Edinburgh North and Leith (Scottish Parliament constituency) explained

Edinburgh North and Leith
Type:burgh
Constituency Link:Scottish Parliament constituencies and regions
Parl Name:Scottish Parliament
Year:1999
Abolished:2011
Next:Edinburgh Northern and Leith
Party Label:Party
Member Label:MSP
Local Council Label:Council area
Local Council:City of Edinburgh

Edinburgh North and Leith was a constituency of the Scottish Parliament (Holyrood). It elected one Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) by the plurality (first past the post) method of election. Also, however, it was one of nine constituencies in the Lothians electoral region, which elects seven additional members, in addition to nine constituency MSPs, to produce a form of proportional representation for the region as a whole.

For the Scottish Parliament election, 2011, the constituency was largely replaced by Edinburgh Northern and Leith.

The Scottish Parliament and UK Westminster constituency originally held the same boundaries, however, after the redrawing of the UK constituency boundaries they no longer share the same boundaries though they still mostly share the same rough outline.

Electoral region

See also Lothians (Scottish Parliament electoral region)

The other eight constituencies of the Lothians region were: Edinburgh Central, Edinburgh East and Musselburgh, Edinburgh Pentlands, Edinburgh South, Edinburgh West, Linlithgow, Livingston and Midlothian.

The region covered the City of Edinburgh council area, the West Lothian council area, part of the Midlothian council area, and part of the East Lothian council area.

Constituency boundaries

The Edinburgh North and Leith constituency was created at the same time as the Scottish Parliament, in 1999, with the same name and boundaries as an existing Westminster constituency. In 2005, however, Scottish House of Commons constituencies were mostly replaced with new constituencies.[1]

Council area

The Holyrood constituency covered a northern portion of the City of Edinburgh council area. The rest of the city area was covered by five other constituencies, all also in the Lothians electoral region: Edinburgh East and Musselburgh, Edinburgh Central, Edinburgh South, Edinburgh Pentlands, Edinburgh West.

Edinburgh North and Leith had boundaries with the Edinburgh East and Musselburgh constituency, the Edinburgh Central constituency and the Edinburgh West constituency.

The Edinburgh East and Musselburgh constituency also covered the Musselburgh portion of the East Lothian council area. The rest of the East Lothian area was covered by the East Lothian constituency, which was in the South of Scotland electoral region.

Wards

Edinburgh North and Leith included the wards of Broughton, Calton, Granton, Harbour, Lorne, New Town, Newhaven, Stockbridge, Trinity, and part of the Pilton ward, which is split with the Edinburgh West constituency. The wards were created in 1999, at the same time as the constituency, and was replaced with new wards in 2007, without change to constituency boundaries.

Constituency profile

Edinburgh North and Leith was an urban constituency. It included Granton, Leith, New Town, Newhaven, Stockbridge, Trinity and a part of the Pilton area.

Member of the Scottish Parliament

Election Member Party
1999Malcolm ChisholmLabour
constituency abolished: replaced by Edinburgh Northern and Leith

Footnotes

  1. See The 5th Periodical Report of the Boundary Commission for Scotland

See also