Edinburgh Northern and Leith (Scottish Parliament constituency) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Edinburgh Northern and Leith |
|
|---|---|
| burgh constituency for the Scottish Parliament |
|
.svg) |
|
.svg)
Edinburgh Northern and Leith shown within the Lothian electoral region and the region shown within Scotland
|
|
| Population | 93,605 (2019) |
| Current constituency | |
| Created | 2011 |
| Party | SNP |
| MSP | Ben Macpherson |
| Council area | City of Edinburgh |
| Created from | Edinburgh North and Leith |
Edinburgh Northern and Leith (in Gaelic: Dùn Èideann a Tuath agus Lite) is a special area in Edinburgh, Scotland. It's called a constituency for the Scottish Parliament.
People who live here get to choose one person to represent them. This person is called a Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP). They are chosen using a system called "first past the post." This means the candidate with the most votes wins, even if they don't get more than half the votes.
Edinburgh Northern and Leith is one of nine constituencies in the Lothian electoral region. This region also chooses seven extra MSPs to make sure all votes count fairly.
Before the 2011 Scottish Parliament election, most of this area was part of a different constituency. Since the 2016 Scottish Parliament election, Ben Macpherson from the Scottish National Party has been the MSP for this area.
Contents
What is an Electoral Region?
An electoral region is a larger area that groups several constituencies together. The Lothian region includes Edinburgh Northern and Leith.
Other Constituencies in Lothian
The Lothian region has eight other constituencies besides Edinburgh Northern and Leith. These are:
- Almond Valley
- Edinburgh Central
- Edinburgh Eastern
- Edinburgh Pentlands
- Edinburgh Southern
- Edinburgh Western
- Linlithgow
- Midlothian North and Musselburgh
The Lothian region covers all of the City of Edinburgh area. It also includes parts of the East Lothian, Midlothian, and all of the West Lothian areas.
Where are the Boundaries of the Constituency?
Edinburgh has six constituencies that send MSPs to the Scottish Parliament. These are:
- Edinburgh Central
- Edinburgh Eastern
- Edinburgh Northern and Leith
- Edinburgh Pentlands
- Edinburgh Southern
- Edinburgh Western
The Edinburgh North and Leith constituency was first created in 1999. Its boundaries were the same as an existing area used for the UK Parliament. However, in 2005, many of these areas changed.
Since 2011, the "Edinburgh Northern and Leith" constituency includes these local areas, called electoral wards:
- Leith Walk (all of it)
- Parts of Forth
- Parts of Inverleith
- Parts of Leith
Who is the Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP)?
The MSP for Edinburgh Northern and Leith represents the people who live in this area. They speak for their constituency in the Scottish Parliament.
| Election | Member | Party | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | Malcolm Chisholm | Labour | |
| 2016 | Ben Macpherson | SNP | |
How do Elections Work?
Elections are how people choose their representatives. Here's a look at the most recent election for Edinburgh Northern and Leith.
2021 Scottish Parliament Election Results
In the 2021 Scottish Parliament election, people in Edinburgh Northern and Leith voted for their MSP. Here are the main results:
- Ben Macpherson from the Scottish National Party won with 22,443 votes (47.9% of all votes). He is still the MSP.
- Katrina Faccenda from the Scottish Labour party came second with 10,874 votes (23.2%).
- Lorna Slater from the Scottish Greens came third with 6,116 votes (13.1%).
- Callum Laidlaw from the Scottish Conservatives came fourth with 5,052 votes (10.8%).
- Rebecca Bell from the Scottish Liberal Democrats received 2,035 votes (4.3%).
The difference in votes between Ben Macpherson and the next candidate was 11,569 votes. This is called the "majority." About 63% of people who could vote actually voted in this election.
See also
- Politics of Edinburgh
