Edinburgh Central (Scottish Parliament constituency)

The other eight constituencies of the Edinburgh and Lothians East region are East Lothian Coast and Lammermuirs, Edinburgh Eastern, Musselburgh and Tranent, Edinburgh North Eastern and Leith, Edinburgh North Western, Edinburgh Northern, Edinburgh Southern, Edinburgh South Western and Midlothian North.^[3] The region includes all of the City of Edinburgh and East Lothian council areas, and parts of the Midlothian council area.^[4]

Prior to second periodic review of Scottish Parliament boundaries in 2025, the constituency was one of nine in the Lothians electoral region. The other eight constituencies of the Lothian region were Almond Valley, Edinburgh Eastern, Edinburgh Northern and Leith, Edinburgh Pentlands, Edinburgh Southern, Edinburgh Western, Linlithgow and Midlothian North and Musselburgh. The region included 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.

Map of boundaries between 2011-2025

Edinburgh is represented in the Scottish Parliament by seven constituencies: Edinburgh Eastern, Musselburgh and Tranent (which also includes part of East Lothian), Edinburgh Central, Edinburgh North Eastern and Leith, Edinburgh North Western, Edinburgh Northern, Edinburgh Southern, and Edinburgh South Western. Following the second periodic review of Scottish Parliament boundaries in 2025, the Edinburgh Central constituency covers the following electoral wards of Edinburgh Council:^[2]

• Sighthill/Gorgie (shared with Edinburgh South Western);
• Fountainbridge/Craiglockhart (shared with Edinburgh South Western);
• Morningside (shared with Edinburgh Southern);
• City Centre (entire ward);
• Southside/Newington (shared with Edinburgh Southern).

The Edinburgh Central 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, however, Scottish Westminster (House of Commons) constituencies were mostly replaced with new constituencies.^[5]

As part of the First Periodic Review of Scottish Parliament Boundaries the boundaries of the constituency were changed ahead of the 2011 Scottish Parliament election. Each electoral ward used in the creation of the redrawn Central was split, being shared with neighbouring constituencies.^[6]

• Inverleith (shared with Edinburgh Northern and Leith and Edinburgh Western)
• Corstorphine/Murrayfield (shared with Edinburgh Western)
• Sighthill/Gorgie (shared with Edinburgh Pentlands and Edinburgh Southern)
• Fountainbridge/Craiglockhart (shared with Edinburgh Southern)
• Morningside (shared with Edinburgh Southern)
• City Centre (shared with Edinburgh Eastern)
• Southside/Newington (shared with Southern)

The second periodic review of Scottish Parliament boundaries in 2025 led to further boundary changes, resulting in the current constituenct, which will first be contested at the 2026 Scottish Parliament election.

The Edinburgh Central constituency is situated in the central-north of the City of Edinburgh. The constituency is a major tourist, financial and retail centre, covering Edinburgh's Old and New Towns, Princes Street, Haymarket, Edinburgh Castle, Holyrood Castle and the Scottish Parliament building itself.

The north and west of the constituency is very affluent, covering Victorian suburbs such as Craigleith, Murrayfield, Stockbridge and Orchard Brae, in addition to Edinburgh's well-off West End. There is some deprivation towards the south and east of the constituency around Dalry, Dumbiedykes and in patches of Edinburgh's Old Town, although overall the constituency is very affluent.^[7]

In the 2007 City of Edinburgh local council election, the Liberal Democrats emerged as the largest party in wards covered by the Edinburgh Central constituency. In the 2012 local election, the Conservatives and Scottish National Party formed the two largest parties in the area. The Conservatives were ahead in 6 of the 8 electoral wards covering the Edinburgh Central constituency in the 2017 City of Edinburgh local council election.

Traditionally this constituency has been represented by the Labour Party, with the Liberal Democrats forming the main opposition. From the formation of the Scottish Parliament in 1999 until the 2011 Scottish Parliament election, the constituency of Edinburgh Central was represented by Labour's Sarah Boyack. With a re-arrangement of the constituency boundaries in 2011, which would have been won by the Liberal Democrats in 2007, the constituency narrowly returned the SNP's Marco Biagi, who gained the constituency with a slender majority of 237 votes. In 2016 the Leader of the Scottish Conservative Party, Ruth Davidson, gained the constituency from the SNP with a majority of 610 votes. No candidate has ever won over 40% of the vote in the constituency since its establishment.

In the UK Parliament, the Edinburgh Central constituency was represented by the Labour Party almost continuously from the 1945 UK general election until the constituency was abolished in 2005, voting Conservative once in 1983.