Edinburgh Central (UK Parliament constituency)
Edinburgh Central | |
---|---|
Former burgh constituency for the House of Commons | |
Subdivisions of Scotland | City of Edinburgh |
1885–2005 | |
Seats | One |
Created from | Edinburgh |
Replaced by | Edinburgh East Edinburgh North & Leith Edinburgh South West Edinburgh West |
Edinburgh Central was a burgh constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom (at Westminster) from 1885 to 2005. It elected one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first past the post system of election.
In 1999, a Scottish Parliament constituency was created with the same name and boundaries, and continues in use. See Edinburgh Central (Scottish Parliament constituency).
From 1925 until 1999, the Member of Parliament for the Westminster constituency was an ex officio member of the Board of Trustees of the National Library of Scotland. Since 1999, that role has been taken by the Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for the Scottish Parliament constituency.
Boundaries
[edit]1885–1918: The Municipal Wards of St. Giles, George Square, and St. Leonard, except so much as is comprised in the Edinburgh East Division (being the part to the north of a line drawn along the centres of East and West Richmond Streets).
1918–1950: The George Square, St. Giles' and St. Leonard's Municipal Wards of Edinburgh.
1950–1955: The George Square, Holyrood, and St Giles wards of the county of the city of Edinburgh.
1955–1974: The George Square, Holyrood, and St Giles wards of the county of the city of Edinburgh; and part of Gorgie-Dalry ward.
1974–1983: The George Square, Gorgie-Dalry, Holyrood, and St Giles wards of the county of the city of Edinburgh; and part of Merchiston ward.
1983–1997: The City of Edinburgh District electoral divisions of Dalry/Shandon, Haymarket/Tollcross, Murrayfield/Dean, New Town/Stockbridge, and St Giles/Holyrood.
1997–2005: The City of Edinburgh District electoral divisions of Dalry/Shandon, Fountainbridge/Tollcross, Moat/Stenhouse, Murrayfield/Dean, and St Giles/Holyrood.
The 1997–2005 boundaries covered a central portion of the City of Edinburgh council area, including Edinburgh Old Town, the West End, Holyrood and Murrayfield. The constituency was one of six covering the city council area.
At the 2005 general election, the constituency area was divided between Edinburgh East, Edinburgh North and Leith, Edinburgh South West and Edinburgh West.[1]
Members of Parliament
[edit]Elections
[edit]Elections in the 1880s
[edit]Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Independent Liberal | John Wilson | 2,930 | 41.9 | ||
Liberal | James Hall Renton | 1,683 | 24.1 | ||
Conservative | John Scott Napier | 1,606 | 23.0 | ||
Independent Liberal | Adam William Black | 770 | 11.0 | ||
Majority | 1,247 | 17.8 | |||
Turnout | 6,989 | 84.5 | |||
Registered electors | 8,269 | ||||
Independent Liberal win (new seat) |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal | William McEwan | 3,760 | 62.7 | +38.6 | |
Liberal Unionist | John Wilson | 2,236 | 37.3 | −4.6 | |
Majority | 1,524 | 25.4 | N/A | ||
Turnout | 5,996 | 72.5 | −12.0 | ||
Registered electors | 8,269 | ||||
Liberal gain from Independent Liberal | Swing | +21.6 |
Elections in the 1890s
[edit]Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal | William McEwan | 3,733 | 63.0 | +0.3 | |
Liberal Unionist | Arthur Knatchbull Connell | 1,758 | 29.7 | −7.6 | |
Scottish Trades Councils (Scottish Socialist Federation) | John Wilson | 434 | 7.3 | New | |
Majority | 1,975 | 33.3 | +7.9 | ||
Turnout | 5,925 | 76.7 | +4.2 | ||
Registered electors | 7,725 | ||||
Liberal hold | Swing | +4.0 |
Note: The John Wilson who stood as a candidate in 1892 is not the same John Wilson that stood in 1885 and 1886[6][7]
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal | William McEwan | Unopposed | |||
Liberal hold |
Elections in the 1900s
[edit]Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal | George Mackenzie Brown | 3,028 | 55.2 | N/A | |
Liberal Unionist | Arthur Conan Doyle | 2,459 | 44.8 | N/A | |
Majority | 569 | 10.4 | N/A | ||
Turnout | 5,487 | 71.9 | N/A | ||
Registered electors | 7,630 | ||||
Liberal hold | Swing | N/A |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal | Charles Price | 3,935 | 67.9 | +12.7 | |
Liberal Unionist | J. Douglas G. Walker | 1,857 | 32.1 | −12.7 | |
Majority | 2,078 | 35.8 | +25.4 | ||
Turnout | 5,792 | 83.6 | +11.7 | ||
Registered electors | 6,926 | ||||
Liberal hold | Swing | +12.7 |
Elections in the 1910s
[edit]Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal | Charles Price | 3,965 | 66.7 | −1.2 | |
Liberal Unionist | David A. Scott | 1,980 | 33.3 | +1.2 | |
Majority | 1,985 | 33.4 | −2.4 | ||
Turnout | 5,945 | 84.9 | +1.3 | ||
Liberal hold | Swing | -1.2 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liberal | Charles Price | 3,771 | 65.9 | −0.8 | |
Conservative | Geoffrey Reynolds Yonge Radcliffe | 1,947 | 34.1 | +0.8 | |
Majority | 1,824 | 31.8 | −1.6 | ||
Turnout | 5,718 | 81.4 | −3.5 | ||
Liberal hold | Swing | -0.8 |
General Election 1914–15:
Another General Election was required to take place before the end of 1915. The political parties had been making preparations for an election to take place and by the July 1914, the following candidates had been selected;
- Liberal: Charles Price
- Unionist:
- Labour: William Graham
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | William Graham | 7,161 | 51.3 | New | |
C | Liberal | Joseph Dobbie | 6,797 | 48.7 | −17.2 |
Majority | 364 | 2.6 | N/A | ||
Turnout | 13,958 | 45.2 | −36.2 | ||
Registered electors | 30,867 | ||||
Labour gain from Liberal | Swing | N/A | |||
C indicates candidate endorsed by the coalition government. |
Elections in the 1920s
[edit]Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | William Graham | 12,876 | 57.9 | +6.6 | |
National Liberal | George McCrae | 9,371 | 42.1 | −6.6 | |
Majority | 3,505 | 15.8 | +13.2 | ||
Turnout | 22,247 | 71.8 | +26.6 | ||
Registered electors | 30,970 | ||||
Labour hold | Swing | +6.6 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | William Graham | 13,186 | 67.9 | +10.0 | |
Liberal | Thomas Lamb | 6,225 | 32.1 | −10.0 | |
Majority | 6,961 | 35.8 | +20.0 | ||
Turnout | 19,411 | 59.7 | −12.1 | ||
Registered electors | 32,492 | ||||
Labour hold | Swing | +10.0 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | William Graham | 13,628 | 60.5 | −7.4 | |
Unionist | Allan Beaton | 8,897 | 39.5 | New | |
Majority | 4,731 | 21.0 | −14.8 | ||
Turnout | 22,525 | 68.8 | +9.1 | ||
Registered electors | 32,744 | ||||
Labour hold | Swing | N/A |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | William Graham | 16,762 | 59.0 | −1.5 | |
Liberal | Harold Alexander | 6,745 | 23.8 | New | |
Unionist | John Mackie | 4,889 | 17.2 | −22.3 | |
Majority | 10,017 | 35.2 | +14.2 | ||
Turnout | 28,396 | 69.3 | +0.5 | ||
Registered electors | 40,975 | ||||
Labour hold | Swing | +10.4 |
Elections in the 1930s
[edit]Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Unionist | James Guy | 17,293 | 59.3 | +42.1 | |
Labour | William Graham | 10,566 | 36.2 | −22.8 | |
Communist | Fred Douglas | 1,319 | 4.5 | New | |
Majority | 6,727 | 23.1 | N/A | ||
Turnout | 29,178 | 74.2 | +4.9 | ||
Unionist gain from Labour | Swing | +29.1 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Unionist | James Guy | 12,612 | 54.0 | −5.3 | |
Labour | Andrew Gilzean | 9,659 | 41.4 | +5.2 | |
Liberal | Richard Archibald Barlow | 1,086 | 4.6 | New | |
Majority | 2,953 | 12.6 | −11.5 | ||
Turnout | 23,357 | 64.5 | −9.7 | ||
Unionist hold | Swing | -5.2 |
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;
- Conservative: James Guy
- Labour: Andrew Gilzean
Elections in the 1940s
[edit]Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Unionist | Frank Watt | 4,771 | 71.0 | +17.0 | |
Ind. Labour Party | Thomas Taylor | 1,950 | 29.0 | N/A | |
Majority | 2,821 | 42.0 | +29.4 | ||
Turnout | 6,721 | 20.0 | −44.5 | ||
Unionist hold | Swing | N/A |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Andrew Gilzean | 10,921 | 54.3 | +12.9 | |
Unionist | Frank Watt | 6,701 | 33.3 | −20.7 | |
Liberal | Norman Archibald Donald | 2,262 | 11.2 | +6.6 | |
Independent Scottish Nationalist | Hume Sleigh | 232 | 1.2 | New | |
Majority | 4,220 | 21.0 | N/A | ||
Turnout | 20,116 | 59.7 | −4.8 | ||
Labour gain from Unionist | Swing | +16.8 |
Elections in the 1950s
[edit]Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Andrew Gilzean | 16,568 | 47.92 | −6.4 | |
Unionist | Frank Watt | 13,631 | 39.43 | +6.1 | |
Liberal | Leonard Gellatly | 3,446 | 9.97 | −1.2 | |
Communist | Donald Fraser Renton | 646 | 1.87 | New | |
Independent Scottish Nationalist | Hume Sleigh | 283 | 0.82 | −0.4 | |
Majority | 2,937 | 8.49 | −12.5 | ||
Turnout | 34,574 | 74.33 | +14.6 | ||
Labour hold | Swing | -6.2 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Thomas Oswald | 18,429 | 52.24 | +4.32 | |
Unionist | William J M Kean | 16,847 | 47.76 | +8.33 | |
Majority | 1,582 | 4.48 | −4.01 | ||
Turnout | 35,276 | 76.70 | +2.37 | ||
Labour hold | Swing | -2.01 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Thomas Oswald | 16,735 | 51.44 | −0.80 | |
Unionist | Ralph Harris | 15,796 | 48.56 | +0.80 | |
Majority | 939 | 2.88 | −1.60 | ||
Turnout | 32,531 | 68.85 | −7.85 | ||
Labour hold | Swing | -0.8 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Thomas Oswald | 15,849 | 50.99 | −0.45 | |
Unionist | Norman Wylie | 15,232 | 49.01 | +0.45 | |
Majority | 617 | 1.98 | −0.90 | ||
Turnout | 31,081 | 72.65 | +3.80 | ||
Labour hold | Swing | -0.45 |
Elections in the 1960s
[edit]Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Thomas Oswald | 14,124 | 53.9 | +2.91 | |
Unionist | Nicholas Fairbairn | 12,082 | 46.1 | −2.91 | |
Majority | 2,042 | 7.8 | +5.82 | ||
Turnout | 26,206 | 71.62 | −1.03 | ||
Labour hold | Swing | +2.91 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Thomas Oswald | 13,682 | 58.6 | +4.7 | |
Conservative | Nicholas Fairbairn | 9,667 | 41.4 | −4.7 | |
Majority | 4,015 | 17.2 | +9.4 | ||
Turnout | 23,349 | 68.86 | −2.76 | ||
Labour hold | Swing | +4.7 |
Elections in the 1970s
[edit]Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Thomas Oswald | 9,561 | 46.16 | −12.44 | |
Conservative | Malcolm Rifkind | 8,000 | 38.62 | +2.78 | |
SNP | Rena Moore | 1,666 | 8.04 | New | |
Liberal | Anthony Oliver | 1,486 | 7.17 | New | |
Majority | 1,561 | 7.54 | −9.66 | ||
Turnout | 20,713 | 66.00 | 2.86 | ||
Labour hold | Swing | -8.61 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Robin Cook | 11,354 | 37.85 | −8.31 | |
Conservative | P Jones | 10,393 | 34.64 | −3.98 | |
Liberal | Christopher Scott | 4,180 | 13.93 | +6.76 | |
SNP | AW Stephen Rae | 4,074 | 13.58 | +5.54 | |
Majority | 961 | 3.19 | −4.35 | ||
Turnout | 30,001 | 73.57 | +7.57 | ||
Labour hold | Swing | -2.17 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Robin Cook | 11,129 | 40.27 | +2.42 | |
Conservative | P Jones | 7,176 | 25.97 | −8.67 | |
SNP | AW Stephen Rae | 6,866 | 24.85 | +11.27 | |
Liberal | Christopher Scott | 2,463 | 8.91 | −5.02 | |
Majority | 3,953 | 14.30 | +11.11 | ||
Turnout | 27,634 | 67.47 | −6.10 | ||
Labour hold | Swing | +5.55 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Robin Cook | 12,191 | 47.8 | +7.5 | |
Conservative | David McLetchie | 7,530 | 29.5 | +3.5 | |
Liberal | Stewart Donaldson | 3,096 | 12.1 | +3.2 | |
SNP | Gavin Kennedy | 2,486 | 9.8 | −15.0 | |
SLP | Colin Boyd | 176 | 0.7 | New | |
Majority | 4,661 | 18.3 | +4.0 | ||
Turnout | 25,479 | 67.5 | 0.0 | ||
Labour hold | Swing | +2.0 |
Elections in the 1980s
[edit]Although the Edinburgh Central seat had been won by the Labour Party in 1979, had that election been fought on the new boundaries it was estimated that the Conservatives would have won the seat by a majority of 1,971.[18]
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Conservative | Alexander Fletcher | 14,095 | 38.0 | −2.6 | |
Labour | Richard Kerley | 11,529 | 31.1 | −4.7 | |
SDP | Dr Marion Macleod | 9,498 | 25.6 | +14.2 | |
SNP | Ronald Halliday | 1,810 | 4.9 | −6.9 | |
Communist | D.W. Carson | 119 | 0.3 | New | |
Majority | 2,566 | 6.9 | −1.9 | ||
Turnout | 37,051 | 64.9 | |||
Conservative hold | Swing |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Alistair Darling | 16,502 | 40.2 | +9.1 | |
Conservative | Alexander Fletcher | 14,240 | 34.7 | −3.3 | |
Liberal | Andrew Myles | 7,333 | 17.9 | −7.7 | |
SNP | Brian Shaw | 2,559 | 6.2 | +1.3 | |
Green | Linda Hendry | 438 | 1.1 | New | |
Majority | 2,262 | 5.5 | N/A | ||
Turnout | 41,072 | 69.0 | +4.1 | ||
Registered electors | 59,529 | ||||
Labour gain from Conservative | Swing |
Elections in the 1990s
[edit]Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Alistair Darling | 15,189 | 38.8 | −1.4 | |
Conservative | Paul Martin | 13,063 | 33.4 | −1.3 | |
SNP | Lynne J. Devine | 5,539 | 14.2 | +8.0 | |
Liberal Democrats | Andrew B. Myles | 4,500 | 11.5 | −6.4 | |
Scottish Green | Robin Harper | 630 | 1.6 | +0.5 | |
Liberal | Richard Wilson | 235 | 0.6 | New | |
Majority | 2,126 | 5.4 | −0.1 | ||
Turnout | 39,156 | 69.3 | +0.3 | ||
Registered electors | 56,527 | ||||
Labour hold | Swing | -0.1 |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Alistair Darling | 20,125 | 47.1 | +8.3 | |
Conservative | Mike D.A. Scott-Hayward | 9,055 | 21.2 | −12.2 | |
SNP | Fiona Hyslop | 6,750 | 15.8 | +1.6 | |
Liberal Democrats | Karen J. Utting | 5,605 | 13.1 | +1.6 | |
Scottish Green | Linda Hendry | 607 | 1.4 | −0.2 | |
Referendum | Austin G. Skinner | 495 | 1.2 | New | |
Independent | Mark E. Benson | 98 | 0.2 | New | |
Majority | 11,070 | 25.9 | +20.5 | ||
Turnout | 42,735 | 66.8 | −2.5 | ||
Registered electors | 63,969 | ||||
Labour hold | Swing | +8.4 |
Elections in the 2000s
[edit]Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Alistair Darling | 14,495 | 42.1 | −5.0 | |
Liberal Democrats | Andrew B. Myles | 6,353 | 18.5 | +5.4 | |
Conservative | Alastair Orr | 5,643 | 16.4 | −4.8 | |
SNP | Ian McKee | 4,832 | 14.1 | −1.7 | |
Scottish Green | Graeme Farmer | 1,809 | 5.3 | +3.9 | |
Scottish Socialist | Kevin Williamson | 1,258 | 3.7 | New | |
Majority | 8,142 | 23.6 | −2.3 | ||
Turnout | 34,390 | 52.0 | −14.8 | ||
Labour hold | Swing | −5.2 |
See also
[edit]Notes and references
[edit]- ^ "Fifth Periodical Review". Boundary Commission for Scotland. Archived from the original on 9 October 2007.
- ^ Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "E" (part 1)
- ^ a b Debrett's House of Commons and Judicial Bench, 1889
- ^ a b c d e f Craig, FWS, ed. (1974). British Parliamentary Election Results: 1885-1918. London: Macmillan Press. ISBN 9781349022984.
- ^ Whitaker's Almanack, 1893
- ^ London Daily News, 1885-11-27
- ^ The Late Mr John Wilson, Linlithgowshire Gazette, 1910-04-12
- ^ a b Debrett's House of Commons and the Judicial Bench, 1901
- ^ Whitaker's Almanack, 1907
- ^ a b Debrett's House of Commons and the Judicial Bench, 1916
- ^ a b c Craig, F. W. S. (1983). British parliamentary election results 1918–1949 (3 ed.). Chichester: Parliamentary Research Services. ISBN 0-900178-06-X.
- ^ The Times, 8 December 1923
- ^ Oliver and Boyd's Edinburgh Almanack, 1927
- ^ Whitaker's Almanack, 1934
- ^ Whitaker's Almanack, 1939
- ^ Whitaker's Almanack, 1944
- ^ Craig, F. W. S. (1983) [1969]. British parliamentary election results 1918-1949 (3rd ed.). Chichester: Parliamentary Research Services. ISBN 0-900178-06-X.
- ^ The Times Guide to the House of Commons June 1983. London: Times Newspapers Ltd. 1983. p. 279. ISBN 0-7230-0255-X.
- ^ "Election Data 1983". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
- ^ "Election Data 1987". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
- ^ "Election Data 1992". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
- ^ "Election Data 1997". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
- ^ "Election Data 2001". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
- ^ Vote 2001: Edinburgh Central, BBC News