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{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2017}}
{{infobox Scotland council area|
{{Use British English|date=May 2017}}
|Council= City of Edinburgh Council
The '''politics of Edinburgh''' are expressed in the deliberations and decisions of the [[The City of Edinburgh Council|City of Edinburgh Council]], in elections to the council, the [[Scottish Parliament]] and the [[House of Commons of the United Kingdom|UK Parliament]].
|image_logo =Edinburghlogo.png
|image_coat =Edinburgh-coa.png
|Image= [[Image:Edinburgh council.PNG|250px]]
|SizeRank= 23rd
|Size= [[1 E8 m²|264]] [[square kilometre|km²]]
|Water= ?
|AdminHQ= [[Edinburgh]]
|ISO= GB-EDH
|ONS= 00QP
|PopulationRank= 2nd
|PopulationDate= [[2005]]
|Population= 457,830
|PopulationDensity=1,718 / km²
|CouncilDetails=City of Edinburgh Council<br/>http://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/
|MPs= <ul><li>[[John Barrett (politician)|John Barrett]], Liberal Democrat<li>[[Alistair Darling]], Labour<li>[[Nigel Griffiths]], Labour<li>[[Mark Lazarowicz]], Labour<li>[[Gavin Strang]], Labour Co-operative</ul>
|MSPs= <ul><li>[[Sarah Boyack]], Labour<li>[[Malcolm Chisholm]], Labour<li>[[Kenny MacAskill]], Scottish National Party<li>[[David McLetchie]], Conservative<li>[[Mike Pringle]], Liberal Democrat<li>[[Margaret Smith (Scottish politician)|Margaret Smith]], Liberal Democrat</ul>
}}


Also, as Scotland's [[capital city]], Edinburgh is host to the Scottish Parliament and the main offices of the [[Scottish Government]].
'''Politics in Edinburgh''', [[Scotland]], [[UK]], are evident in the deliberations and decisions of the city council of [[Edinburgh]], in elections to the council, and in elections to the [[Scottish Parliament]] ([[Scottish Parliament Building|Holyrood]]) and the [[British House of Commons|House of Commons]] of the [[Parliament of the United Kingdom]] ([[Westminster Palace|Westminster]]).


The City of Edinburgh became a unitary council area in 1996, under the [[Local Government etc. (Scotland) Act 1994]], with the boundaries of the post-1975 City of Edinburgh [[Regions and districts of Scotland|district]] of the [[Lothian]] [[Regions and districts of Scotland|region]].
Also, as [[Scotland]]'s [[capital city]], Edinburgh is host to the Scottish Parliament and the main offices of the [[Scottish Executive]].


As one of the [[unitary council area|unitary local government areas]] of Scotland, the City of Edinburgh has a defined structure of governance, generally under the Local Government etc. (Scotland) Act 1994, with The City of Edinburgh Council governing on matters of local administration such as housing, planning, local transport, parks and local [[economic development]] and [[Urban renewal|regeneration]]. For such purposes the City of Edinburgh is divided into 17 [[ward (politics)|ward]]s.
In the [[European Parliament]] the [[City status in the United Kingdom|city]] area is within the [[Scotland (European Parliament constituency)|Scotland constituency]], which coveres all of the 32 [[Council areas of Scotland|council areas]] of [[Scotland]].


The next tier of government is that of the [[Scottish Parliament]], which legislates on matters of Scottish "national interest", such as healthcare, education, the environment and agriculture, devolved to it by the [[Parliament of the United Kingdom]]. For elections to the Scottish Parliament (at the [[Scottish Parliament Building]], in the [[Holyrood, Edinburgh|Holyrood]] area of Edinburgh), the city area is divided among six [[Scottish Parliament constituencies]], each returning one [[Member of the Scottish Parliament]] (MSP), and is within the [[Lothians (Scottish Parliament electoral region)|Lothians]] [[Scottish Parliament constituencies and regions|electoral region]].
The City of Edinburgh became a unitary council area in 1996, under the [[Local Government etc. (Scotland) Act 1994]], with the boundaries of the City of Edinburgh [[Regions and districts of Scotland|district]] of the [[Lothian]] [[Regions and districts of Scotland|region]]. The district had been created in 1975, under the [[Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973]], to include: the former [[Counties of Scotland|county of city]] of Edinburgh; the former [[burgh]] of [[Queensferry]], a [[Kirkliston]] area and part of a [[Winchburgh]] area formerly within the [[county of West Lothian]]; and [[Currie]] and [[Cramond]] areas formerly within the [[county of Midlothian]].


The [[Parliament of the United Kingdom]] (at the [[Palace of Westminster]]) legislates on matters such as [[taxation]], [[foreign policy]], [[National security|defence]], [[employment]] and [[trade]]. For elections to the [[House of Commons (UK)|House of Commons]] of this parliament, the city area is divided among five [[United Kingdom Parliamentary constituencies]], with each constituency returning one [[Member of Parliament (United Kingdom)|Member of Parliament]] (MP) by the [[first past the post]] system of election.
As one of the [[unitary council area|unitary local government areas]] of Scotland, the City of Edinburgh has a defined structure of governance, generally under the Local Government etc. (Scotland) Act 1994, with the City of Edinburgh Council governing on matters of local administration such as housing, planning, local transport, parks and local [[economic development]] and [[Urban renewal|regeneration]]. For such purposes the City of Edinburgh is divided in to 17 [[ward (politics)|ward]]s.


On 18 September 2014, Edinburgh voted "No" in the [[2014 Scottish independence referendum|Independence referendum]] by 61.1% to 38.9% with an 84.4% turnout rate.<ref>{{cite web|title=Indyref|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/events/scotland-decides/live|website=BBC|access-date=19 September 2014}}</ref>
The next tier of government is that of the [[Scottish Parliament]], which [[legislation|legislates]] on matters of Scottish "national interest", such as healthcare, education, the environment and agriculture, devolved to it by the [[Parliament of the United Kingdom]]. For elections to the Scottish Parliament (at the [[Scottish Parliament Building]], in the [[Holyrood, Edinburgh|Holyrood]] area of Edinburgh), the city area is divided between six [[Scottish Parliament constituencies]], each returning one [[Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP)]], and is within the [[Lothians (Scottish Parliament region)|Lothians]] [[Scottish Parliament constituencies and regions|electoral region]].


==The City of Edinburgh Council==
The Parliament of the United Kingdom (at the [[Palace of Westminster]]) legislates on matters such as [[taxation]], [[foreign policy]], [[National security|defence]], [[employment]] and [[trade]]. For elections to the [[House of Commons (UK)|House of Commons]] of this [[parliament]], the city area is divided between five [[United Kingdom Parliamentary constituencies]], with each constituency returning one [[Member of Parliament (MP)]] by the [[first past the post]] system of election.
{{main|The City of Edinburgh Council}}
[[File:Edinburgh City Chambers.jpg|thumb|[[Edinburgh City Chambers]], headquarters of the council]]
The current Lord Provost of Edinburgh is Robert Aldridge, who replaced Frank Ross in 2022.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Edinburgh appoints new Lord Provost|url=https://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/news/article/13480/edinburgh-appoints-new-lord-provost|access-date=2022-05-26|website=www.edinburgh.gov.uk|language=en}}</ref> In Scotland, the Lord Provost fulfils many similar roles to that of a Mayor in some other countries. Cllr Aldridge has been on the Council since 1984, previously leading the Liberal Democrat group, and was elected unanimously. He was the first Lord Provost to welcome a new monarch (Charles III) to Edinburgh with the Ceremony of the Keys since 1952.


Elections to the Council are held every four/five years electing 63 councillors. The most recent elections took place in [[2022 City of Edinburgh Council election|May 2022]] and the next election will be in [[2027 City of Edinburgh Council election|May 2027]]. Prior to May 2022, the Council was controlled by a [[Scottish Labour Party|Labour]]/[[Scottish National Party]] coalition. Following the 2022 election, a minority Labour administration took control, with Cammy Day as the new council leader, replacing former leader Adam McVey. <ref>{{Cite web|title=Edinburgh council: Labour will run city as minority administration after SNP-Green deal blocked|url=https://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/news/politics/edinburgh-council-labour-will-run-city-as-minority-administration-after-snp-green-deal-blocked-3709973|website=www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com|date=26 May 2022 |language=en}}</ref>
Scotland constitutes a single constituency of the [[European Parliament]], in which the [[electorate]] of the City of Edinburgh participate in electing seven [[Members of the European Parliament (MEPs)]] using the [[d'Hondt method]] of party-list [[proportional representation]].


As of 2013, the Council was the second-largest employer in Edinburgh, with a total of 18,617 employees.<ref>[http://www.edinburgh-inspiringcapital.com/pdf/Edinburgh%20by%20Numbers%202013-14%20Final.pdf "Edinburgh by Numbers 2013/14"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131016173559/http://www.edinburgh-inspiringcapital.com/pdf/Edinburgh%20by%20Numbers%202013-14%20Final.pdf |date=16 October 2013 }}</ref>
==City of Edinburgh Council==
The current [[Lord Provost]] of Edinburgh is [[George Grubb]], who replaced [[Lesley Hinds]] on May 16, 2007. In Scotland the Lord Provost fulfils many similar roles to that of a Mayor in some other countries.


===Council political composition===
Elections to the City Council are held every four years electing 58 councillors. The last elections took place in May 2007. The Council is currently controlled by a [[Scottish Liberal Democrats|Liberal Democrat]]/[[Scottish National Party]] coalition.
<ref>{{Cite web|title=Local Government Election 2022 results|url=https://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/election-results/local-government-elections-2022-results|access-date=2022-05-26|website=www.edinburgh.gov.uk|language=en}}</ref>

The City of Edinburgh Council, like all other unitary and island authorities in Scotland, has its powers set out under the terms of the [[Local Government etc (Scotland) Act 1994]].

In 2000, Edinburgh City council abandoned the traditional committee structure in favour of modernised arrangements. The council operates a [[Cabinet]] type system led by the Lord Provost, with the day-to-day running of the Council left to the Majority Leader and the Executive, which is appointed by the full members of the council.

===Full Council===
[[Image:City Chambers.JPG|thumb|300px|left|Edinburgh City Chambers on the [[Royal Mile]] where the city council is based.]]

The ''Full Council'' comprises all of the 58 elected councillors, and for legal purposes constitutes the Local Authority. The Full Council meets once a month on a Thursday, except during recess and holiday periods and is chaired by the [[Lord Provost]]. The Full Council retains complete responsibility for:
* Electing the Lord Provost and Deputy Leader of the Council;
* The delegation of functions to officials including the appointment of the Chief Executive, Chief Officials, members of the Executive, Scrutiny Panels and Committees and resolving disputes;
* Voting on council rules, ordinances and [[Rules of order|standing orders]];
* Setting the [[council tax]], annual council budget and administering the city's capital investment programme.

===Executive===

The ''Executive'' is appointed by the Full Council and is composed of 13 members of the Full Council. The functions of the Executive include:

* The Leadership of the Council;
* Providing political accountability to the decisions of the council;
* Arranging public consultation and participation in council activities;
* Taking Executive decisions with the council's budget and policy framework approved by the Full Council;
* Setting targets for service delivery

===Scrutiny Panels===

Scrutiny Panels are responsible for monitoring the performance of the Executive, departments and external organisations which receive funding from the annual council budget. Scrutiny Panels consist of 9 members of the Full Council, who are not members of the Executive, with members drawn from all [[political party]] groups to reflect the party balance on the council.

There are seven scrutiny panels covering:

* Children and young people
* Community services
* Development
* Environmental quality
* Leisure and cultural development
* Resource management and audit
* Social justice and older people.

===Planning and Regulatory Committees===

The Planning committee is principally concerned with issues of planning and development, including the granting of [[planning permission]] and street naming. The Regulatory Committee deals with issues such as health and safety and buildings in need of repair as well as determining individual applications for registration and licensing of food premises, bars, restaurants and entertainment venues under the [[Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982]] and other statutory powers. Membership of such committees reflects the party balance on the council.

===Local Development Committees===

There are 6 local development committees in Edinburgh, one for each [[Scottish_Parliament_constituencies|Scottish Parliamentary Constituency]] in the city. Councillors whose ward falls within a parliamentary constituency form the members of each local development committee. Typically, there are 8 to 10 councillors on each committee. Local Development Committees are tasked with dealing with issues that are specific to their local area and influencing the delivery of key council services including street cleaning, urban parks, libraries, local development, road maintenance, traffic and parking issues. Local committees meet several times per year. Members of the public are able to attend and question councillors on issues of specific concern.

===External Committees===

The Council also appoints elected members to serve on:

* The Licensing Board
* [[Lothian and Borders Police|Lothian and Borders Police Board]]
* [[Lothian and Borders Fire and Rescue Service|Lothian and Borders Fire and Rescue Board]]
* Lothian Valuation Joint Board
* [[Forth Estuary Transport Authority]]

===Elections===

[[Local election|Elections]] to the council are held on a four year cycle, the last being held on [[Scottish local elections, 2007|Thursday 3 May, 2007]].

Members of the council represent 17 electoral areas called [[ward (politics)|wards]]. As a result of the [[Local Governance (Scotland) Act 2004]], multi-member wards were introduced for the 2007 election, each electing three or four councillors by the [[single transferable vote]] system, to produce a form of [[proportional representation]]. Previously each of 58 wards elected one councillor by the [[first past the post]] system of election.


====Council political composition====


{|class="wikitable"
{|class="wikitable"
Line 109: Line 32:
|width="180"|'''Councillors'''
|width="180"|'''Councillors'''
|-
|-

|bgcolor="{{Liberal Democrats/meta/color}}"|
| style="color:inherit;background:{{party color|Scottish National Party}}" |
|Liberal Democrat
|[[Scottish National Party|SNP]]
|17
|19
|-
|-
|bgcolor="{{Labour Party (UK)/meta/color}}"|
| style="color:inherit;background:{{party color|Labour Party (UK)}}" |
|Labour
|[[Scottish Labour Party|Labour]]
|15
|-
|bgcolor="{{Scottish National Party/meta/color}}"|
|Scottish National Party
|12
|-
|bgcolor="{{Conservative Party (UK)/meta/color}}"|
|Conservative
|11
|11
|-
|-
| style="color:inherit;background:{{party color|Liberal Democrats (UK)}}" |
|bgcolor="{{Scottish Green Party/meta/color}}"|
|Scottish Green Party
|[[Scottish Liberal Democrats|Liberal Democrat]]
|3
|14
|}


====List of wards and councillors====

Multi-member wards introduced for the 2007 council election:

{| border=1 cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0"
|-
|-
| style="color:inherit;background:{{party color|Scottish Green Party}}" |
!bgcolor="#c8c8ff"|Ward!!bgcolor="#c8c8ff"|Map
|[[Scottish Green Party|Scottish Greens]]
|10
|-
|-
| style="color:inherit;background:{{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}" |
| valign="top"|
|[[Scottish Conservative Party|Conservative]]
<OL>
|9
<LI>Almond (3 members)
<LI>Pentland Hills (3 members)
<LI>Drum Brae/Gyle (3 members)
<LI>Forth (4 members)
<LI>Inverleith (4 members)
<LI>Corstorphine/Murrayfield (3 members)
<LI>Sighthill/Gorgie (4 members)
<LI>Colinton/Fairmilehead (3 members)
<LI>Fountainbridge/Craiglockhart (3 members)
<LI>Meadows/Morningside (4 members)
<LI>City Centre (3 members)
<LI>Leith Walk (4 members)
<LI>Leith (3 members)
<LI>Craigentinny/Duddingston (3 members)
<LI>Southside/Newington (4 members)
<LI>Liberton/Gilmerton (4 members)
<LI>Portobello/Craigmillar (3 members)
</OL>
| colspan="2"|[[Image:Edinburgh wards.png|left|Wards in the City of Edingbugh|400px]]
|-
|-
|}
|}


==The Edinburgh Corporation and former local government==
Following the local elections on 3 May, 2007, the representation on the council was as follows:
{{see also|Category:City of Edinburgh Council elections}}
Prior to the [[Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973]] Edinburgh was administered by the single tier "Edinburgh Corporation", which covered the "City and Royal Burgh of Edinburgh". As such, the Edinburgh Corporation was responsible for local government services, such as the Edinburgh Corporation Transport Department ([[Edinburgh Corporation Tramways]] until 1928). The Edinburgh Corporation had the power to make [[Burgess of Edinburgh|'Burgess' (freemen) of the City of Edinburgh]] and to grant "Seals of Cause" to Guilds and trade organisations. The Edinburgh Corporation awarded Burgess Ticket through the Lord Dean of Guild, an office in the Corporation. Like the [[Corporation of the City of London]], Burgess Tickets were often awarded along with a 'Freedom Casket' – a container to hold the ticket. Bodies such as the [[Merchant Company of Edinburgh]], the [[Incorporated Trades of Edinburgh]] and [[High Constables of Edinburgh|The High Constables of Edinburgh]] formed part of the corporation, contributing councilors and law enforcement officers. The Edinburgh Corporation had the power to institute these organisations via the granting of a "Seal of Cause". This empowered the societies as "a legal corporation with power to hold property, make its own by-laws and regulations". Other organisations to receive the "Seal of Cause" include [[The Royal Burgess Golfing Society of Edinburgh]], who received their seal on 2 July 1800.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.scottishgolfhistory.org/oldest-golf-clubs-societies/1735-royal-burgess-golf-society/|title=1735 Royal Burgess Golf Society - Scottish Golf History}}</ref> The history of the corporation lives on elsewhere around the city, for example in the name of the members of Muirfield golf club, who were granted a charter by the corporation in 1800 becoming [[Muirfield|"The Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers"]]. Many of Edinburgh's ceremonies and traditions date back to the days of the Edinburgh Corporation, such as the [[Ceremony of the Keys#Edinburgh|Edinburgh Ceremony of the Keys]], where the Lord Provost symbolically hands the keys to the City of Edinburgh to the monarch, who hands them back to the [[List of Lord Provosts of Edinburgh|Lord Provost]] proclaiming "that they cannot be placed in better hands than those of the Lord Provost and Councillors of my good City of Edinburgh".


In 1975, Edinburgh Corporation was abolished. The new two-tier system consisted of Lothian Regional Council (with responsibility for water, education, social work and transport) and the City of Edinburgh District Council (with responsibility for cleansing and libraries). The City of Edinburgh became a single-tier [[council area]] in 1996, under the [[Local Government etc. (Scotland) Act 1994]], with the boundaries of the City of Edinburgh [[Regions and districts of Scotland|district]] of the [[Lothian]] [[Regions and districts of Scotland|region]]. The district had been created in 1975, under the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973, to include the former [[Counties of Scotland|county of city]] of Edinburgh; the former [[burgh]] of [[South Queensferry, Edinburgh|Queensferry]], the district of Kirkliston and part of Winchburgh formerly within the [[West Lothian (historic)|county of West Lothian]]; and the district of Currie and the parish of Cramond formerly within the [[Midlothian (historic)|county of Midlothian]].
{|class="wikitable"
|width="180"|'''Ward'''
|width="180"|'''Councillors'''
|width="180"|'''Party'''
|width="5"|
|-
|Almond
|George Grubb
|Liberal Democrat
|bgcolor="{{Liberal Democrats (UK)/meta/color}}"|
|-
|
|Kate Mackenzie
|Conservative
|bgcolor="{{Conservative Party (UK)/meta/color}}"|
|-
|
|Norman Work
|Scottish National Party
|bgcolor="{{Scottish National Party/meta/color}}"|
|-
|Pentland Hills
|Ronald Cairns
|Scottish National Party
|bgcolor="{{Scottish National Party/meta/color}}"|
|-
|
|Ricky Henderson
|Labour
|bgcolor="{{Labour Party (UK)/meta/color}}"|
|-
|
|Alistair S Paisley
|Conservative
|bgcolor="{{Conservative Party (UK)/meta/color}}"|
|-
|Drum Brae/Gyle
|Robert Aldridge
|Liberal Democrat
|bgcolor="{{Liberal Democrats (UK)/meta/color}}"|
|-
|
|Jenny Dawe
|Liberal Democrat
|bgcolor="{{Liberal Democrats (UK)/meta/color}}"|
|-
|
|Colin Keir
|Scottish National Party
|bgcolor="{{Scottish National Party/meta/color}}"|
|-
|Forth
|Steve Cardownie
|Scottish National Party
|bgcolor="{{Scottish National Party/meta/color}}"|
|-
|
|Allan Jackson
|Conservative
|bgcolor="{{Conservative Party (UK)/meta/color}}"|
|-
|
|Elizabeth Maginnis
|Labour
|bgcolor="{{Labour Party (UK)/meta/color}}"|
|-
|
|Elaine Morris
|Liberal Democrat
|bgcolor="{{Liberal Democrats (UK)/meta/color}}"|
|-
|Inverleith
|Lesley Hinds
|Labour
|bgcolor="{{Labour Party (UK)/meta/color}}"|
|-
|
|Stuart McIvor
|Scottish National Party
|bgcolor="{{Scottish National Party/meta/color}}"|
|-
|
|Tim McKay
|Liberal Democrat
|bgcolor="{{Liberal Democrats (UK)/meta/color}}"|
|-
|
|Iain Whyte
|Conservative
|bgcolor="{{Conservative Party (UK)/meta/color}}"|
|-
|Corstorphine/Murrayfield
|Jeremy Balfour
|Conservative
|bgcolor="{{Conservative Party (UK)/meta/color}}"|
|-
|
|Paul Edie
|Liberal Democrat
|bgcolor="{{Liberal Democrats (UK)/meta/color}}"|
|-
|
|Phil Wheeler
|Liberal Democrat
|bgcolor="{{Liberal Democrats (UK)/meta/color}}"|
|-
|Sighthill/Gorgie
|Nick Elliott-Cannon
|Scottish National Party
|bgcolor="{{Scottish National Party/meta/color}}"|
|-
|
|Eric Milligan
|Labour
|bgcolor="{{Labour Party (UK)/meta/color}}"|
|-
|
|Joanna Toomey
|Liberal Democrat
|bgcolor="{{Liberal Democrats (UK)/meta/color}}"|
|-
|
|Donald Wilson
|Labour
|bgcolor="{{Labour Party (UK)/meta/color}}"|
|-
|Colinton/Fairmilehead
|Elaine Aitken
|Conservative
|bgcolor="{{Conservative Party (UK)/meta/color}}"|
|-
|
|Eric Barry
|Labour
|bgcolor="{{Labour Party (UK)/meta/color}}"|
|-
|
|Jason Rust
|Conservative
|bgcolor="{{Conservative Party (UK)/meta/color}}"|
|-
|Fountainbridge/Craiglockhart
|Andrew Burns
|Labour
|bgcolor="{{Labour Party (UK)/meta/color}}"|
|-
|
|Gordon Buchan
|Conservative
|bgcolor="{{Conservative Party (UK)/meta/color}}"|
|-
|
|Jim Lowrie
|Liberal Democrat
|bgcolor="{{Liberal Democrats (UK)/meta/color}}"|
|-
|Meadows/Morningside
|Paul Godzik
|Labour
|bgcolor="{{Labour Party (UK)/meta/color}}"|
|-
|
|Alison Johnstone
|Scottish Green Party
|bgcolor="{{Scottish Green Party/meta/color}}"|
|-
|
|Marilyne MacLaren
|Liberal Democrat
|bgcolor="{{Liberal Democrats (UK)/meta/color}}"|
|-
|
|Mark McInnes
|Conservative
|bgcolor="{{Conservative Party (UK)/meta/color}}"|
|
|-
|City Centre
|David Beckett
|Scottish National Party
|bgcolor="{{Scottish National Party/meta/color}}"|
|-
|
|Charles Dundas
|Liberal Democrat
|bgcolor="{{Liberal Democrats (UK)/meta/color}}"|
|-
|
|Joanna Mowatt
|Conservative
|bgcolor="{{Conservative Party (UK)/meta/color}}"|
|-
|Leith Walk
|Angela Blacklock
|Labour
|bgcolor="{{Labour Party (UK)/meta/color}}"|
|-
|
|Deidre Brock
|Scottish National Party
|bgcolor="{{Scottish National Party/meta/color}}"|
|-
|
|Maggie Chapman
|Scottish Green Party
|bgcolor="{{Scottish Green Party/meta/color}}"|
|-
|
|Louise Lang
|Liberal Democrat
|bgcolor="{{Liberal Democrats (UK)/meta/color}}"|
|-
|Leith
|Gordon Munro
|Labour
|bgcolor="{{Labour Party (UK)/meta/color}}"|
|-
|
|Rob Munn
|Scottish National Party
|bgcolor="{{Scottish National Party/meta/color}}"|
|-
|
|Marjorie Thomas
|Liberal Democrat
|bgcolor="{{Liberal Democrats (UK)/meta/color}}"|
|-
|Craigentinny/Duddingston
|Ewan Aitken
|Labour
|bgcolor="{{Labour Party (UK)/meta/color}}"|
|-
|
|Gary Peacock
|Liberal Democrat
|bgcolor="{{Liberal Democrats (UK)/meta/color}}"|
|-
|
|Stefan Tymkewycz
|Scottish National Party
|bgcolor="{{Scottish National Party/meta/color}}"|
|-
|Southside/Newington
|Steve Burgess
|Scottish Green Party
|bgcolor="{{Scottish Green Party/meta/color}}"|
|-
|
|Gordon Mackenzie
|Liberal Democrat
|bgcolor="{{Liberal Democrats (UK)/meta/color}}"|
|-
|
|Ian Perry
|Labour
|bgcolor="{{Labour Party (UK)/meta/color}}"|
|-
|
|Cameron Rose
|Conservative
|bgcolor="{{Conservative Party (UK)/meta/color}}"|
|-
|Liberton/Gilmerton
|Tom Buchanan
|Scottish National Party
|bgcolor="{{Scottish National Party/meta/color}}"|
|-
|
|Norma Hart
|Labour
|bgcolor="{{Labour Party (UK)/meta/color}}"|
|-
|
|Ian Murray
|Labour
|bgcolor="{{Labour Party (UK)/meta/color}}"|
|-
|
|Conor Snowden
|Liberal Democrat
|bgcolor="{{Liberal Democrats (UK)/meta/color}}"|
|-
|Portobello/Craigmillar
|Michael Bridgeman
|Scottish National Party
|bgcolor="{{Scottish National Party/meta/color}}"|
|-
|
|Maureen Child
|Labour
|bgcolor="{{Labour Party (UK)/meta/color}}"|
|-
|
|Stephen Hawkins
|Liberal Democrat
|bgcolor="{{Liberal Democrats (UK)/meta/color}}"|
|-
| colspan="14" style="text-align:center;font-size:90%;"|''Source: [http://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/internet/Council/Council_Business/councillor_database/CEC_search_by_ward City of Edinburgh Council]''
|}


==Parliament of the United Kingdom==
==Parliament of the United Kingdom==
{{main|House of Commons of the United Kingdom}}


For elections to the [[House of Commons (UK)|House of Commons]] of the [[Parliament of the United Kingdom]], the city is divided between five [[United Kingdom constituencies|constituencies]], each of which elects one [[Member of Parliament (MP)]] by the [[first past the post]] system of election. All five constituencies are entirely within the city area.
For elections to the [[House of Commons of the United Kingdom|House of Commons]] of the [[Parliament of the United Kingdom]], the city is divided among five [[United Kingdom constituencies|constituencies]], each of which elects one [[Member of Parliament (United Kingdom)|Member of Parliament]] (MP) by the [[first past the post]] system of election. All five constituencies are entirely within the city area.


Prior to the [[United Kingdom general election, 2005]], ''Edinburgh'' House of Commons constituencies had exactly the same names and boundaries as the Scottish Parliament constituencies listed above. However, in order to reduce Scotland's historical over representation in the House of Commons, Scotland's share of constituencies was reduced from 72 to 59, in accordance with proposals drawn up by the [[Boundary Commission for Scotland]]. The [[Scottish Parliament (Constituencies) Act 2004]] enabled Scottish Parliament constituencies to remain unaltered despite new arrangements for House of Commons constituencies, which resulted in the loss of one ''Edinburgh'' constituency and redrawing of boundaries for the others. As a result of the boundary review<ref>''BBC News 2002'' [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/1805800.stm Political landscape set to change]</ref><ref> ''Boundary Commission for Scotland, 2004'' [http://www.bcomm-scotland.gov.uk/ Fifth Periodical Review of Constituencies]</ref>:
Prior to the [[2005 United Kingdom general election]], ''Edinburgh'' House of Commons constituencies had exactly the same names and boundaries as the Scottish Parliament constituencies listed above. However, in order to reduce Scotland's historical over representation in the House of Commons, Scotland's share of constituencies was reduced from 72 to 59, in accordance with proposals drawn up by the [[Boundary Commission for Scotland]]. The [[Scottish Parliament (Constituencies) Act 2004]] enabled Scottish Parliament constituencies to remain unaltered despite new arrangements for House of Commons constituencies, which resulted in the loss of one ''Edinburgh'' constituency and redrawing of boundaries for the others. As a result of the boundary review:<ref>''BBC News 2002'' [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/1805800.stm Political landscape set to change]</ref><ref>''Boundary Commission for Scotland, 2004'' [http://www.bcomm-scotland.gov.uk/ Fifth Periodical Review of Constituencies] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070921124603/http://www.bcomm-scotland.gov.uk/ |date=21 September 2007 }}</ref>


*[[Edinburgh Central (UK Parliament constituency)|Edinburgh Central]] constituency was abolished and split between the original [[Edinburgh North and Leith (UK Parliament constituency)|Edinburgh North and Leith]] and [[Edinburgh West (UK Parliament constituency)|Edinburgh West]] constituencies and an entirely new constituency that was created - [[Edinburgh South West (UK Parliament constituency)|Edinburgh South West]].
*[[Edinburgh Central (UK Parliament constituency)|Edinburgh Central]] constituency was abolished and split between the original [[Edinburgh North and Leith (UK Parliament constituency)|Edinburgh North and Leith]] and [[Edinburgh West (UK Parliament constituency)|Edinburgh West]] constituencies and an entirely new constituency that was created – [[Edinburgh South West (UK Parliament constituency)|Edinburgh South West]].
*[[Edinburgh East and Musselburgh (UK Parliament constituency)|Edinburgh East and Musselburgh]] took in parts of the [[Edinburgh North and Leith (UK Parliament constituency)|Edinburgh North and Leith]] seat, with the town of [[Musselburgh]] being transferred into the [[East Lothian (UK Parliament constituency)|East Lothian]] constituency, with the new seat renamed [[Edinburgh East (UK Parliament constituency)|Edinburgh East]].
*[[Edinburgh East and Musselburgh (UK Parliament constituency)|Edinburgh East and Musselburgh]] took in parts of the [[Edinburgh North and Leith (UK Parliament constituency)|Edinburgh North and Leith]] seat, with the town of [[Musselburgh]] being transferred into the [[East Lothian (UK Parliament constituency)|East Lothian]] constituency, with the new seat renamed [[Edinburgh East (UK Parliament constituency)|Edinburgh East]].
*[[Edinburgh Pentlands (UK Parliament constituency)|Edinburgh Pentlands]] constituency was also divided between the new [[Edinburgh South West (UK Parliament constituency)|Edinburgh South West]] seat and the existing [[Edinburgh South (UK Parliament constituency)|Edinburgh South]] seat.
*[[Edinburgh Pentlands (UK Parliament constituency)|Edinburgh Pentlands]] constituency was also divided between the new [[Edinburgh South West (UK Parliament constituency)|Edinburgh South West]] seat and the existing [[Edinburgh South (UK Parliament constituency)|Edinburgh South]] seat.
*[[Edinburgh North and Leith (UK Parliament constituency)|Edinburgh North and Leith]] was increased in size by taking in parts of the old [[Edinburgh Central (UK Parliament constituency)|Edinburgh Central]] constituency.
*[[Edinburgh North and Leith (UK Parliament constituency)|Edinburgh North and Leith]] was increased in size by taking in parts of the old [[Edinburgh Central (UK Parliament constituency)|Edinburgh Central]] constituency.
*[[Edinburgh South (UK Parliament constituency)|Edinburgh South]] was expanded in size taking in elements of the old [[Edinburgh Pentlands (UK Parliament constituency)|Edinburgh Pentlands]] seat.
*[[Edinburgh South (UK Parliament constituency)|Edinburgh South]] was expanded in size taking in elements of the old [[Edinburgh Pentlands (UK Parliament constituency)|Edinburgh Pentlands]] seat.
*[[Edinburgh South West (UK Parliament constituency)|Edinburgh South West]] was an entirely new constituency created for the [[United Kingdom general election, 2005|2005 UK general election]] taking in elements of the old [[Edinburgh Central (UK Parliament constituency)|Edinburgh Central]] seat, the original [[Edinburgh West (UK Parliament constituency)|Edinburgh West]] seat and [[Edinburgh Pentlands (UK Parliament constituency)|Edinburgh Pentlands]] seat.
*[[Edinburgh South West (UK Parliament constituency)|Edinburgh South West]] was an entirely new constituency created for the [[2005 United Kingdom general election|2005 UK general election]] taking in elements of the old [[Edinburgh Central (UK Parliament constituency)|Edinburgh Central]] seat, the original [[Edinburgh West (UK Parliament constituency)|Edinburgh West]] seat and [[Edinburgh Pentlands (UK Parliament constituency)|Edinburgh Pentlands]] seat.
*[[Edinburgh West (UK Parliament constituency)|Edinburgh West]] was expanded to include some parts of the defunct [[Edinburgh Central (UK Parliament constituency)|Edinburgh Central]] seat.
*[[Edinburgh West (UK Parliament constituency)|Edinburgh West]] was expanded to include some parts of the defunct [[Edinburgh Central (UK Parliament constituency)|Edinburgh Central]] seat.


Line 483: Line 80:
{|class="wikitable"
{|class="wikitable"
|width="5"|
|width="5"|
|width="140"|'''Party'''
|width="170"|'''Party'''
|width="100"|'''Constituency'''
|width="150"|'''Constituency'''
|width="100"|'''Member'''
|width="150"|'''Member'''
|-
|-
| style="color:inherit;background:{{party color|Labour Party (UK)}}" |
|bgcolor="{{Liberal Democrats (UK)/meta/color}}"|
|[[Scottish National Party|Scottish Labour Party]]
|Liberal Democrat
|[[Edinburgh West (UK Parliament constituency)|Edinburgh West]]
|[[Edinburgh East and Musselburgh (UK Parliament constituency)|Edinburgh East and Musselburgh]]
|[[Chris Murray (politician)|Chris Murray]]
|[[John_Andrew_Barrett|John Barrett]]
|-
|-
|bgcolor="{{Labour Party (UK)/meta/color}}"|
| style="color:inherit;background:{{party color|Labour Party (UK)}}" |
|Labour
|[[Scottish Labour Party]]
|[[Edinburgh South West (UK Parliament constituency)|Edinburgh South West]]
|[[Edinburgh North and Leith (UK Parliament constituency)|Edinburgh North and Leith]]
|[[Alistair Darling]]
|[[Tracy Gilbert]]
|-
|-
|bgcolor="{{Labour Party (UK)/meta/color}}"|
| style="color:inherit;background:{{party color|Labour Party (UK)}}" |
|Labour
|[[Scottish Labour Party]]
|[[Edinburgh South (UK Parliament constituency)|Edinburgh South]]
|[[Edinburgh South (UK Parliament constituency)|Edinburgh South]]
|[[Ian Murray (Scottish politician)|Ian Murray]]
|[[Nigel Griffiths]]
|-
|-
|bgcolor="{{Labour Party (UK)/meta/color}}"|
| style="color:inherit;background:{{party color|Labour Party (UK)}}" |
|Labour
|[[Scottish Labour Party]]
|[[Edinburgh North and Leith (UK Parliament constituency)|Edinburgh North and Leith]]
|[[Edinburgh South West (UK Parliament constituency)|Edinburgh South West]]
|[[Mark Lazarowicz]]
|[[Scott Arthur]]
|-
|-
| style="color:inherit;background:{{party color|Liberal Democrats (UK)}}" |
|bgcolor="{{Labour Party (UK)/meta/color}}"|
|[[Scottish Liberal Democrats]]
|Labour Co-operative
|[[Edinburgh East (UK Parliament constituency)|Edinburgh East]]
|[[Edinburgh West (UK Parliament constituency)|Edinburgh West]]
|[[Gavin Strang]]
|[[Christine Jardine]]
|}
|}


Line 532: Line 129:
|-
|-
| 1885 to 1918
| 1885 to 1918
| Edinburgh Central , Edinburgh East, Edinburgh South and Edinburgh West
| Edinburgh Central, Edinburgh East, Edinburgh South and Edinburgh West
|-
|-
| 1918 to 1950
| 1918 to 1950
Line 538: Line 135:
|-
|-
| 1950 to 1983
| 1950 to 1983
| Edinburgh Central, Edinburgh East, Edinburgh Leith, Edinburgh North, Edinburgh Pentlands, Edinburgh South and Edinburgh West
| Edinburgh Central, Edinburgh East, Edinburgh Leith, Edinburgh North, Edinburgh Pentlands, Edinburgh South and Edinburgh West
|-
|-
| 1983 to 1997
| 1983 to 1997
Line 552: Line 149:
==Scottish Parliament==
==Scottish Parliament==


{{main|Scottish Parliament}}
For elections to the [[Scottish Parliament]], the city is divided between six of the nine [[United Kingdom constituencies|constituencies]] in the [[Lothians (Scottish Parliamentary Electoral Area)|Lothians]] electoral region. Each constituency elects one [[Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP)]] by the [[first past the post]] system of election, and the region elects seven [[Additional member system (Scottish Parliament)|additional members]] (also called ''MSPs'') to produce a form of [[proportional representation]].


For elections to the [[Scottish Parliament]], the city is divided among six of the nine [[United Kingdom constituencies|constituencies]] in the [[Lothian (Scottish Parliament electoral region)|Lothian]] electoral region. Each constituency elects one [[Member of the Scottish Parliament]] (MSP) by the [[first past the post]] system of election, and the region elects seven [[Additional member system (Scottish Parliament)|additional members]] (also called ''MSPs'') to produce a form of [[proportional representation]].
One of the ''Edinburgh'' constituencies includes [[Musselburgh]], which is outside the city, in [[East Lothian]].


Until the [[United Kingdom general election, 2005]], ''Edinburgh'' Scottish Parliament and Parliament of the United Kingdom constituencies were coterminous (shared the same geographical boundaries). The [[Scottish Parliament (Constituencies) Act 2004]], a piece of United Kingdom Parliament legislation, had removed the link, to enable Scottish Parliament constituencies to retain established boundaries despite the introduction of new boundaries for United Kingdom Parliament constituencies.
Until the [[2005 United Kingdom general election]], ''Edinburgh'' Scottish Parliament and Parliament of the United Kingdom constituencies were coterminous (shared the same geographical boundaries). The [[Scottish Parliament (Constituencies) Act 2004]], a piece of United Kingdom Parliament legislation, had removed the link, to enable Scottish Parliament constituencies to retain established boundaries despite the introduction of new boundaries for United Kingdom Parliament constituencies.


In the [[Scottish Parliament election, 2007|2007 Scottish Parliament election]], the six ''Edinburgh'' constituencies elected two [[Scottish Labour Party|Labour]] MSPs, two [[Scottish Liberal Democrats|Liberal Democrat]] MSPs, one [[Scottish Conservative Party|Conservative]] MSP, and one [[Scottish National Party]] MSP:
In the [[2016 Scottish Parliament election]], the six ''Edinburgh'' constituencies elected 4 [[Scottish National Party]] MSPs, one [[Scottish Labour Party|Labour]] and one [[Scottish Liberal Democrats|Liberal Democrat]] MSP:


{|class="wikitable"
{|class="wikitable"
|width="5"|
|width="5"|
|width="140"|'''Party'''
|width="140"|'''Party'''
|width="100"|'''Constituency'''
|width="170"|'''Constituency'''
|width="100"|'''Member'''
|width="150"|'''Member'''
|-
|-
| style="color:inherit;background:{{party color|Scottish National Party}}" |
|bgcolor="{{Labour Party (UK)/meta/color}}"|
|[[Scottish National Party]]
|Labour
|[[Edinburgh Central (Scottish Parliament constituency)|Edinburgh Central]]
|[[Edinburgh Central (Scottish Parliament constituency)|Edinburgh Central]]
|[[Sarah Boyack]]
|[[Angus Robertson]]
|-
|-
| style="color:inherit;background:{{party color|Scottish National Party}}" |
|bgcolor="{{Labour Party (UK)/meta/color}}"|
|[[Scottish National Party]]
|Labour
|[[Edinburgh North and Leith (Scottish Parliament constituency)|Edinburgh North and Leith]]
|[[Edinburgh Eastern (Scottish Parliament constituency)|Edinburgh Eastern]]
|[[Malcolm Chisholm]]
|[[Ash Denham]]
|-
|-
|bgcolor="{{Scottish National Party/meta/color}}"|
| style="color:inherit;background:{{party color|Scottish National Party}}" |
|Scottish National Party
|[[Scottish National Party]]
|[[Edinburgh East and Musselburgh (Scottish Parliament constituency)|Edinburgh East and Musselburgh]]
|[[Edinburgh Northern and Leith (Scottish Parliament constituency)|Edinburgh Northern and Leith]]
|[[Ben Macpherson (politician)|Ben Macpherson]]
|[[Kenny MacAskill]]
|-
|-
| style="color:inherit;background:{{party color|Scottish National Party}}" |
|bgcolor="{{Conservative Party (UK)/meta/color}}"|
|[[Scottish National Party]]
|Conservative
|[[Edinburgh Pentlands (Scottish Parliament constituency)|Edinburgh Pentlands]]
|[[Edinburgh Pentlands (Scottish Parliament constituency)|Edinburgh Pentlands]]
|[[Gordon MacDonald (Scottish politician)|Gordon MacDonald]]
|[[David McLetchie]]
|-
|-
| style="color:inherit;background:{{party color|Labour Party (UK)}}" |
|bgcolor="{{Liberal Democrats (UK)/meta/color}}"|
|[[Scottish Labour Party]]
|Liberal Democrat
|[[Edinburgh South (Scottish Parliament constituency)|Edinburgh South]]
|[[Edinburgh Southern (Scottish Parliament constituency)|Edinburgh Southern]]
|[[Daniel Johnson (Scottish politician)|Daniel Johnson]]
|[[Mike Pringle]]
|-
|-
|bgcolor="{{Liberal Democrats (UK)/meta/color}}"|
| style="color:inherit;background:{{party color|Liberal Democrats (UK)}}" |
|Liberal Democrat
|[[Scottish Liberal Democrats]]
|[[Edinburgh West (Scottish Parliament constituency)|Edinburgh West]]
|[[Edinburgh Western (Scottish Parliament constituency)|Edinburgh Western]]
|[[Margaret Smith]]
|[[Alex Cole-Hamilton]]
|}
|}


The following additional members were elected to represent the [[Lothians (Scottish Parliament electoral region)|Lothians]] electoral region:
The following additional members were elected to represent the [[Lothian (Scottish Parliament electoral region)|Lothian]] electoral region:


{|class="wikitable"
{|class="wikitable"
Line 604: Line 201:
|width="180"|'''Member'''
|width="180"|'''Member'''
|-
|-
|bgcolor="{{Conservative Party (UK)/meta/color}}"|
| style="color:inherit;background:{{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}" |
|[[Scottish Conservatives]]
|Conservative
|[[Miles Briggs]]
|[[Gavin Brown (politician)|Gavin Brown]]
|-
|-
|bgcolor="{{Labour Party (UK)/meta/color}}"|
| style="color:inherit;background:{{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}" |
|[[Scottish Conservatives]]
|Labour
|[[Sue Webber]]
|[[George Foulkes, Baron Foulkes of Cumnock|George Foulkes]]
|-
|-
| style="color:inherit;background:{{party color|Conservative Party (UK)}}" |
|bgcolor="{{Scottish Green Party/meta/color}}"|
|Scottish Green Party
|[[Scottish Conservatives]]
|[[Robin Harper]]
|[[Jeremy Balfour]]
|-
|-
| style="color:inherit;background:{{party color|Labour Party (UK)}}" |
|bgcolor="{{Scottish National Party/meta/color}}"|
|Scottish National Party
|[[Scottish Labour Party]]
|[[Fiona Hyslop]]
|[[Sarah Boyack]]
|-
|-
| style="color:inherit;background:{{party color|Labour Party (UK)}}" |
|bgcolor="{{Independent (politician)/meta/color}}"|
|[[Scottish Labour Party]]
|Independent
|[[Margo MacDonald]]
|[[Foysol Choudhury]]
|-
|-
|bgcolor="{{Scottish National Party/meta/color}}"|
| style="color:inherit;background:{{party color|Scottish Green Party}}" |
|Scottish National Party
|[[Scottish Green Party]]
|[[Ian McKee]]
|[[Alison Johnstone]]
|-
|-
|bgcolor="{{Scottish National Party/meta/color}}"|
| style="color:inherit;background:{{party color|Scottish Green Party}}" |
|Scottish National Party
|[[Scottish Green Party]]
|[[Stefan Tymkewycz]]
|[[Lorna Slater]]
|}
|}


==Scottish Independence referendum, 2014==
==Footnotes==
At the [[2014 Scottish independence referendum]] voters in Edinburgh rejected independence by a margin of 61.1% No to 38.9% Yes. Turnout was 84.4%. Numerically, Edinburgh had the largest number of No votes out of all 32 council areas in Scotland with 194,638 No votes to 123,927 Yes votes. The difference between the number of Yes and No votes was largest in Edinburgh by comparison to any other council area in Scotland at 70,711. The results were in marked contrast to [[Politics of Glasgow#Other elections|those in Glasgow]], where each of the city's constituencies voted Yes.
<references/>

===Results by UK Parliament constituency===
[[File:Edinburgh Scottish independence referendum.svg|thumb|300px|A map of the 2014 Scottish independence referendum results by UK Parliamentary constituency in City of Edinburgh, where saturation of colour denotes strength of vote.]]
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align: right"
|-
! scope="col" style="width:22%"| UK Parliament constituency<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/downloads/file/3976/analysis_of_voting_totals_in_the_scottish_independence_referendum_for_the_city_of_edinburgh_area|date=19 September 2014|publisher=City of Edinburgh council|access-date=3 June 2016|title=Scottish Independence Referendum Results|archive-date=6 August 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160806181952/http://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/downloads/file/3976/analysis_of_voting_totals_in_the_scottish_independence_referendum_for_the_city_of_edinburgh_area|url-status=dead}}</ref>
! scope="col" style="width:13%"| Yes votes
! scope="col" style="width:13%"| No votes
! scope="col" style="width:13%"| Yes (%)
! scope="col" style="width:13%"| No (%)
! scope="col" style="width:13%"| Valid votes
|-
|scope="row" style="text-align:left"|[[Edinburgh East (UK Parliament constituency)|Edinburgh East]]
| 27,500
| '''30,632'''
| 47.3%
|{{No|'''52.7%'''|align=right}}
| 58,232
|-
|scope="row" style="text-align:left"|[[Edinburgh North and Leith (UK Parliament constituency)|Edinburgh North and Leith]]
| 28,813
| '''43,253'''
| 40.0%
|{{No|'''60.0%'''|align=right}}
| 72,181
|-
|scope="row" style="text-align:left"|[[Edinburgh South (UK Parliament constituency)|Edinburgh South]]
| 20,340
| '''38,298'''
| 34.7%
|{{No|'''65.3%'''|align=right}}
| 58,738
|-
|scope="row" style="text-align:left"|[[Edinburgh South West (UK Parliament constituency)|Edinburgh South West]]
| 24,659
| '''39,509'''
| 38.4%
|{{No|'''61.6%'''|align=right}}
| 64,249
|-
|scope="row" style="text-align:left"|[[Edinburgh West (UK Parliament constituency)|Edinburgh West]]
| 22,615
| '''42,946'''
| 34.5%
|{{No|'''65.5%'''|align=right}}
| 65,625
|-
! scope="row"| City of Edinburgh
!123,927
!194,638
!38.9%
!style="background: crimson; color: white"|61.1%
!319,025
|}


==UK European Union membership referendum, 2016==
===See also===

====Wikipedia articles====
In 2016, Edinburgh voted in the [[2016 United Kingdom European Union membership referendum|European Union membership referendum]]. While the United Kingdom as a whole voted to leave the EU, Edinburgh overwhelmingly voted to Remain, giving the ninth highest Remain vote share of any counting area. Only Gibraltar and seven boroughs in London had higher vote shares for Remain.

{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align: right"
|-
! scope="col" style="width:22%"| UK Parliament constituency
! scope="col" style="width:13%"| Leave votes
! scope="col" style="width:13%"| Remain votes
! scope="col" style="width:13%"| Leave (%)
! scope="col" style="width:13%"| Remain (%)
! scope="col" style="width:13%"| Valid votes
|-
|scope="row" style="text-align:left"|[[Edinburgh East (UK Parliament constituency)|Edinburgh East]]
| 12,153
| '''31,821'''
| 27.8%
|style="text-align: right; background:#fea;" |'''72.4%'''
| 43,974
|-
|scope="row" style="text-align:left"|[[Edinburgh North and Leith (UK Parliament constituency)|Edinburgh North and Leith]]
| 12,435
| '''44,618'''
| 21.8%
|style="text-align: right; background:#fea;" |'''78.2%'''
| 57,053
|-
|scope="row" style="text-align:left"|[[Edinburgh South (UK Parliament constituency)|Edinburgh South]]
| 10,549
| '''37,069'''
| 22.2%
|style="text-align: right; background:#fea;" |'''77.8%'''
| 47,618
|-
|scope="row" style="text-align:left"|[[Edinburgh South West (UK Parliament constituency)|Edinburgh South West]]
| 14,008
| '''36,269'''
| 27.9%
|style="text-align: right; background:#fea;" |'''72.1%'''
| 50,277
|-
|scope="row" style="text-align:left"|[[Edinburgh West (UK Parliament constituency)|Edinburgh West]]
| 15,353
| '''38,019'''
| 28.7%
|style="text-align: right; background:#fea;" |'''71.3%'''
| 53,372
|-
! scope="row"| City of Edinburgh
!64,498
!187,796
!25.6%
!style="background: #fea"|74.4%
!252,294
|}

==See also==
*[[Incorporated Trades of Edinburgh]]
*[[List of Lord Provosts of Edinburgh]]
*[[List of Lord Provosts of Edinburgh]]
*[[Scottish Parliament (Constituencies) Act 2004]]
*[[Lothian Regional Council]]
*[[Lothian Regional Council]]
*[[Scottish Parliament (Constituencies) Act 2004]]
*[[Politics of Aberdeen]]
*[[Politics of Dundee]]
*[[Politics of Glasgow]]
*[[Politics of Scotland]]
*[[Politics of the Highland council area]]


==References==
{{Scotland subdivisions}}
{{reflist}}


{{Scotland subdivisions}}
====External pages====
{{Former local government regions of Scotland}}
*[http://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/ Edinburgh City Council]
{{Edinburgh elections}}
*[http://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/internet/council/council_business/how_the_council_works/CEC_how_the_council_works Edinburgh City Council - How the Council Works]
{{Edinburgh}}
*[http://www.citymayors.com/politics/edinburgh_aitken.html CityMayors feature]
*[http://www.youredinburgh.info/youredinburgh/results_page.jsp?selected=5,281 Your Edinburgh]
*[http://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/internet/Environment/Planning_buildings_i_i_/Planning/Planning_policies/Local_plans/CEC_edinburgh_city_local_plan Edinburgh City Council Local Plan]
*[http://www.scottish.parliament.uk Scottish Parliament]
*[http://www.parliament.uk United Kingdom Parliament]
*[http://www.opsi.gov.uk/ACTS/acts1994/Ukpga_19940039_en_1.htm Local Government etc. (Scotland) Act 1994]
*[http://www.edinburghsucks.com/ EdinburghSucks.com - An alternative view of politics in the City]


[[Category:Politics of Edinburgh| ]]
[[Category:Politics of Edinburgh| ]]
[[Category:Local authorities of Scotland]]


[[da:City of Edinburgh]]
[[de:City of Edinburgh]]
[[de:City of Edinburgh]]
[[no:City of Edinburgh]]
[[pl:Edynburg (hrabstwo)]]
[[ru:Эдинбург (область)]]
[[sco:Ceity o Edinburrie]]
[[sv:City of Edinburgh]]

Latest revision as of 04:38, 26 November 2024

The politics of Edinburgh are expressed in the deliberations and decisions of the City of Edinburgh Council, in elections to the council, the Scottish Parliament and the UK Parliament.

Also, as Scotland's capital city, Edinburgh is host to the Scottish Parliament and the main offices of the Scottish Government.

The City of Edinburgh became a unitary council area in 1996, under the Local Government etc. (Scotland) Act 1994, with the boundaries of the post-1975 City of Edinburgh district of the Lothian region.

As one of the unitary local government areas of Scotland, the City of Edinburgh has a defined structure of governance, generally under the Local Government etc. (Scotland) Act 1994, with The City of Edinburgh Council governing on matters of local administration such as housing, planning, local transport, parks and local economic development and regeneration. For such purposes the City of Edinburgh is divided into 17 wards.

The next tier of government is that of the Scottish Parliament, which legislates on matters of Scottish "national interest", such as healthcare, education, the environment and agriculture, devolved to it by the Parliament of the United Kingdom. For elections to the Scottish Parliament (at the Scottish Parliament Building, in the Holyrood area of Edinburgh), the city area is divided among six Scottish Parliament constituencies, each returning one Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP), and is within the Lothians electoral region.

The Parliament of the United Kingdom (at the Palace of Westminster) legislates on matters such as taxation, foreign policy, defence, employment and trade. For elections to the House of Commons of this parliament, the city area is divided among five United Kingdom Parliamentary constituencies, with each constituency returning one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first past the post system of election.

On 18 September 2014, Edinburgh voted "No" in the Independence referendum by 61.1% to 38.9% with an 84.4% turnout rate.[1]

The City of Edinburgh Council

[edit]
Main article: The City of Edinburgh Council
Edinburgh City Chambers, headquarters of the council

The current Lord Provost of Edinburgh is Robert Aldridge, who replaced Frank Ross in 2022.[2] In Scotland, the Lord Provost fulfils many similar roles to that of a Mayor in some other countries. Cllr Aldridge has been on the Council since 1984, previously leading the Liberal Democrat group, and was elected unanimously. He was the first Lord Provost to welcome a new monarch (Charles III) to Edinburgh with the Ceremony of the Keys since 1952.

Elections to the Council are held every four/five years electing 63 councillors. The most recent elections took place in May 2022 and the next election will be in May 2027. Prior to May 2022, the Council was controlled by a Labour/Scottish National Party coalition. Following the 2022 election, a minority Labour administration took control, with Cammy Day as the new council leader, replacing former leader Adam McVey. [3]

As of 2013, the Council was the second-largest employer in Edinburgh, with a total of 18,617 employees.[4]

Council political composition

[edit]

[5]

Party Councillors
SNP 19
Labour 11
Liberal Democrat 14
Scottish Greens 10
Conservative 9

The Edinburgh Corporation and former local government

[edit]
See also: Category:City of Edinburgh Council elections

Prior to the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973 Edinburgh was administered by the single tier "Edinburgh Corporation", which covered the "City and Royal Burgh of Edinburgh". As such, the Edinburgh Corporation was responsible for local government services, such as the Edinburgh Corporation Transport Department (Edinburgh Corporation Tramways until 1928). The Edinburgh Corporation had the power to make 'Burgess' (freemen) of the City of Edinburgh and to grant "Seals of Cause" to Guilds and trade organisations. The Edinburgh Corporation awarded Burgess Ticket through the Lord Dean of Guild, an office in the Corporation. Like the Corporation of the City of London, Burgess Tickets were often awarded along with a 'Freedom Casket' – a container to hold the ticket. Bodies such as the Merchant Company of Edinburgh, the Incorporated Trades of Edinburgh and The High Constables of Edinburgh formed part of the corporation, contributing councilors and law enforcement officers. The Edinburgh Corporation had the power to institute these organisations via the granting of a "Seal of Cause". This empowered the societies as "a legal corporation with power to hold property, make its own by-laws and regulations". Other organisations to receive the "Seal of Cause" include The Royal Burgess Golfing Society of Edinburgh, who received their seal on 2 July 1800.[6] The history of the corporation lives on elsewhere around the city, for example in the name of the members of Muirfield golf club, who were granted a charter by the corporation in 1800 becoming "The Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers". Many of Edinburgh's ceremonies and traditions date back to the days of the Edinburgh Corporation, such as the Edinburgh Ceremony of the Keys, where the Lord Provost symbolically hands the keys to the City of Edinburgh to the monarch, who hands them back to the Lord Provost proclaiming "that they cannot be placed in better hands than those of the Lord Provost and Councillors of my good City of Edinburgh".

In 1975, Edinburgh Corporation was abolished. The new two-tier system consisted of Lothian Regional Council (with responsibility for water, education, social work and transport) and the City of Edinburgh District Council (with responsibility for cleansing and libraries). The City of Edinburgh became a single-tier council area in 1996, under the Local Government etc. (Scotland) Act 1994, with the boundaries of the City of Edinburgh district of the Lothian region. The district had been created in 1975, under the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973, to include the former county of city of Edinburgh; the former burgh of Queensferry, the district of Kirkliston and part of Winchburgh formerly within the county of West Lothian; and the district of Currie and the parish of Cramond formerly within the county of Midlothian.

Parliament of the United Kingdom

[edit]
Main article: House of Commons of the United Kingdom

For elections to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, the city is divided among five constituencies, each of which elects one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first past the post system of election. All five constituencies are entirely within the city area.

Prior to the 2005 United Kingdom general election, Edinburgh House of Commons constituencies had exactly the same names and boundaries as the Scottish Parliament constituencies listed above. However, in order to reduce Scotland's historical over representation in the House of Commons, Scotland's share of constituencies was reduced from 72 to 59, in accordance with proposals drawn up by the Boundary Commission for Scotland. The Scottish Parliament (Constituencies) Act 2004 enabled Scottish Parliament constituencies to remain unaltered despite new arrangements for House of Commons constituencies, which resulted in the loss of one Edinburgh constituency and redrawing of boundaries for the others. As a result of the boundary review:[7][8]

Current political composition:

Party Constituency Member
Scottish Labour Party Edinburgh East and Musselburgh Chris Murray
Scottish Labour Party Edinburgh North and Leith Tracy Gilbert
Scottish Labour Party Edinburgh South Ian Murray
Scottish Labour Party Edinburgh South West Scott Arthur
Scottish Liberal Democrats Edinburgh West Christine Jardine

Constituencies since 1708

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Edinburgh has been used in ten different constituency names since 1708, the date of the first election to the Parliament of Great Britain (which was merged into the Parliament of the United Kingdom in 1801). There have been up to six Edinburgh constituencies at any one time.

Two names, Edinburgh South and Edinburgh West have been in continuous use since 1885. One name, Edinburgh East, also first used in 1885, fell out of use in 1997 and returned to use in 2005.

Survival of a name does not in itself mean that a constituency's boundaries have been unaltered.

Lists of constituencies:

Period Constituencies
1708 to 1885 Edinburgh
1885 to 1918 Edinburgh Central, Edinburgh East, Edinburgh South and Edinburgh West
1918 to 1950 Edinburgh Central, Edinburgh East, Edinburgh Leith, Edinburgh North, Edinburgh South and Edinburgh West
1950 to 1983 Edinburgh Central, Edinburgh East, Edinburgh Leith, Edinburgh North, Edinburgh Pentlands, Edinburgh South and Edinburgh West
1983 to 1997 Edinburgh Central, Edinburgh East, Edinburgh Leith, Edinburgh Pentlands, Edinburgh South and Edinburgh West
1997 to 2005 Edinburgh Central, Edinburgh East and Musselburgh, Edinburgh North and Leith, Edinburgh Pentlands, Edinburgh South and Edinburgh West
2005 to present Edinburgh East, Edinburgh North and Leith, Edinburgh South, Edinburgh South West and Edinburgh West

Scottish Parliament

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Main article: Scottish Parliament

For elections to the Scottish Parliament, the city is divided among six of the nine constituencies in the Lothian electoral region. Each constituency elects one Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) by the first past the post system of election, and the region elects seven additional members (also called MSPs) to produce a form of proportional representation.

Until the 2005 United Kingdom general election, Edinburgh Scottish Parliament and Parliament of the United Kingdom constituencies were coterminous (shared the same geographical boundaries). The Scottish Parliament (Constituencies) Act 2004, a piece of United Kingdom Parliament legislation, had removed the link, to enable Scottish Parliament constituencies to retain established boundaries despite the introduction of new boundaries for United Kingdom Parliament constituencies.

In the 2016 Scottish Parliament election, the six Edinburgh constituencies elected 4 Scottish National Party MSPs, one Labour and one Liberal Democrat MSP:

Party Constituency Member
Scottish National Party Edinburgh Central Angus Robertson
Scottish National Party Edinburgh Eastern Ash Denham
Scottish National Party Edinburgh Northern and Leith Ben Macpherson
Scottish National Party Edinburgh Pentlands Gordon MacDonald
Scottish Labour Party Edinburgh Southern Daniel Johnson
Scottish Liberal Democrats Edinburgh Western Alex Cole-Hamilton

The following additional members were elected to represent the Lothian electoral region:

Party Member
Scottish Conservatives Miles Briggs
Scottish Conservatives Sue Webber
Scottish Conservatives Jeremy Balfour
Scottish Labour Party Sarah Boyack
Scottish Labour Party Foysol Choudhury
Scottish Green Party Alison Johnstone
Scottish Green Party Lorna Slater

Scottish Independence referendum, 2014

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At the 2014 Scottish independence referendum voters in Edinburgh rejected independence by a margin of 61.1% No to 38.9% Yes. Turnout was 84.4%. Numerically, Edinburgh had the largest number of No votes out of all 32 council areas in Scotland with 194,638 No votes to 123,927 Yes votes. The difference between the number of Yes and No votes was largest in Edinburgh by comparison to any other council area in Scotland at 70,711. The results were in marked contrast to those in Glasgow, where each of the city's constituencies voted Yes.

Results by UK Parliament constituency

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A map of the 2014 Scottish independence referendum results by UK Parliamentary constituency in City of Edinburgh, where saturation of colour denotes strength of vote.
UK Parliament constituency[9] Yes votes No votes Yes (%) No (%) Valid votes
Edinburgh East 27,500 30,632 47.3% 52.7% 58,232
Edinburgh North and Leith 28,813 43,253 40.0% 60.0% 72,181
Edinburgh South 20,340 38,298 34.7% 65.3% 58,738
Edinburgh South West 24,659 39,509 38.4% 61.6% 64,249
Edinburgh West 22,615 42,946 34.5% 65.5% 65,625
City of Edinburgh 123,927 194,638 38.9% 61.1% 319,025

UK European Union membership referendum, 2016

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In 2016, Edinburgh voted in the European Union membership referendum. While the United Kingdom as a whole voted to leave the EU, Edinburgh overwhelmingly voted to Remain, giving the ninth highest Remain vote share of any counting area. Only Gibraltar and seven boroughs in London had higher vote shares for Remain.

UK Parliament constituency Leave votes Remain votes Leave (%) Remain (%) Valid votes
Edinburgh East 12,153 31,821 27.8% 72.4% 43,974
Edinburgh North and Leith 12,435 44,618 21.8% 78.2% 57,053
Edinburgh South 10,549 37,069 22.2% 77.8% 47,618
Edinburgh South West 14,008 36,269 27.9% 72.1% 50,277
Edinburgh West 15,353 38,019 28.7% 71.3% 53,372
City of Edinburgh 64,498 187,796 25.6% 74.4% 252,294

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Indyref". BBC. Retrieved 19 September 2014.
  2. ^ "Edinburgh appoints new Lord Provost". www.edinburgh.gov.uk. Retrieved 26 May 2022.
  3. ^ "Edinburgh council: Labour will run city as minority administration after SNP-Green deal blocked". www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com. 26 May 2022.
  4. ^ "Edinburgh by Numbers 2013/14" Archived 16 October 2013 at the Wayback Machine
  5. ^ "Local Government Election 2022 results". www.edinburgh.gov.uk. Retrieved 26 May 2022.
  6. ^ "1735 Royal Burgess Golf Society - Scottish Golf History".
  7. ^ BBC News 2002 Political landscape set to change
  8. ^ Boundary Commission for Scotland, 2004 Fifth Periodical Review of Constituencies Archived 21 September 2007 at the Wayback Machine
  9. ^ "Scottish Independence Referendum Results". City of Edinburgh council. 19 September 2014. Archived from the original on 6 August 2016. Retrieved 3 June 2016.
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