Edinburgh Leith (UK Parliament constituency) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids {{{Name}}}[[{{{Type}}} constituency]] |
|
|---|---|
| [[Image:{{{Map1}}}Constituency.svg|120px|]] [[Image:England{{{Map2}}}.svg|120px|]] |
|
| {{{Name}}} shown within [[{{{Entity}}}]], and {{{Entity}}} shown within England | |
| Created: | {{{Year}}} |
| MP: | {{{MP}}} |
| Party: | {{{Party}}} |
| Type: | House of Commons |
| County: | [[{{{County}}}]] |
| EP constituency: | [[{{{EP}}} (European Parliament constituency)|{{{EP}}}]] |
Edinburgh Leith was a special area in Scotland that had its own representative in the UK Parliament. This area, called a burgh constituency, was used for elections from 1950 until 1997.
People living in Edinburgh Leith voted for one person to be their Member of Parliament (MP). An MP is like a spokesperson for their area in the government. The election system used was called "first past the post," which means the candidate with the most votes wins.
Before Edinburgh Leith, there were other similar areas called Leith (from 1918 to 1950) and Leith Burghs (from 1832 to 1918).
Contents
What Were the Boundaries of Edinburgh Leith?
The "boundaries" of a constituency are like its borders, showing exactly which streets and neighborhoods are included. These boundaries can change over time due to population shifts or new laws.
How the Area Changed Over Time
When Edinburgh Leith was first created in 1950, it covered specific parts of the city of Edinburgh. It included areas known as Central Leith, South Leith, and West Leith. This was very similar to the old area of Leith before it became part of Edinburgh in 1920. These boundaries were used for the elections in 1950 and 1951.
The boundaries were updated for the 1955 election. Edinburgh Leith still covered the Central, South, and West Leith areas, but the overall shape of the constituency changed a little. These new boundaries stayed mostly the same for many elections, from 1959 to 1979. There were small adjustments in 1964 and 1974. For example, in 1974, a small part of the Pilton area was added.
The biggest change happened for the 1983 election. This was because new laws changed how local government areas were set up in Scotland. From 1983 to 1997, Edinburgh Leith included different electoral wards, which are smaller voting areas.
Finally, in 1997, the Edinburgh Leith constituency was removed. A new constituency called Edinburgh North and Leith was created to take its place.
Who Were the Members of Parliament?
The Members of Parliament (MPs) for Edinburgh Leith represented the people of the area in the UK Parliament. They spoke up for their community and helped make laws. Here are the people who served as MPs for Edinburgh Leith:
| Election | Member | Party | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1950 | James Hoy | Labour | |
| 1970 | Ronald King Murray | Labour | |
| 1979 | Ron Brown | Labour | |
| 1991 | Independent | ||
| 1992 | Malcolm Chisholm | Labour | |
| 1997 | constituency abolished | ||
Elections in Edinburgh Leith
Elections are how people choose their representatives. In Edinburgh Leith, voters went to the polls to pick their MP. The results showed how many votes each candidate received and what percentage of the total votes they got. The "majority" was the difference in votes between the winning candidate and the runner-up. "Turnout" showed how many people actually voted.
Throughout its history, Edinburgh Leith was mainly represented by the Labour Party. Here's a look at some of the election results:
Elections in the 1950s
In the 1950 election, James Hoy of the Labour Party won the seat with 49.22% of the votes. He won by a majority of 2,270 votes. The turnout was high, with over 80% of eligible voters participating.
James Hoy won again in the 1951 election, but it was a very close race. He won by only 72 votes!
He continued to win in the 1995 and 1959 elections, keeping the seat for the Labour Party.
Elections in the 1960s
James Hoy also won the elections in 1964 and 1966, showing strong support for the Labour Party in Edinburgh Leith during this decade.
Elections in the 1970s
In the 1970 election, Ronald Murray became the new Labour MP for Edinburgh Leith. He won with 46.29% of the votes.
Ronald Murray was re-elected in both the February 1974 and October 1974 elections. The Scottish National Party also started to gain more votes during this time.
In the 1979 election, Ron Brown became the new Labour MP, winning with 46.30% of the votes.
Elections in the 1980s
Ron Brown continued to represent Edinburgh Leith in the 1983 and 1987 elections. In 1987, he won with a large majority of 11,327 votes.
Elections in the 1990s
In the 1992 election, Malcolm Chisholm became the new Labour MP for Edinburgh Leith. He won with 34.2% of the votes. Ron Brown also ran in this election as an Independent Labour candidate.
After this election, the constituency was abolished in 1997, and a new one was formed.
See also
- Politics of Edinburgh
