Edinburgh Western (Scottish Parliament constituency)
Edinburgh Western is a constituency of the Scottish Parliament covering part of the City of Edinburgh council area. It elects one Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) by the plurality (first past the post) method of election. It is one of nine constituencies in the Lothian electoral region, which elects seven additional [member system (Scottish Parliament)|additional members], in addition to the nine constituency MSPs, to produce a form of proportional representation for the region as a whole.
The constituency was created in 2011, when it replaced the former Edinburgh West Scottish Parliament constituency.
The seat has been held by Alex Cole-Hamilton of the Scottish Liberal Democrats since the 2016 Scottish Parliament election.
As a result of the second periodic [review of Scottish Parliament boundaries] in 2025, Edinburgh Western will be abolished. The bulk of the seat will form the new constituency of Edinburgh [North Western (Scottish Parliament constituency)|Edinburgh North Western] from the 2026 Scottish Parliament election. A portion also be transferred to the new Edinburgh Northern constituency.
Electoral region
The other eight constituencies of the Lothian region are: Almond Valley, Edinburgh Central, Edinburgh Eastern, Edinburgh Northern and Leith, Edinburgh [Pentlands (Scottish Parliament constituency)|Edinburgh Pentlands], Edinburgh Southern, Linlithgow and Midlothian North and Musselburgh.The region includes all of the City of Edinburgh council area, parts of the East Lothian council area, parts of the Midlothian council area and all of the West Lothian council area.
Constituency boundaries and council area
The City of Edinburgh council area is represented in the Scottish Parliament by sixconstituencies: Edinburgh Central, Edinburgh Eastern, Edinburgh Northern and Leith, Edinburgh Pentlands, Edinburgh Southern and Edinburgh Western.
The Edinburgh West constituency was created at the same time as the Scottish Parliament, in 1999, with the name and boundaries of an existing Westminster constituency. In 2005 [United Kingdom general election|2005], however, Scottish Westminster constituencies were mostly replaced with new constituencies.
For the 2011 Scottish Parliament election, Edinburgh West was redrawn and renamed "Edinburgh Western". The electoral wards used in this seat are:
- In full: Almond, Drum Brae/Gyle
- In part: Forth, Inverleith, Corstorphine/Murrayfield