Edinburgh Central (Scottish Parliament constituency)
Encyclopedia
Edinburgh Central is a constituency
of the Scottish Parliament
(Holyrood
). It elects one Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP)
by the plurality (first past the post) method of election. Also, it is 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.
The constituency was created with the name and boundaries of a constituency of the Parliament of the United Kingdom
(Westminster
). The Westminster constituency was later abolished, in 2005. See Edinburgh Central (UK Parliament constituency)
.
Since 1999, the constituency MSP has been an ex officio member of the Board of Trustees of the National Library of Scotland
. From 1925 until 1999, that role had been taken by the Member of Parliament (MP) for the Westminster constituency.
The other eight constituencies of the Lothians region are Edinburgh East and Musselburgh
, Edinburgh North and Leith
, Edinburgh Pentlands
, Edinburgh South
, Edinburgh West
, Linlithgow
, Livingston
and Midlothian
.
The region covers 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
.
This constituency was one of the few areas to vote "Yes" in the UK Alternative Vote referendum, held on the same day as the Scottish Parliament election
, with the name and boundaries of an existing Westminster constituency. In 2005
, however, Scottish Westminster (House of Commons) constituencies were mostly replaced with new constituencies.
In time for the Scottish Parliament election, 2011, the seat of Edinburgh Central has been redrawn. Each electoral ward used in the creation of the redrawn Central is split, shared with neighbouring constituencies.
to the north, Edinburgh East and Musselburgh
to the east, Edinburgh South
to the south, Edinburgh Pentlands
to the southwest, and Edinburgh West
to the west.
The Edinburgh East and Musselburgh constituency also covers the Musselburgh
portion of the East Lothian council area. The rest of the East Lothian area is covered by the East Lothian
constituency, which is in the South of Scotland electoral region. This will change from 2011.
United Kingdom constituencies
In the United Kingdom , each of the electoral areas or divisions called constituencies elects one or more members to a parliament or assembly.Within the United Kingdom there are now five bodies with members elected by constituencies:...
of the Scottish Parliament
Scottish Parliament
The Scottish Parliament is the devolved national, unicameral legislature of Scotland, located in the Holyrood area of the capital, Edinburgh. The Parliament, informally referred to as "Holyrood", is a democratically elected body comprising 129 members known as Members of the Scottish Parliament...
(Holyrood
Scottish Parliament Building
The Scottish Parliament Building is the home of the Scottish Parliament at Holyrood, within the UNESCO World Heritage Site in central Edinburgh. Construction of the building commenced in June 1999 and the Members of the Scottish Parliament held their first debate in the new building on 7...
). It elects one Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP)
Member of the Scottish Parliament
Member of the Scottish Parliament is the title given to any one of the 129 individuals elected to serve in the Scottish Parliament.-Methods of Election:MSPs are elected in one of two ways:...
by the plurality (first past the post) method of election. Also, it is one of nine constituencies in the Lothians electoral region
Scottish Parliament constituencies and regions
Scottish Parliament constituencies and regions were first used in 1999, in the first general election of the Scottish Parliament , created by the Scotland Act 1998....
, which elects seven additional members, in addition to nine constituency MSPs, to produce a form of proportional representation
Proportional representation
Proportional representation is a concept in voting systems used to elect an assembly or council. PR means that the number of seats won by a party or group of candidates is proportionate to the number of votes received. For example, under a PR voting system if 30% of voters support a particular...
for the region as a whole.
The constituency was created with the name and boundaries of a constituency of the Parliament of the United Kingdom
Parliament of the United Kingdom
The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body in the United Kingdom, British Crown dependencies and British overseas territories, located in London...
(Westminster
Palace of Westminster
The Palace of Westminster, also known as the Houses of Parliament or Westminster Palace, is the meeting place of the two houses of the Parliament of the United Kingdom—the House of Lords and the House of Commons...
). The Westminster constituency was later abolished, in 2005. See Edinburgh Central (UK Parliament constituency)
Edinburgh Central (UK Parliament constituency)
Edinburgh Central was a burgh constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1885 to 2005. It elected one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election....
.
Since 1999, the constituency MSP has been an ex officio member of the Board of Trustees of the National Library of Scotland
National Library of Scotland
The National Library of Scotland is the legal deposit library of Scotland and is one of the country's National Collections. It is based in a collection of buildings in Edinburgh city centre. The headquarters is on George IV Bridge, between the Old Town and the university quarter...
. From 1925 until 1999, that role had been taken by the Member of Parliament (MP) for the Westminster constituency.
Electoral region
- See also Lothians Scottish Parliament region
The other eight constituencies of the Lothians region are Edinburgh East and Musselburgh
Edinburgh East and Musselburgh (Scottish Parliament constituency)
Edinburgh East and Musselburgh is a constituency of the Scottish Parliament . It elects one Member of the Scottish Parliament by the plurality method of election...
, Edinburgh North and Leith
Edinburgh North and Leith (Scottish Parliament constituency)
Edinburgh North and Leith is a constituency of the Scottish Parliament . It elects one Member of the Scottish Parliament by the plurality method of election...
, Edinburgh Pentlands
Edinburgh Pentlands (Scottish Parliament constituency)
Edinburgh Pentlands is a constituency of the Scottish Parliament. It elects one Member of the Scottish Parliament by the plurality method of election...
, Edinburgh South
Edinburgh South (Scottish Parliament constituency)
Edinburgh South was a constituency of the Scottish Parliament . It elected one Member of the Scottish Parliament by the plurality method of election...
, Edinburgh West
Edinburgh West (Scottish Parliament constituency)
Edinburgh West is a constituency of the Scottish Parliament . It elects one Member of the Scottish Parliament by the plurality method of election...
, Linlithgow
Linlithgow (Scottish Parliament constituency)
Linlithgow is a constituency of the Scottish Parliament . It elects one Member of the Scottish Parliament by the plurality method of election...
, Livingston
Livingston (Scottish Parliament constituency)
Livingston was a constituency of the Scottish Parliament . It elected one Member of the Scottish Parliament by the plurality method of election....
and Midlothian
Midlothian (Scottish Parliament constituency)
Midlothian is a constituency of the Scottish Parliament . It elects one Member of the Scottish Parliament by the plurality method of election...
.
The region covers the City of Edinburgh council area, the West Lothian council area
West Lothian
West Lothian is one of the 32 unitary council areas in Scotland, and a Lieutenancy area. It borders the City of Edinburgh, Falkirk, North Lanarkshire, the Scottish Borders and South Lanarkshire....
, part of the Midlothian council area
Midlothian
Midlothian is one of the 32 council areas of Scotland, and a lieutenancy area. It borders the Scottish Borders, East Lothian and the City of Edinburgh council areas....
, and part of the East Lothian council area
East Lothian
East Lothian is one of the 32 council areas of Scotland, and a lieutenancy Area. It borders the City of Edinburgh, Scottish Borders and Midlothian. Its administrative centre is Haddington, although its largest town is Musselburgh....
.
This constituency was one of the few areas to vote "Yes" in the UK Alternative Vote referendum, held on the same day as the Scottish Parliament election
Constituency boundaries
The Edinburgh Central constituency was created at the same time as the Scottish Parliament, in 1999Scottish Parliament election, 1999
The Scottish Parliament election, 1999 was the first general election of the Scottish Parliament, with voting taking place on 6 May 1999 to elect 129 members...
, with the name and boundaries of an existing Westminster constituency. In 2005
United Kingdom general election, 2005
The United Kingdom general election of 2005 was held on Thursday, 5 May 2005 to elect 646 members to the British House of Commons. The Labour Party under Tony Blair won its third consecutive victory, but with a majority of 66, reduced from 160....
, however, Scottish Westminster (House of Commons) constituencies were mostly replaced with new constituencies.
In time for the Scottish Parliament election, 2011, the seat of Edinburgh Central has been redrawn. Each electoral ward used in the creation of the redrawn Central is split, shared with neighbouring constituencies.
- InverleithInverleithInverleith is an inner suburb in the northern part of Edinburgh, Scotland, on the fringes of the central region of the city. It is an affluent suburb. Its neighbours include Trinity to the north and the New Town to the south, with Canonmills at the south-east and Stockbridge at the south-west...
is shared between Central, Edinburgh Northern and Leith, and Edinburgh WesternEdinburgh Western (Scottish Parliament constituency)Edinburgh Western is a constituency of the Scottish Parliament . It elects one Member of the Scottish Parliament by the plurality method of election...
. - CorstorphineCorstorphineCorstorphine was originally a village to the west of—and separate from—Edinburgh, Scotland, and is now a suburb of that city.Corstorphine retains a busy main street with many independent small shops, although a number have closed in recent years since the opening of several retail parks...
/ MurrayfieldMurrayfieldMurrayfield is an affluent area in the west of Edinburgh, Scotland. It is to the east of Corstorphine and west of Roseburn. The A8 road runs east-west through the north of the area....
is divided between Central, and Western. - Sighthill / Gorgie, which falls in Central, Edinburgh PentlandsEdinburgh Pentlands (Scottish Parliament constituency)Edinburgh Pentlands is a constituency of the Scottish Parliament. It elects one Member of the Scottish Parliament by the plurality method of election...
, and Edinburgh SouthernEdinburgh Southern (Scottish Parliament constituency)Edinburgh Southern is a constituency of the Scottish Parliament . It elects one Member of the Scottish Parliament by the plurality method of election...
. - Fountainbridge / Craiglockhart, split between Central, and Southern.
- Meadows / Morningside, which is also divided between Central, and Southern
- City Centre, through which the border of Central and Edinburgh EasternEdinburgh Eastern (Scottish Parliament constituency)Edinburgh Eastern is a proposed constituency of the Scottish Parliament . It will elect one Member of the Scottish Parliament by the plurality method of election...
crosses. - Southside / Newington is shared between Central, and Southern.
Council area
The Holyrood constituency covers a central portion of the City of Edinburgh council area. The rest of the city area is covered by five other constituencies, all also in the Lothians electoral region. Until the 2011 boundary changes these are Edinburgh North and LeithEdinburgh North and Leith (Scottish Parliament constituency)
Edinburgh North and Leith is a constituency of the Scottish Parliament . It elects one Member of the Scottish Parliament by the plurality method of election...
to the north, Edinburgh East and Musselburgh
Edinburgh East and Musselburgh (Scottish Parliament constituency)
Edinburgh East and Musselburgh is a constituency of the Scottish Parliament . It elects one Member of the Scottish Parliament by the plurality method of election...
to the east, Edinburgh South
Edinburgh South (Scottish Parliament constituency)
Edinburgh South was a constituency of the Scottish Parliament . It elected one Member of the Scottish Parliament by the plurality method of election...
to the south, Edinburgh Pentlands
Edinburgh Pentlands (Scottish Parliament constituency)
Edinburgh Pentlands is a constituency of the Scottish Parliament. It elects one Member of the Scottish Parliament by the plurality method of election...
to the southwest, and Edinburgh West
Edinburgh West (Scottish Parliament constituency)
Edinburgh West is a constituency of the Scottish Parliament . It elects one Member of the Scottish Parliament by the plurality method of election...
to the west.
The Edinburgh East and Musselburgh constituency also covers the Musselburgh
Musselburgh
Musselburgh is the largest settlement in East Lothian, Scotland, on the coast of the Firth of Forth, six miles east of Edinburgh city centre.-History:...
portion of the East Lothian council area. The rest of the East Lothian area is covered by the East Lothian
East Lothian (Scottish Parliament constituency)
East Lothian is a constituency of the Scottish Parliament . It elects one Member of the Scottish Parliament by the plurality method of election...
constituency, which is in the South of Scotland electoral region. This will change from 2011.
Member of the Scottish Parliament
| Election | Member | Party | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 Scottish Parliament election, 1999 The Scottish Parliament election, 1999 was the first general election of the Scottish Parliament, with voting taking place on 6 May 1999 to elect 129 members... |
Sarah Boyack Sarah Boyack Sarah Boyack MSP is a Scottish Labour MSP for the Lothian region and formerly constituency MSP for Edinburgh Central in the Scottish Parliament.... |
Labour Scottish Labour Party The Scottish Labour Party is the section of the British Labour Party which operates in Scotland.... |
|
| 2003 Scottish Parliament election, 2003 The Scottish Parliament election, 2003, was the second general election of the Scottish Parliament. It was held on 1 May 2003 and it brought no change in terms of control of the Scottish Executive... |
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| 2007 Scottish Parliament election, 2007 The 2007 Scottish Parliament election was held on Thursday 3 May 2007 to elect members to the Scottish Parliament. It was the third general election to the devolved Scottish Parliament since it was created in 1999... |
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| 2011 Scottish Parliament election, 2011 The 2011 Scottish Parliament general election was held on Thursday, 5 May 2011 to elect 129 members to the Scottish Parliament.The election delivered the first majority government since the opening of Holyrood, a remarkable feat as the mixed member proportional representation system is used to... |
Marco Biagi Marco Biagi (politician) Marco Biagi is a Scottish politician, serving as the SNP MSP for Edinburgh Central.Biagi was raised in Dunbartonshire. He studied at the University of St Andrews where he was awarded a First. He was also elected as a Vice-President of the Students' Association and in 2002 managed the unsuccessful... |
SNP Scottish National Party The Scottish National Party is a social-democratic political party in Scotland which campaigns for Scottish independence from the United Kingdom.... |
|
Constituency votes
Regional List votes
See also
- Politics of EdinburghPolitics of EdinburghThe politics of Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland, are evident in the deliberations and decisions of the council of Edinburgh, in elections to the council, the Scottish Parliament, the House of Commons and the European Parliament....