Edinburgh North and Leith (UK Parliament constituency)

Constituency profile

The constituency is urbanised, affluent and left-leaning, and covers several northern communities of the city, as well as most of the former burgh of Leith, which controversially amalgamated with the City of Edinburgh in 1920. It has the highest proportion of residents living in tenements and flats of any parliamentary constituency in the United Kingdom, and a relatively high proportion of university graduates. It includes a mix of leafy, expensive residential areas in the South and West of the constituency and densely populated areas nearer to Leith with more young professionals and students, as well as older residents whose families have lived there during several previous generations.

It also includes Calton Hill, the shops and offices on the northern side of Princes Street, Bute House, the official residence of the First Minister of Scotland, St Mary's Episcopal Cathedral, the Edinburgh Playhouse, the Edinburgh Waterfront, the stretch of the Water of Leith from Dean Village to Leith Harbour, the Royal Botanical Gardens, the Western General Hospital and the notable private schools.

Boundaries

When created in 1997, Edinburgh North and Leith was largely a replacement for the Edinburgh Leith constituency, and was one of six constituencies covering the City of Edinburgh council area. One of those six, Edinburgh East and Musselburgh straddled the boundary with the East Lothian council area to take in Musselburgh.

1997–2005: The City of Edinburgh wards of Broughton, Calton, Granton, Harbour, Lorne, New Town, Newhaven, Pilton, Stockbridge and Trinity.

2005–2024: Under the Fifth Review of UK Parliament constituencies, constituency boundaries in Scotland were revised for the 2005 election. The number of constituencies within the city was reduced from six to five, each now entirely within the city area, and Musselburgh was reunited with the remainder of East Lothian. The revised Edinburgh North and Leith constituency included the whole of the existing one, but also took in the Dean ward from Edinburgh Central and Craigleith ward from Edinburgh West.

Further to the Local Governance (Scotland) Act 2004, the ward structure in the City of Edinburgh was changed. Consequently, from 2007, the constituency comprised parts of the City of Edinburgh wards of Leith, Leith Walk, Forth, Inverleith and City Centre. A further revision to ward boundaries in 2017 resulted in the whole of the Forth ward and a small part of the Corstorphine/Murrayfield ward now being within the constituency boundaries.

2024–present: Further to the 2023 review of Westminster constituencies which came into effect for the 2024 general election, the boundary with the neighbouring constituency of Edinburgh West was revised. The part in the Corstorphine/Murrayfield ward was transferred to Edinburgh West, along with a further part of the Inverleith ward. To partly compensate, the eastern-most part of the Almond ward was moved in the opposite direction. The constituency now comprises the following wards or part wards of the City of Edinburgh:

• A small part of Almond ward, including the Muirhouse area;
• the whole of Forth ward;
• eastern parts of Inverleith ward, comprising approximately half its electorate;
• northern parts of City Centre ward, including New Town and Greenside; and
• most of Leith and Leith Walk wards.

Members of Parliament

Election results

Elections in the 2020s

Elections in the 2010s

Elections in the 2000s

Elections in the 1990s

Notes

References

References

1. "2023 review final recs news release". Boundary Commission for Scotland.
2. "Scottish Independence Referendum 2014 results".
3. "Revised estimates of leave vote in Westminster constituencies".
4. "Edinburgh North and Leith: Seat Details".
5. "Fifth Periodical Review". [[Boundary Commission for Scotland]].
6. [https://www.bcomm-scotland.independent.gov.uk/reviews/2023-review-uk-parliament-constituencies 2023 Review UK Parliament constituencies] Boundary Commission for Scotland
7. "The Parliamentary Constituencies Order 2023".
8. {{Rayment-hc. e. 1. (March 2012)
9. "UK Parliamentary General Election 2024 Edinburgh North and Leith Constituency".
10. "Edinburgh North and Leith results". BBC News.
11. "Edinburgh North and Leith notional election - December 2019". [[UK Parliament]].
12. "UK Parliamentary General Election – 12 December 2019".
13. "Edinburgh North & Leith parliamentary constituency – Election 2019". BBC News.
14. (28 January 2020). "Commons Briefing Paper 8749. General Election 2019: results and analysis". [[House of Commons Library]].
15. "Who you can vote for: UK Parliamentary General Election 8 June 2017 candidates".
16. (29 January 2019). "Commons Briefing Paper 7979. General Election 2017: results and analysis". [[House of Commons Library]].
17. "Election Data 2015". [[Electoral Calculus]].
18. Council, The City of Edinburgh. "UK Parliamentary election results 2015 | The City of Edinburgh Council".
19. "UK ELECTION RESULTS: EDINBURGH NORTH & LEITH 2015".
20. (2014). "Iain McGill for Edinburgh North & Leith". Edinburgh Conservative and Unionist Federation.
21. "Edinburgh North & Leith".
22. "UK Polling Report".
23. "Home".
24. "Election Data 2010". [[Electoral Calculus]].