.gif)
Edinburgh South West (UK Parliament constituency)
Encyclopedia
Edinburgh South West is a Scottish constituency
of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom
(Westminster
), first used in the 2005 general election
. It elects one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first past the post system of election.
Prior to the 2005 general election, the city area had been covered by six constituencies and, of the six, there was one, Edinburgh East and Musselburgh
, which straddled the boundary with the East Lothian council area, to include Musselburgh
.
Edinburgh South West is mostly a replacement for the former Edinburgh Pentlands
constituency, but excludes some of the east of that constituency. Also, it includes a south western portion of the former Edinburgh Central
constituency. Scottish Parliament constituencies retain the boundaries of the older Westminster constituencies.
Edinburgh South West covers a south western portion of the city area. It has an urban north east and a suburban centre. The remainder is rural, and runs into the Pentland Hills
in the south. In terms of wards used in elections to the City of Edinburgh Council, 1999 to 2007, the constituency includes the wards of Balerno
, Baberton
, Colinton
, Craiglockhart
, Dalry
, Firrhill
, Fountainbridge
, Moat, Murrayburn, Parkhead
, Shandon
and Sighthill
. As a result of the Local Governance (Scotland) Act 2004
, these wards are due to be replaced with new wards in 2007.
This seat was formed from Edinburgh Central and Edinburgh Pentlands.
Edinburgh Central
Edinburgh Pentlands
Edinburgh South West
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 House of Commons 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...
), first used in the 2005 general election
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....
. It elects one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first past the post system of election.
Boundaries
Edinburgh South West is one of five constituencies covering the City of Edinburgh council area. All are entirely within the city council area.Prior to the 2005 general election, the city area had been covered by six constituencies and, of the six, there was one, Edinburgh East and Musselburgh
Edinburgh East and Musselburgh (UK Parliament constituency)
Edinburgh East and Musselburgh was a constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1997 to 2005. It elected one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election....
, which straddled the boundary with the East Lothian council area, to include 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:...
.
Edinburgh South West is mostly a replacement for the former Edinburgh Pentlands
Edinburgh Pentlands (UK Parliament constituency)
Edinburgh Pentlands was a constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, first used in the general election of 1950, and abolished prior to the general election of 2005...
constituency, but excludes some of the east of that constituency. Also, it includes a south western portion of the former Edinburgh Central
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....
constituency. Scottish Parliament constituencies retain the boundaries of the older Westminster constituencies.
Edinburgh South West covers a south western portion of the city area. It has an urban north east and a suburban centre. The remainder is rural, and runs into the Pentland Hills
Pentland Hills
The Pentland Hills are a range of hills to the south-west of Edinburgh, Scotland. The range is around 20 miles in length, and runs south west from Edinburgh towards Biggar and the upper Clydesdale.Some of the peaks include:* Scald Law...
in the south. In terms of wards used in elections to the City of Edinburgh Council, 1999 to 2007, the constituency includes the wards of Balerno
Balerno
Balerno is a suburb of Edinburgh, Scotland situated 12 kilometres south west of the city centre, next to Juniper Green and Currie. Administratively, Balerno falls within the jurisdiction of the City of Edinburgh Council.- History :...
, Baberton
Baberton
Baberton is a suburb of Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland. It is south-west of the Edinburgh City Bypass, and south of the Edinburgh to Bathgate railway line. The village of Juniper Green is situated to the south of Baberton...
, Colinton
Colinton
Colinton is a suburb of Edinburgh, Scotland situated 6 kilometres south west of the city centre. It is bordered by Dreghorn to the south and Craiglockhart to the north-east. To the north-west it extends to Lanark Road and to the south-west to the City Bypass...
, Craiglockhart
Craiglockhart
Craiglockhart is a suburb in the south west of Edinburgh, Scotland, lying between Colinton to the south, Morningside to the east Merchiston to the north east and Kingsknowe to the west...
, Dalry
Dalry, Edinburgh
Dalry is an area close to the centre of the Scottish capital Edinburgh, between Haymarket and Gorgie. The phrase Gorgie-Dalry is commonly used by the council. It also borders Ardmillan. The area has become an increasingly desirable residential location in recent years, and the area is well located...
, Firrhill
Firrhill, Edinburgh
Firrhill is a suburb of Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland. It is south of Merchants of Edinburgh Golf Club and lies next to Oxgangs.The area is mostly made up of public housing which was built by the Corporation Housing Department in the mid 1950s, however most of the council properties have now...
, Fountainbridge
Fountainbridge
Fountainbridge is an area of Edinburgh, Scotland, a short distance west of the city centre, adjoining Tollcross to the east, Bruntsfield to the south, Dalry to the west and Haymarket to the north....
, Moat, Murrayburn, Parkhead
Parkhead, Edinburgh
Parkhead is a suburb of Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland. It is south-west of the Water of Leith. It is one of the smaller Wards in the Edinburgh City Council. It is bounded to the north by the Calder Road , to the west by Sighthill, southwest lies Wester Hailes and the south is bounded by the...
, Shandon
Shandon, Edinburgh
Shandon is an area of Edinburgh within North Merchiston approximately three miles west of the centre of Edinburgh. It is bounded by Slateford Road to the north, Harrison Road to the east, the Union Canal to the south and the Glasgow-Edinburgh and Suburban rail lines to the west.- Etymology :Harris...
and Sighthill
Sighthill, Edinburgh
Sighthill is a suburb in the west of Edinburgh, Scotland.For nearly 50 years, the West Edinburgh skyline was dominated by 4 high rise residential tower blocks the first of which was demolished on 21st September 2008 with the other three blocks following the same fate just over 3 years later...
. As a result of the Local Governance (Scotland) Act 2004
Local Governance (Scotland) Act 2004
The Local Governance Act 2004 is an Act of the Scottish Parliament which provided, inter alia, for the election of Councillors to the local authorities in Scotland by the Single Transferable Vote system....
, these wards are due to be replaced with new wards in 2007.
Member of Parliament
Since its creation, the seat has been represented by Alistair Darling, former Chancellor of the Exchequer, who previously represented the former seat of Edinburgh Central from 1987 to 2005.This seat was formed from Edinburgh Central and Edinburgh Pentlands.
Edinburgh Central
- to 1987 Sir Alexander Fletcher (ConservativeConservative Party (UK)The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
) - from 1987 - 2005 Alistair DarlingAlistair DarlingAlistair Maclean Darling is a Scottish Labour Party politician who has been a Member of Parliament since 1987, currently for Edinburgh South West. He served as the Chancellor of the Exchequer from 2007 to 2010...
(LabourLabour Party (UK)The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
)
Edinburgh Pentlands
- 1974 - 1997 Sir Malcolm Rifkind (ConservativeConservative Party (UK)The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
) - 1997 - 2005 Lynda Clark (LabourLabour Party (UK)The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
)
Edinburgh South West
- 2005 - present Alistair DarlingAlistair DarlingAlistair Maclean Darling is a Scottish Labour Party politician who has been a Member of Parliament since 1987, currently for Edinburgh South West. He served as the Chancellor of the Exchequer from 2007 to 2010...
(LabourLabour Party (UK)The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
)
Election results
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....