Lothian East (UK Parliament constituency) (original) (raw)

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Parliamentary constituency in the United Kingdom

Lothian East
County constituencyfor the House of Commons
MapBoundaries since 2024
Outline mapLocation of Lothian East within Scotland
Major settlements Dunbar, Longniddry, North Berwick, Prestonpans, Tranent, Haddington
Current constituency
Created 1983 (as East Lothian)
Member of Parliament Douglas Alexander (Labour & Co-operative)
Created from Berwick and East Lothian, Edinburgh East and Midlothian[1]

Lothian East (; Scots: Lowden East; Scottish Gaelic: Lodainn an Ear) is a constituency in Scotland which returns one Member of Parliament (MP) to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, elected by the first past the post voting system.

The constituency was formerly known as East Lothian. It was renamed as a result of the 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies.[2] It is first being contested under the new name at the 2024 general election.

Constituency profile

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The seat covers small towns to the east of Edinburgh including Haddington and Dunbar which have good commuting links to the capital city; and a more rural area extending south into the Lammermuir Hills. Residents' health and wealth are around average for the UK.[3]

East Lothian from 2005-24

The constituency was created for the 1983 general election. Until the SNP landslide victory in 2015, the seat had been continuously represented by MPs from the Labour Party since the constituency's creation 32 years earlier. The East Lothian Constituency Labour Party voted on 22 January 2010 to deselect the previous MP Anne Moffat.[4] The National Executive Committee upheld the decision on 23 March 2010.[5] Fiona O'Donnell was elected in 2010 with an increased majority for Labour compared to 2005. O'Donnell lost her seat to George Kerevan of the SNP at the 2015 general election; who was elected with a majority of 6,803 votes.

From 2015 until the snap general election in 2017, the constituency was represented by George Kerevan of the Scottish National Party; who was defeated by Martin Whitfield of the Labour Party by 3,083 votes. Two years later, at the 2019 general election, Whitfield was defeated by former Scottish National Party MSP and Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill. On 26 March 2021, MacAskill defected from the SNP to the Alba Party.

At the 2014 Scottish independence referendum, a majority of voters nationwide opted for Scotland to remain a part of the United Kingdom - with 61.72% of the electorate of East Lothian voting for staying in the United Kingdom and 38.28% voting for independence.[6]

1983–1997: East Lothian District.

1997–2005: The East Lothian District electoral divisions of Fa'side, Haddington, Luffness, Preston/Levenhall, and Tantallon.

2005–2024: East Lothian Council area.

2024–present: East Lothian Council area, except for most of the Musselburgh ward.

Before the 1983 general election, the area lay in the Berwick and East Lothian constituency.

Members of Parliament

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Election Party Member[7]
1983 Labour John Home Robertson
2001 Anne Moffat
2010 Fiona O'Donnell
2015 SNP George Kerevan
2017 Labour Martin Whitfield
2019 SNP Kenny MacAskill
2021 Alba
2024 Labour Douglas Alexander

Elections in the 2020s

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Elections in the 2010s

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Elections in the 2000s

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Elections in the 1990s

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Elections in the 1980s

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  1. ^ "'East Lothian', June 1983 up to May 1997". ElectionWeb Project. Cognitive Computing Limited. Retrieved 11 March 2016.
  2. ^ Boundary Commission Scotland 2023 Review Report
  3. ^ "Seat Details - East Lothian". www.electoralcalculus.co.uk. Retrieved 4 June 2024.
  4. ^ "Moffat faces deselection after police called to club rebellion". Edinburgh Evening News. 25 January 2010. Retrieved 30 January 2010.
  5. ^ Carrell, Severin (23 March 2010). "Labour party upholds decision to deselect East Lothian MP Anne Moffat". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 23 March 2010.
  6. ^ "Scottish independence referendum - Results - BBC News". BBC News. Retrieved 7 July 2021.
  7. ^ Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "E" (part 1)
  8. ^ "Lothian East results". BBC News. Retrieved 16 July 2024.
  9. ^ "UK General Election Results - 4 July 2024". East Lothian Council. Retrieved 16 July 2024.
  10. ^ "Notice of Poll". East Lothian Council. Archived from the original on 15 November 2019. Retrieved 15 November 2019.
  11. ^ "East Lothian parliamentary constituency - Election 2019". BBC News. Retrieved 16 December 2019.
  12. ^ "Latest candidate announced for General Election". East Lothian Courier. 8 May 2017.
  13. ^ "Election Data 2015". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 17 October 2015. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  14. ^ Jones, Matt. "UK Parliamentary General Election". www.eastlothian.gov.uk.
  15. ^ "Election Data 2010". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 26 July 2013. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
  16. ^ "Election 2010 | Constituency | East Lothian". BBC News. Archived from the original on 4 October 2022.
  17. ^ "Election Data 2005". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  18. ^ "Election Data 2001". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  19. ^ "Election Data 1997". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  20. ^ "Aristotle: East Lothian", Guardian Unlimited
  21. ^ "Election Data 1992". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  22. ^ "Politics Resources". Election 1992. Politics Resources. 9 April 1992. Archived from the original on 24 July 2011. Retrieved 6 December 2010.
  23. ^ "Election Data 1987". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
  24. ^ a b "Politics Resources". Election 1992. Politics Resources. 9 April 1992. Archived from the original on 3 June 2016. Retrieved 6 December 2010.
  25. ^ "Election Data 1983". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.

55°56′51″N 2°43′35″W / 55.94750°N 2.72639°W / 55.94750; -2.72639