 55°54′50″N 3°09′31″W / 55.91389°N 3.15861°W / 55.91389; -3.15861

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