Politics of Edinburgh - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

The politics of Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland

Scotland

Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...

, are evident in the deliberations and decisions of the council of Edinburgh

Edinburgh

Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...

, in elections to the council, the Scottish Parliament

Scottish Parliament

The Scottish Parliament is the devolved national, unicameral legislature of Scotland, located in the Holyrood area of the capital, Edinburgh. The Parliament, informally referred to as "Holyrood", is a democratically elected body comprising 129 members known as Members of the Scottish Parliament...

, the House of Commons and the European Parliament

European Parliament

The European Parliament is the directly elected parliamentary institution of the European Union . Together with the Council of the European Union and the Commission, it exercises the legislative function of the EU and it has been described as one of the most powerful legislatures in the world...

.

Also, as Scotland's capital city

Capital City

Capital City was a television show produced by Euston Films which focused on the lives of investment bankers in London living and working on the corporate trading floor for the fictional international bank Shane-Longman....

, Edinburgh is host to the Scottish Parliament and the main offices of the Scottish Government.

In the European Parliament the city

City status in the United Kingdom

City status in the United Kingdom is granted by the British monarch to a select group of communities. The holding of city status gives a settlement no special rights other than that of calling itself a "city". Nonetheless, this appellation carries its own prestige and, consequently, competitions...

area is within the Scotland constituency

Scotland (European Parliament constituency)

Scotland constitutes a single constituency of the European Parliament. For 2009 it elects 6 MEPs using the d'Hondt method of party-list proportional representation.- Boundaries :...

, which covers all of the 32 council areas of Scotland.

The City of Edinburgh became a unitary council area in 1996, under the Local Government etc. (Scotland) Act 1994

Local Government etc. (Scotland) Act 1994

The Local Government etc. Act 1994 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom which created the current local government structure of 32 unitary authorities covering the whole of Scotland....

, with the boundaries of the post-1975 City of Edinburgh district

Regions and districts of Scotland

The local government areas of Scotland were redefined by the Local Government Act 1973 and redefined again by the Local Government etc Act 1994....

of the Lothian

Lothian

Lothian forms a traditional region of Scotland, lying between the southern shore of the Firth of Forth and the Lammermuir Hills....

region

Regions and districts of Scotland

The local government areas of Scotland were redefined by the Local Government Act 1973 and redefined again by the Local Government etc Act 1994....

.

As one of the unitary local government areas of Scotland, the City of Edinburgh has a defined structure of governance, generally under the Local Government etc. (Scotland) Act 1994, with The City of Edinburgh Council governing on matters of local administration such as housing, planning, local transport, parks and local economic development

Economic development

Economic development generally refers to the sustained, concerted actions of policymakers and communities that promote the standard of living and economic health of a specific area...

and regeneration

Urban renewal

Urban renewal is a program of land redevelopment in areas of moderate to high density urban land use. Renewal has had both successes and failures. Its modern incarnation began in the late 19th century in developed nations and experienced an intense phase in the late 1940s – under the rubric of...

. For such purposes the City of Edinburgh is divided into 17 wards.

The next tier of government is that of the Scottish Parliament

Scottish Parliament

, which legislates

Legislation

Legislation is law which has been promulgated by a legislature or other governing body, or the process of making it...

on matters of Scottish "national interest", such as healthcare, education, the environment and agriculture, devolved to it by the Parliament of the United Kingdom

Parliament of the United Kingdom

The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body in the United Kingdom, British Crown dependencies and British overseas territories, located in London...

. For elections to the Scottish Parliament (at the Scottish Parliament Building

Scottish Parliament Building

The Scottish Parliament Building is the home of the Scottish Parliament at Holyrood, within the UNESCO World Heritage Site in central Edinburgh. Construction of the building commenced in June 1999 and the Members of the Scottish Parliament held their first debate in the new building on 7...

, in the Holyrood

Holyrood, Edinburgh

Holyrood is an area in Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland. Lying east of the city centre, at the end of the Royal Mile, Holyrood was once in the separate burgh of Canongate before the expansion of Edinburgh in 1856...

area of Edinburgh), the city area is divided among six Scottish Parliament constituencies, each returning one Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP), and is within the Lothians electoral region

Scottish Parliament constituencies and regions

Scottish Parliament constituencies and regions were first used in 1999, in the first general election of the Scottish Parliament , created by the Scotland Act 1998....

.

The Parliament of the United Kingdom (at the Palace of Westminster

Palace of Westminster

The Palace of Westminster, also known as the Houses of Parliament or Westminster Palace, is the meeting place of the two houses of the Parliament of the United Kingdom—the House of Lords and the House of Commons...

) legislates on matters such as taxation, foreign policy

Foreign policy

A country's foreign policy, also called the foreign relations policy, consists of self-interest strategies chosen by the state to safeguard its national interests and to achieve its goals within international relations milieu. The approaches are strategically employed to interact with other countries...

, defence

National security

National security is the requirement to maintain the survival of the state through the use of economic, diplomacy, power projection and political power. The concept developed mostly in the United States of America after World War II...

, employment

Employment

Employment is a contract between two parties, one being the employer and the other being the employee. An employee may be defined as:- Employee :...

and trade

Trade

Trade is the transfer of ownership of goods and services from one person or entity to another. Trade is sometimes loosely called commerce or financial transaction or barter. A network that allows trade is called a market. The original form of trade was barter, the direct exchange of goods and...

. For elections to the House of Commons of this parliament

Parliament

A parliament is a legislature, especially in those countries whose system of government is based on the Westminster system modeled after that of the United Kingdom. The name is derived from the French , the action of parler : a parlement is a discussion. The term came to mean a meeting at which...

, the city area is divided among five United Kingdom Parliamentary constituencies, with each constituency returning one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first past the post system of election.

Scotland constitutes a single constituency of the European Parliament

European Parliament

, in which the electorate of the City of Edinburgh participate in electing six Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) using the d'Hondt method

D'Hondt method

The d'Hondt method is a highest averages method for allocating seats in party-list proportional representation. The method described is named after Belgian mathematician Victor D'Hondt who described it in 1878...

of party-list proportional representation

Proportional representation

Proportional representation is a concept in voting systems used to elect an assembly or council. PR means that the number of seats won by a party or group of candidates is proportionate to the number of votes received. For example, under a PR voting system if 30% of voters support a particular...

The City of Edinburgh Council

The current Lord Provost

Lord Provost

A Lord Provost is the figurative and ceremonial head of one of the principal cities of Scotland. Four cities, Aberdeen, Dundee, Edinburgh and Glasgow, have the right to appoint a Lord Provost instead of a provost...

of Edinburgh is George Grubb

George Grubb

George D. W. Grubb is, since May 2007, the Lord Provost and ex officio Lord-Lieutenant of Edinburgh. He is also a Liberal Democrat councillor of the City of Edinburgh Council for Almond ward....

, who replaced Lesley Hinds

Lesley Hinds

Lesley Hinds, born in Dundee, is a councillor and from 2003 to 2007 was Lord Provost of Edinburgh, Scotland.A teacher by profession, she was first elected to Edinburgh District Council as a member of the Scottish Labour Party to represent the Telford ward in 1984, later becoming leader of the...

on May 16, 2007. In Scotland the Lord Provost fulfils many similar roles to that of a Mayor in some other countries.

Elections to the Council are held every four years electing 58 councillors. The last elections took place in May 2007. The Council is currently controlled by a Liberal Democrat

Scottish Liberal Democrats

The Scottish Liberal Democrats are one of the three state parties within the federal Liberal Democrats; the others being the Welsh Liberal Democrats and the Liberal Democrats in England...

/Scottish National Party

Scottish National Party

The Scottish National Party is a social-democratic political party in Scotland which campaigns for Scottish independence from the United Kingdom....

coalition.

The City of Edinburgh Council, like all other Councils in Scotland, has its powers set out under the terms of the Local Government etc (Scotland) Act 1994.

Full Council

The Full Council comprises all of the 58 elected councillors, and for legal purposes constitutes the Local Authority. The Full Council meets once a month on a Thursday, except during recess and holiday periods and is chaired by the Lord Provost

Lord Provost

. The Full Council retains complete responsibility for:

Electing the Lord Provost and Deputy Leader of the Council;
The delegation of functions to officials including the appointment of the Chief Executive, Chief Officers, members of the Committees and resolving disputes;
Voting on council rules, ordinances and standing orders;
Setting the council tax
Council tax
Council Tax is the system of local taxation used in England, Scotland and Wales to part fund the services provided by local government in each country. It was introduced in 1993 by the Local Government Finance Act 1992, as a successor to the unpopular Community Charge...

, annual council budget and administering the city's capital investment programme.

In June 2007, The City of Edinburgh Council introduced a streamlined committee structure to replace the former Executive/Scrutiny systems introduced by the Labour administration in 2001. In addition to the full council this includes:

Policy and Strategy Committee
6 Executive Committees
Audit Committee

Executive Committees

The Council has appointed 13 or 17 members of the Council to its Committees. Listed below are the remits of the Executive Committees:

Culture and Leisure Committee
Economic Development Committee
Education, Children and Families Committee
Finance and Resources Committee
Health, Social Care and Housing Committee
Transport, Infrastructure and Environment Committee

Planning and Regulatory Committees

The Planning Committee is principally concerned with issues of planning and development, including the granting of planning permission

Planning permission

Planning permission or planning consent is the permission required in the United Kingdom in order to be allowed to build on land, or change the use of land or buildings. Within the UK the occupier of any land or building will need title to that land or building , but will also need "planning...

and street naming. The Regulatory Committee deals with issues such as health and safety and buildings in need of repair as well as determining individual applications for registration and licensing of food premises, bars, restaurants and entertainment venues under the Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982

Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982

The Civic Government Act 1982 is an Act of the United Kingdom Parliament which makes provision for a wide range of civic government matters....

and other statutory powers. Membership of such committees reflects the party balance on the council.

Neighbourhood partnerships

In June 2007 the six local development committees in Edinburgh, one for each Scottish Parliamentary Constituency were replaced by neighbourhood partnerships. Typically these combine the councillors from two council wards with representatives of community councils. Neighbourhood partnerships are tasked with dealing with issues that are specific to their local area and influencing the delivery of key council services including street cleaning, urban parks, libraries, local development, road maintenance, traffic and parking issues. Local committees meet several times each year.

External Committees

The Council also appoints elected members to serve on:

The Licensing Board
Lothian and Borders Police Board
Lothian and Borders Police
Lothian and Borders Police is the territorial police force for the Scottish council areas of the City of Edinburgh, East Lothian, Midlothian, Scottish Borders and West Lothian...
Lothian and Borders Fire and Rescue Board
Lothian and Borders Fire and Rescue Service
Lothian and Borders Fire and Rescue Service is a Local Authority fire and rescue service covering an area of of south east Scotland, and serving a total population of 890,000....
Lothian Valuation Joint Board
Forth Estuary Transport Authority
Forth Estuary Transport Authority
The Forth Estuary Transport Authority is the authority responsible for the maintenance of the Forth Road Bridge over the Firth of Forth in eastern central Scotland...

Elections

Local election

Local elections vary widely across jurisdictions. In electoral systems that roughly follow the Westminster model, a terminology has evolved with roles such as Mayor or Warden to describe the executive of a city, town or region, although the actual means of elections vary...

to the council are held on a four year cycle, the last being held on Thursday 3 May 2007

Scottish local elections, 2007

The Scottish local elections, 2007 were held on 3 May 2007, the same day as Scottish Parliament elections and local elections in parts of England...

.

Members of the council represent 17 electoral areas called wards. As a result of the Local Governance (Scotland) Act 2004

Local Governance (Scotland) Act 2004

The Local Governance Act 2004 is an Act of the Scottish Parliament which provided, inter alia, for the election of Councillors to the local authorities in Scotland by the Single Transferable Vote system....

, multi-member wards were introduced for the 2007 election, each electing three or four councillors by the single transferable vote

Single transferable vote

The single transferable vote is a voting system designed to achieve proportional representation through preferential voting. Under STV, an elector's vote is initially allocated to his or her most preferred candidate, and then, after candidates have been either elected or eliminated, any surplus or...

system, to produce a form of proportional representation

Proportional representation

. Previously each of 58 wards elected one councillor by the first past the post system of election.

Council political composition

	Party	Councillors
	Liberal Democrat	16
	Labour	15
	Scottish National Party	13
	Conservative	11
	Scottish Green Party	3

List of wards and councillors

Multi-member wards introduced for the 2007 council election:

Ward	Almond (3 members) Pentland Hills Pentland Hills The Pentland Hills are a range of hills to the south-west of Edinburgh, Scotland. The range is around 20 miles in length, and runs south west from Edinburgh towards Biggar and the upper Clydesdale.Some of the peaks include:* Scald Law... (3 members) Drum Brae/Gyle (3 members) Forth (4 members) Inverleith Inverleith Inverleith is an inner suburb in the northern part of Edinburgh, Scotland, on the fringes of the central region of the city. It is an affluent suburb. Its neighbours include Trinity to the north and the New Town to the south, with Canonmills at the south-east and Stockbridge at the south-west... (4 members) Corstorphine Corstorphine Corstorphine was originally a village to the west of—and separate from—Edinburgh, Scotland, and is now a suburb of that city.Corstorphine retains a busy main street with many independent small shops, although a number have closed in recent years since the opening of several retail parks... /Murrayfield Murrayfield Murrayfield is an affluent area in the west of Edinburgh, Scotland. It is to the east of Corstorphine and west of Roseburn. The A8 road runs east-west through the north of the area.... (3 members) Sighthill Sighthill, Edinburgh Sighthill is a suburb in the west of Edinburgh, Scotland.For nearly 50 years, the West Edinburgh skyline was dominated by 4 high rise residential tower blocks the first of which was demolished on 21st September 2008 with the other three blocks following the same fate just over 3 years later... /Gorgie Gorgie Gorgie is an area of west Edinburgh, Scotland, located near Murrayfield, Ardmillan and Dalry. It is home to Tynecastle Stadium, home of Scottish Premier League side Heart of Midlothian Football Club, and the North British Distillery, which creates a distinctive odour in parts of the area.The area... (4 members) Colinton Colinton Colinton is a suburb of Edinburgh, Scotland situated 6 kilometres south west of the city centre. It is bordered by Dreghorn to the south and Craiglockhart to the north-east. To the north-west it extends to Lanark Road and to the south-west to the City Bypass... /Fairmilehead Fairmilehead Fairmilehead is a district of South Edinburgh. It lies approximately 3 miles due south of the city centre and borders Midlothian. The area comprises the districts of Buckstone, Caiystane, Swanston, Frogston and Winton.... (3 members) Fountainbridge Fountainbridge Fountainbridge is an area of Edinburgh, Scotland, a short distance west of the city centre, adjoining Tollcross to the east, Bruntsfield to the south, Dalry to the west and Haymarket to the north.... /Craiglockhart Craiglockhart Craiglockhart is a suburb in the south west of Edinburgh, Scotland, lying between Colinton to the south, Morningside to the east Merchiston to the north east and Kingsknowe to the west... (3 members) Meadows The Meadows (park) The Meadows is a large public park in Edinburgh, Scotland, just to the south of the city centre. Largely consisting of wide open grassland crossed by tree-lined paths, the park also has a children's playground, a croquet club, tennis courts and cricket pitches... /Morningside Morningside, Edinburgh Morningside is a district in the south-west of Edinburgh, Scotland. It is south of the areas of Bruntsfield, Burghmuirhead ; south-west of Marchmont, and south-east of Merchiston... (4 members) City Centre (3 members) Leith Walk Leith Walk Leith Walk is one of the longest streets in Edinburgh, Scotland. It stretches from The Foot Of Leith Walk at the junction of Great Junction Street and Constitution Street to the junction with London Road, it then links to the east end of Princes Street via Leith Street... (4 members) Leith Leith -South Leith v. North Leith:Up until the late 16th century Leith , comprised two separate towns on either side of the river.... (3 members) Craigentinny Craigentinny Craigentinny is a suburb in the east of Edinburgh, Scotland. Its name is a corruption of the Scottish Gaelic Creag an t-Sionnaich meaning "Foxrock" or Creag an teinne meaning "Fire Crag".... /Duddingston Duddingston Duddingston is a former village in the east of Edinburgh, Scotland, next to Holyrood Park.-Origins and etymology:The estate wherein Duddingston Village now lies was first recorded in lands granted to the Abbot of Kelso Abbey by David I of Scotland between 1136–47, and is described as stretching... (3 members) Southside/Newington Newington, Edinburgh Newington is an area of Edinburgh, Scotland, about 15 to 20 minutes walk south of the city centre, the Royal Mile and Princes Street.It is the easternmost district of the area formerly covered by the Burgh Muir, gifted to the City by David I in the 12th Century... (4 members) Liberton/Gilmerton Gilmerton, Edinburgh Gilmerton is a suburb of Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland. It is south-west of Danderhall. Its name derives from a combination of - from which we have the first, Gilmer, element - and .... (4 members) Portobello Portobello, Edinburgh Portobello is a beach resort located three miles to the east of the city centre of Edinburgh, along the coast of the Firth of Forth, in Scotland. It is now a suburb of Edinburgh, with a promenade fronting on to the wide sand beach.... /Craigmillar Craigmillar Craigmillar , from the Gaelic Crag Maol Ard, meaning 'High Bare Rock', is an area of Edinburgh, Scotland, about south east of the city centre, with Duddingston to the north and Newcraighall to the east.- History :... (3 members)

Following the local elections on 3 May 2007, the representation on the council was as follows:

Ward	Councillors	Party
Almond	George Grubb George Grubb George D. W. Grubb is, since May 2007, the Lord Provost and ex officio Lord-Lieutenant of Edinburgh. He is also a Liberal Democrat councillor of the City of Edinburgh Council for Almond ward....	Liberal Democrat
	Kate Mackenzie	Conservative
	Norman Work	Scottish National Party
Pentland Hills	Ronald Cairns	Scottish National Party
	Ricky Henderson	Labour
	Alistair S Paisley	Conservative
Drum Brae/Gyle	Robert Aldridge	Liberal Democrat
	Jenny Dawe	Liberal Democrat
	Colin Keir Colin Keir Colin Keir is a Scottish politician, currently a Member of the Scottish Parliament for the Scottish National Party.Keir contested the seat of Edinburgh Western in the Scottish Parliament general election, 2011, and defeated the Liberal Democrat incumbent Margaret Smith with a substantial swing to...	Scottish National Party
Forth	Steve Cardownie	Scottish National Party
	Allan Jackson	Conservative
	Cammy Day†	Labour
	Elaine Morris†††	Scottish National Party
Inverleith	Lesley Hinds Lesley Hinds Lesley Hinds, born in Dundee, is a councillor and from 2003 to 2007 was Lord Provost of Edinburgh, Scotland.A teacher by profession, she was first elected to Edinburgh District Council as a member of the Scottish Labour Party to represent the Telford ward in 1984, later becoming leader of the...	Labour
	Stuart McIvor	Scottish National Party
	Tim McKay	Liberal Democrat
	Iain Whyte	Conservative
Corstorphine/Murrayfield	Jeremy Balfour	Conservative
	Paul Edie	Liberal Democrat
	Phil Wheeler	Liberal Democrat
Sighthill/Gorgie	Nick Elliott-Cannon	Scottish National Party
	Eric Milligan	Labour
	Joanna Toomey	Liberal Democrat
	Donald Wilson	Labour
Colinton/Fairmilehead	Elaine Aitken	Conservative
	Eric Barry	Labour
	Jason Rust	Conservative
Fountainbridge/Craiglockhart	Andrew Burns	Labour
	Gordon Buchan	Conservative
	Jim Lowrie	Liberal Democrat
Meadows/Morningside	Paul Godzik	Labour
	Alison Johnstone	Scottish Green Party
	Marilyne MacLaren	Liberal Democrat
	Mark McInnes	Conservative
City Centre	Alasdair Rankin††††	Scottish National Party
	Charles Dundas	Liberal Democrat
	Joanna Mowatt	Conservative
Leith Walk	Angela Blacklock	Labour
	Deidre Brock	Scottish National Party
	Maggie Chapman	Scottish Green Party
	Louise Lang	Liberal Democrat
Leith	Gordon Munro	Labour
	Rob Munn	Scottish National Party
	Marjorie Thomas	Liberal Democrat
Craigentinny/Duddingston	Ewan Aitken Ewan Aitken Ewan Aitken is the former leader of the City of Edinburgh Council in Scotland. An ordained minister of the Church of Scotland and a Labour councillor, he was elected leader of the ruling Labour group in the council and as such leader of the council...	Labour
	Gary Peacock	Liberal Democrat
	Stefan Tymkewycz Stefan Tymkewycz Stefan Tymkewycz is a Scottish National Party politician, and a former Member of the Scottish Parliament for Lothians region. He was elected during the 2007 election for the Lothians region. Tymkewycz is also a councillor for Craigentinny/Duddingston ward on the City of Edinburgh Council, and...	Scottish National Party
Southside/Newington	Steve Burgess	Scottish Green Party
	Gordon Mackenzie	Liberal Democrat
	Ian Perry	Labour
	Cameron Rose	Conservative
Liberton/Gilmerton	Tom Buchanan	Scottish National Party
	Norma Hart	Labour
	Bill Cook††	Labour
	Conor Snowden	Liberal Democrat
Portobello/Craigmillar	Michael Bridgeman	Scottish National Party
	Maureen Child	Labour
	Stephen Hawkins	Liberal Democrat
Source: The City of Edinburgh Council

† Cammy Day replaced Elizabeth Maginnis in November 2008 following a by-election after the death of the latter.

†† Bill Cook replaced Ian Murray

Ian Murray (Scottish politician)

Ian Murray is a British Labour Party politician, who has been the Member of Parliament for Edinburgh South since 2010. He was previously an Edinburgh city councillor for the Liberton/Gilmerton ward.-Life outside politics:...

following a by-election after Murray's election to Parliament in 2010.

††† Elaine Morris was previously a Liberal Democrat Councillor, but defected to the Scottish National Party in July 2011.

†††† Alasdair Rankin replaced David Beckett following a by-election in August 2011.

Former local government

Prior to the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973

Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973

The Local Government Act 1973 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, that reformed local government in Scotland, on May 16, 1975....

Edinburgh was administered by the single tier "Edinburgh Corporation", which covered the "City and Royal Burgh of Edinburgh". Edinburgh Corporation was responsible for almost all local government services, such as the Edinburgh Corporation Tramways (which closed in 1956). Midlothian County Council, which had its headquarters on George IV Bridge in Edinburgh, was largely responsible for some local government services in Midlothian (but outside the city boundaries). Some of the towns in Midlothian (such as Dalkeith) also had their own Burgh Council.

In 1975, Edinburgh Corporation and Midlothian County Council were both abolished. The new two-tier system consisted of Lothian Regional Council (with responsibility for water, education, social work and transport) and the City of Edinburgh District Council (with responsibility for cleansing and libraries). The City of Edinburgh became a single-tier council area

Council Area

A Council Area is one of the areas defined in Schedule 1 of the Local Government etc. Act 1994 and is under the control of one of the local authorities in Scotland created by that Act.-Legislation :1889...

in 1996, under the Local Government etc. (Scotland) Act 1994

Local Government etc. (Scotland) Act 1994

The Local Government etc. Act 1994 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom which created the current local government structure of 32 unitary authorities covering the whole of Scotland....

, with the boundaries of the City of Edinburgh district

Regions and districts of Scotland

The local government areas of Scotland were redefined by the Local Government Act 1973 and redefined again by the Local Government etc Act 1994....

of the Lothian

Lothian

Lothian forms a traditional region of Scotland, lying between the southern shore of the Firth of Forth and the Lammermuir Hills....

region

Regions and districts of Scotland

The local government areas of Scotland were redefined by the Local Government Act 1973 and redefined again by the Local Government etc Act 1994....

. Confusion between the responsibilities of the Regional and District Councils and the desire for the avoidance of duplication led to the creation of a single tier council. The district had been created in 1975, under the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973

Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973

The Local Government Act 1973 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, that reformed local government in Scotland, on May 16, 1975....

, to include the former county of city

Counties of Scotland

The counties of Scotland were the principal local government divisions of Scotland until 1975. Scotland's current lieutenancy areas and registration counties are largely based on them. They are often referred to as historic counties....

of Edinburgh; the former burgh

Burgh

A burgh was an autonomous corporate entity in Scotland and Northern England, usually a town. This type of administrative division existed from the 12th century, when King David I created the first royal burghs. Burgh status was broadly analogous to borough status, found in the rest of the United...

of Queensferry, Kirkliston

Kirkliston

Kirkliston is a village and civil parish within the City of Edinburgh in Scotland. It sits on the historic route between Edinburgh and Queensferry, the gateway to Fife and the north. Today, it is bypassed by the A90...

and part of Winchburgh

Winchburgh

Winchburgh is a village situated within the geographical county of West Lothian, Scotland. It is located approximately west of the city-centre of Edinburgh, east of Linlithgow and northeast of Broxburn.-Public transport:...

formerly within the county of West Lothian; and Currie

Currie

Currie is a civil parish and suburb of Edinburgh, Scotland, situated 10 kilometres south west of the city centre. A former village within the County of Midlothian, it lies to the south west of the city, between Juniper Green and Balerno on the Lanark Road...

and Cramond

Cramond

Cramond is a seaside village now part of suburban Edinburgh, Scotland, located in the north-west corner of the city at the mouth of the River Almond where it enters the Firth of Forth....

formerly within the county of Midlothian.

Parliament of the United Kingdom

For elections to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom

Parliament of the United Kingdom

, the city is divided among five constituencies

United Kingdom constituencies

In the United Kingdom , each of the electoral areas or divisions called constituencies elects one or more members to a parliament or assembly.Within the United Kingdom there are now five bodies with members elected by constituencies:...

, each of which elects one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first past the post system of election. All five constituencies are entirely within the city area.

Prior to the United Kingdom general election, 2005

United Kingdom general election, 2005

The United Kingdom general election of 2005 was held on Thursday, 5 May 2005 to elect 646 members to the British House of Commons. The Labour Party under Tony Blair won its third consecutive victory, but with a majority of 66, reduced from 160....

, Edinburgh House of Commons constituencies had exactly the same names and boundaries as the Scottish Parliament constituencies listed above. However, in order to reduce Scotland's historical over representation in the House of Commons, Scotland's share of constituencies was reduced from 72 to 59, in accordance with proposals drawn up by the Boundary Commission for Scotland. The Scottish Parliament (Constituencies) Act 2004

Scottish Parliament (Constituencies) Act 2004

The Scottish Parliament Act 2004 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that amends the Scotland Act 1998 which established the Scottish Parliament....

enabled Scottish Parliament constituencies to remain unaltered despite new arrangements for House of Commons constituencies, which resulted in the loss of one Edinburgh constituency and redrawing of boundaries for the others. As a result of the boundary review:

Edinburgh Central
Edinburgh Central (UK Parliament constituency)
Edinburgh Central was a burgh constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1885 to 2005. It elected one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election....

constituency was abolished and split between the original Edinburgh North and Leith
Edinburgh North and Leith (UK Parliament constituency)
Edinburgh North and Leith is a constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom , first used in the 1997 general election. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election....

and Edinburgh West
Edinburgh West (UK Parliament constituency)
Edinburgh West is a burgh constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom , first used in the 1885 general election...

constituencies and an entirely new constituency that was created - Edinburgh South West
Edinburgh South West (UK Parliament constituency)
Edinburgh South West is a Scottish constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom , first used in the 2005 general election. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election....

.
Edinburgh East and Musselburgh
Edinburgh East and Musselburgh (UK Parliament constituency)
Edinburgh East and Musselburgh was a constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1997 to 2005. It elected one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election....

took in parts of the Edinburgh North and Leith
Edinburgh North and Leith (UK Parliament constituency)
Edinburgh North and Leith is a constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom , first used in the 1997 general election. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election....

seat, with the town of Musselburgh
Musselburgh
Musselburgh is the largest settlement in East Lothian, Scotland, on the coast of the Firth of Forth, six miles east of Edinburgh city centre.-History:...

being transferred into the East Lothian
East Lothian (UK Parliament constituency)
East Lothian is a constituency in Scotland which returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, elected by the first past the post voting system.-History:...

constituency, with the new seat renamed Edinburgh East
Edinburgh East (UK Parliament constituency)
Edinburgh East is a burgh constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election....

.
Edinburgh Pentlands
Edinburgh Pentlands (UK Parliament constituency)
Edinburgh Pentlands was a constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, first used in the general election of 1950, and abolished prior to the general election of 2005...

constituency was also divided between the new Edinburgh South West
Edinburgh South West (UK Parliament constituency)
Edinburgh South West is a Scottish constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom , first used in the 2005 general election. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election....

seat and the existing Edinburgh South
Edinburgh South (UK Parliament constituency)
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 by the first past the post system of election...

seat.
Edinburgh North and Leith
Edinburgh North and Leith (UK Parliament constituency)
Edinburgh North and Leith is a constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom , first used in the 1997 general election. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election....

was increased in size by taking in parts of the old Edinburgh Central
Edinburgh Central (UK Parliament constituency)
Edinburgh Central was a burgh constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1885 to 2005. It elected one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election....

constituency.
Edinburgh South
Edinburgh South (UK Parliament constituency)
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 by the first past the post system of election...

was expanded in size taking in elements of the old Edinburgh Pentlands
Edinburgh Pentlands (UK Parliament constituency)
Edinburgh Pentlands was a constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, first used in the general election of 1950, and abolished prior to the general election of 2005...

seat.
Edinburgh South West
Edinburgh South West (UK Parliament constituency)
Edinburgh South West is a Scottish constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom , first used in the 2005 general election. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election....

was an entirely new constituency created for the 2005 UK general election
United Kingdom general election, 2005
The United Kingdom general election of 2005 was held on Thursday, 5 May 2005 to elect 646 members to the British House of Commons. The Labour Party under Tony Blair won its third consecutive victory, but with a majority of 66, reduced from 160....

taking in elements of the old Edinburgh Central
Edinburgh Central (UK Parliament constituency)
Edinburgh Central was a burgh constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1885 to 2005. It elected one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election....

seat, the original Edinburgh West
Edinburgh West (UK Parliament constituency)
Edinburgh West is a burgh constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom , first used in the 1885 general election...

seat and Edinburgh Pentlands
Edinburgh Pentlands (UK Parliament constituency)
Edinburgh Pentlands was a constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, first used in the general election of 1950, and abolished prior to the general election of 2005...

seat.
Edinburgh West
Edinburgh West (UK Parliament constituency)
Edinburgh West is a burgh constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom , first used in the 1885 general election...

was expanded to include some parts of the defunct Edinburgh Central
Edinburgh Central (UK Parliament constituency)
Edinburgh Central was a burgh constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1885 to 2005. It elected one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election....

seat.

Current political composition:

Party	Constituency	Member
Liberal Democrat	Edinburgh West Edinburgh West (UK Parliament constituency) Edinburgh West is a burgh constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom , first used in the 1885 general election...	Michael Crockart Michael Crockart Michael Bruce 'Mike' Crockart is a Liberal Democrat politician, and the Member of Parliament for Edinburgh West. He was first elected on 6 May 2010 at the 2010 General Election....
Labour	Edinburgh South West Edinburgh South West (UK Parliament constituency) Edinburgh South West is a Scottish constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom , first used in the 2005 general election. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election....	Alistair Darling Alistair Darling Alistair Maclean Darling is a Scottish Labour Party politician who has been a Member of Parliament since 1987, currently for Edinburgh South West. He served as the Chancellor of the Exchequer from 2007 to 2010...
Labour	Edinburgh South Edinburgh South (UK Parliament constituency) 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 by the first past the post system of election...	Ian Murray Ian Murray (Scottish politician) Ian Murray is a British Labour Party politician, who has been the Member of Parliament for Edinburgh South since 2010. He was previously an Edinburgh city councillor for the Liberton/Gilmerton ward.-Life outside politics:...
Labour	Edinburgh North and Leith Edinburgh North and Leith (UK Parliament constituency) Edinburgh North and Leith is a constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom , first used in the 1997 general election. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election....	Mark Lazarowicz Mark Lazarowicz Mark Lazarowicz, is a British Labour Co-operative politician who has been the Member of Parliament for Edinburgh North and Leith since 2001...
Labour Co-operative	Edinburgh East Edinburgh East (UK Parliament constituency) Edinburgh East is a burgh constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election....	Sheila Gilmore Sheila Gilmore Sheila Gilmore is a British Labour Party politician, who has been the Member of Parliament for Edinburgh East since 2010. Gilmore stood for the seat following the decision of Gavin Strang MP to stand down; she is a former City of Edinburgh councillor.- Childhood and early career :Gilmore was born...

Constituencies since 1708

Edinburgh has been used in ten different constituency names since 1708, the date of the first election to the Parliament of Great Britain

Parliament of Great Britain

The Parliament of Great Britain was formed in 1707 following the ratification of the Acts of Union by both the Parliament of England and Parliament of Scotland...

(which was merged into the Parliament of the United Kingdom in 1801). There have been up to six Edinburgh constituencies at any one time.

Two names, Edinburgh South and Edinburgh West have been in continuous use since 1885. One name, Edinburgh East, also first used in 1885, fell out of use in 1997 and returned to use in 2005.

Survival of a name does not in itself mean that a constituency's boundaries have been unaltered.

Lists of constituencies:

Period	Constituencies
1708 to 1885	Edinburgh
1885 to 1918	Edinburgh Central, Edinburgh East, Edinburgh South and Edinburgh West
1918 to 1950	Edinburgh Central, Edinburgh East, Edinburgh Leith, Edinburgh North, Edinburgh South and Edinburgh West
1950 to 1983	Edinburgh Central, Edinburgh East, Edinburgh Leith, Edinburgh North, Edinburgh Pentlands, Edinburgh South and Edinburgh West
1983 to 1997	Edinburgh Central, Edinburgh East, Edinburgh Leith, Edinburgh Pentlands, Edinburgh South and Edinburgh West
1997 to 2005	Edinburgh Central, Edinburgh East and Musselburgh, Edinburgh North and Leith, Edinburgh Pentlands, Edinburgh South and Edinburgh West
2005 to present	Edinburgh East, Edinburgh North and Leith, Edinburgh South, Edinburgh South West and Edinburgh West

Scottish Parliament

For elections to the Scottish Parliament

Scottish Parliament

, the city is divided among six of the nine constituencies

United Kingdom constituencies

in the Lothians electoral region. Each constituency elects one Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) by the first past the post system of election, and the region elects seven additional members (also called MSPs) to produce a form of proportional representation

Proportional representation

.

One of the Edinburgh constituencies includes Musselburgh

Musselburgh

Musselburgh is the largest settlement in East Lothian, Scotland, on the coast of the Firth of Forth, six miles east of Edinburgh city centre.-History:...

, which is outside the city, in East Lothian

East Lothian

East Lothian is one of the 32 council areas of Scotland, and a lieutenancy Area. It borders the City of Edinburgh, Scottish Borders and Midlothian. Its administrative centre is Haddington, although its largest town is Musselburgh....

.

Until the United Kingdom general election, 2005

United Kingdom general election, 2005

, Edinburgh Scottish Parliament and Parliament of the United Kingdom constituencies were coterminous (shared the same geographical boundaries). The Scottish Parliament (Constituencies) Act 2004

Scottish Parliament (Constituencies) Act 2004

The Scottish Parliament Act 2004 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that amends the Scotland Act 1998 which established the Scottish Parliament....

, a piece of United Kingdom Parliament legislation, had removed the link, to enable Scottish Parliament constituencies to retain established boundaries despite the introduction of new boundaries for United Kingdom Parliament constituencies.

In the 2011 Scottish Parliament election

Scottish Parliament election, 2011

The 2011 Scottish Parliament general election was held on Thursday, 5 May 2011 to elect 129 members to the Scottish Parliament.The election delivered the first majority government since the opening of Holyrood, a remarkable feat as the mixed member proportional representation system is used to...

, the six Edinburgh constituencies elected five Scottish National Party

Scottish National Party

The Scottish National Party is a social-democratic political party in Scotland which campaigns for Scottish independence from the United Kingdom....

MSPs and one Labour

Scottish Labour Party

The Scottish Labour Party is the section of the British Labour Party which operates in Scotland....

MSP:

Party	Constituency	Member
Scottish National Party	Edinburgh Central Edinburgh Central (Scottish Parliament constituency) Edinburgh Central is a constituency of the Scottish Parliament . It elects one Member of the Scottish Parliament by the plurality method of election...	Marco Biagi Marco Biagi (politician) Marco Biagi is a Scottish politician, serving as the SNP MSP for Edinburgh Central.Biagi was raised in Dunbartonshire. He studied at the University of St Andrews where he was awarded a First. He was also elected as a Vice-President of the Students' Association and in 2002 managed the unsuccessful...
Labour	Edinburgh Northern and Leith	Malcolm Chisholm Malcolm Chisholm Malcolm Chisholm is a Scottish Labour Party politician, and a former Scottish Executive minister.-Background:Chisholm was educated at George Watson's College and the University of Edinburgh and became an English teacher. He is married with three children...
Scottish National Party	Edinburgh Eastern Edinburgh Eastern (Scottish Parliament constituency) Edinburgh Eastern is a proposed constituency of the Scottish Parliament . It will elect one Member of the Scottish Parliament by the plurality method of election...	Kenny MacAskill Kenny MacAskill Kenneth "Kenny" Wright MacAskill is the Scottish Government's Cabinet Secretary for Justice and Scottish National Party Member of the Scottish Parliament for Edinburgh Eastern, formerly Edinburgh East and Musselburgh since 2007...
Scottish National Party	Edinburgh Pentlands Edinburgh Pentlands (Scottish Parliament constituency) Edinburgh Pentlands is a constituency of the Scottish Parliament. It elects one Member of the Scottish Parliament by the plurality method of election...	Gordon MacDonald Gordon MacDonald (Scottish politician) Gordon MacDonald is a Scottish politician, currently the Scottish National Party MSP for Edinburgh Pentlands.He was born in Glasgow and educated at Cumbernauld High School, the Central College of Commerce and the Glasgow College of Technology.MacDonald contested the seat of Edinburgh Pentlands in...
Scottish National Party	Edinburgh Southern Edinburgh Southern (Scottish Parliament constituency) Edinburgh Southern is a constituency of the Scottish Parliament . It elects one Member of the Scottish Parliament by the plurality method of election...	Jim Eadie Jim Eadie (politician) Jim Eadie is a Scottish politician, currently a Member of the Scottish Parliament for the Scottish National Party .He was born in Glasgow and educated at Waverley Secondary School and the University of Strathclyde....
Scottish National Party	Edinburgh Western Edinburgh Western (Scottish Parliament constituency) Edinburgh Western is a constituency of the Scottish Parliament . It elects one Member of the Scottish Parliament by the plurality method of election...	Colin Keir Colin Keir Colin Keir is a Scottish politician, currently a Member of the Scottish Parliament for the Scottish National Party.Keir contested the seat of Edinburgh Western in the Scottish Parliament general election, 2011, and defeated the Liberal Democrat incumbent Margaret Smith with a substantial swing to...

The following additional members were elected to represent the Lothians

Lothians (Scottish Parliament electoral region)

The Lothians was one of the eight electoral regions of the Scottish Parliament from 1999 to 2011. Nine of the parliament's 73 first past the post constituencies are sub-divisions of the region and it elects seven of the 56 additional-member Members of the Scottish Parliament...

electoral region:

	Party	Member
	Labour	Sarah Boyack Sarah Boyack Sarah Boyack MSP is a Scottish Labour MSP for the Lothian region and formerly constituency MSP for Edinburgh Central in the Scottish Parliament....
	Conservative	David McLetchie David McLetchie David McLetchie is a Scottish politician, currently a Scottish Conservative and Unionist Member of the Scottish Parliament for the Lothian electoral region...
	Labour	Kezia Dugdale Kezia Dugdale Kezia Dugdale is a Scottish Labour Party Member of the Scottish Parliament, representing the Lothian region.-Background:...
	Scottish Green Party	Alison Johnstone Alison Johnstone Alison Johnstone is a Scottish Green Party MSP for the Lothian region. She also serves as a councillor for the Meadows/Morningside ward for the City of Edinburgh Council....
	Independent	Margo MacDonald Margo MacDonald Margo MacDonald MSP is a Scottish politician and former Scottish National Party MP and Deputy Leader...
	Labour	Neil Findlay Neil Findlay Neil Findlayis a Scottish Labour Party Member of the Scottish Parliament, representing the Lothian region.He is also involved in West lothian council as a Councillor, a member of the Performance Committee, Local Area Committee and the Services for the Community Policy Development and Scrutiny...
	Conservative	Gavin Brown Gavin Brown (politician) Gavin Brown is a Conservative politician, and Member of the Scottish Parliament for Lothian since 2007 .He contested Edinburgh South at the 2005 UK general election, where he came third...

External links

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The City of Edinburgh Council

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Elections

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List of wards and councillors

Former local government

Parliament of the United Kingdom

Constituencies since 1708

Scottish Parliament

See also

External links