Edinburgh North and Leith
2005 Results:
Labour: 14597 (34.2%)
Liberal Democrat: 12444 (29.2%)
Conservative: 7969 (18.7%)
SNP: 4344 (10.2%)
Other: 3286 (7.7%)
Majority: 2153 (5%)
Boundary changes prior to 2005 election.
2001 Result
Conservative: 4626 (13.9%)
Labour: 15271 (45.9%)
Liberal Democrat: 6454 (19.4%)
SNP: 5290 (15.9%)
Other: 1593 (4.8%)
Majority: 8817 (26.5%)
1997 Result
Conservative: 7312 (17.9%)
Labour: 19209 (46.9%)
Liberal Democrat: 5335 (13%)
SNP: 8231 (20.1%)
Referendum: 441 (1.1%)
Other: 417 (1%)
Majority: 10978 (26.8%)
No Boundary Changes:
Profile:
Outgoing MP: Mark Lazarowicz(Labour) (more information at They work for you)
Candidates: Iain McGill (Conservative) Former postman and overseas aid worker, now director of an employment agency. Contested Midlothian 2005. Contested Cumbernauld and Kilsyth and Central Scotland region in 2007 Scottish Parliament elections.Mark Lazarowicz(Labour) (more information at They work for you)Kevin Lang (Liberal Democrat) Calum Cashley (SNP) Political researcher. Contested Dundee West 1999 Scottish elections.Kate Joester (Green)
2001 Census Demographics
Total 2001 Population: 89186
Male: 48.1%
Female: 51.9%
Under 18: 16.9%
Over 60: 18.3%
Born outside UK: 9.8%
White: 95.6%
Black: 0.4%
Asian: 2.2%
Mixed: 0.7%
Other: 1.1%
Christian: 51%
Muslim: 1.5%
Graduates 16-74: 39.6%
No Qualifications 16-74: 20.8%
Owner-Occupied: 66.1%
Social Housing: 14.6% (Council: 8%, Housing Ass.: 6.6%)
Privately Rented: 17%
Homes without central heating and/or private bathroom: 16.6%
AS with Edinburgh S, I think Labour and LibDems will both lose votes but here I think the LibDems have already reached their peak.
This looks like a Labour hold to me again with about 30% of the vote.
Rumour is that Calum Cashley was nearly de-selected last week. The Edinburgh City SNP had a crisis meeting which Kenny MacAskill stormed out of when it was agreed that it was too late to change now. Cashley – famous for his abrasive style – put out a poisonous and misleading leaflet in some areas, but other SNP councillors refused to have it delivered in their areas, and it has now been pulped.
Sounds interesting Derek! What did the leaflet say?
Between 1950 and 1979 there were ten general elections, all of which produced identical results in Edinburgh:
Conservative wins in North, Pentlands, South and West.
Labour wins in Central, East and Leith.
There was though an overall swing to Labour during this period in total votes cast. The overall majorities city wide were:
1950 Con 24547
1951 Con 39316
1955 Con 32724
1959 Con 36991
1964 Con 11895
1966 Lab 3567
1970 Con 10723
1974F Con 19242
1974O Lab 1778
1979 Lab 2089
The only times actual constituencies came close to changing hands were:
1951 Leith 72
1955 Central 939
1959 Central 617
1959 East 312
1966 Pentlands 44
1974F Central 961
1974O Leith 721
Does anyone know why there was a big swing to the Conservatives in February 1974 which was then more than reversed in October 1974? It also occurred in the neighbouring constituency of Berwick and East Lothian.
The SNP took disproportionate numbers of votes from Labour in Feb 1974, but in Oct 1974 they had a broader appeal.Interesting that Labour won in Edinburgh in 1966 (though with just 3 of the cities 7 seats).
A Conservative win in Edinburgh in will also have been aided by the constituencies extending to cover 58 of the 60 city council wards (except South Queensferry and Kirliston – these joined Edinburgh West in 1997),
The Edinburgh seats are to count on election night according to the latest information from the Electoral Commission.