Edinburgh Pentlands (UK Parliament constituency)

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Edinburgh Pentlands
Burgh constituency
Created: 1950
Abolished: 2005
Type: House of Commons

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. It elected one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first past the post system of election.

In 1999, a Scottish Parliament constituency was created with the same name and boundaries, and continues in use. See Edinburgh Pentlands (Scottish Parliament constituency).

Contents

[edit] Boundaries

In 2005, prior to the general election, the Westminster constituency was one of six covering the City of Edinburgh council area. Five were entirely within the city council area. One, Edinburgh East and Musselburgh, straddled the boundary with the East Lothian council area, to take in Musselburgh. Edinburgh Pentlands covered a south-western portion of the city council area.

In terms of wards used for elections to the City of Edinburgh Council, 1999 to 2007, Edinburgh Pentlands included wards named Balerno, Baberton, Colinton, Craiglockhart, Fairmilehead, Firrhill, Murrayburn, Parkhead, and Sighthill. The South Morningside ward was split between Edinburgh Pentlands and Edinburgh South. The seat had an urban north and a suburban centre. The remaining area was rural, and included a Pentland Hills area in the south.

In 2005, most of the constituency beame part of Edinburgh South West. The Fairmilehead and Alnwickhill wards and part of the Morningside ward went to Edinburgh South. For the 2005 election, there were five constituencies covering the city area, all entirely within that area.[1]

[edit] Member of Parliament

Year Member Party
1950 Lord John Hope Unionist
1964 Norman Wylie Unionist/Conservative
1974 Malcolm Rifkind Conservative
1997 Lynda Clark Labour
2005 constituency abolished

[edit] Election results

General Election 2001: Edinburgh Pentlands
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Lynda Clark 15,797 40.6 -2.4
Conservative Malcolm Rifkind 14,055 36.1 +3.7
Liberal Democrats David Walker 4,210 10.8 +0.8
Scottish National Party Stewart Gibb 4,210 10.8 -2.2
Scottish Socialist Jimmy Mearns 555 1.4 N/A
UKIP Bill McMurdo 105 0.3 +0.1
Majority 1,742 4.5
Turnout 38,932 64.4 -12.3
Labour hold Swing
General Election 1997: Edinburgh Pentlands
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Lynda Clark 19,675 43.0 11.9
Conservative Malcolm Rifkind 14,813 32.4 -8.3
Scottish National Party Stewart Gibb 6,882 13.0 -2.4
Liberal Democrats Jenny Dawe 4,575 10.0 -2.6
Referendum Party Malcolm McDonald 422 0.9 N/A
Green Robin Harper 224 0.5 N/A
UKIP Alistair McConnachie 81 0.2 N/A
Majority 4,862 10.6
Turnout 45,742 76.7
Labour gain from Conservative Swing


General Election 1992: Edinburgh Pentlands
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Malcolm Rifkind 18,128 40.7
Labour Mark Lazarowicz 13,838 31.1
Scottish National Party Ms K. Caskie 6,882 15.4
Liberal Democrats K. Smith 5,597 12.6
Natural Law D. Rae 111 0.2
Majority 4,290 9.6
Turnout 44,556 80.18
Conservative hold Swing

[edit] Notes and references

  1. ^ Fifth Periodical Review, Boundary Commission for Scotland

[edit] See also