{{UK constituency infobox alt|
| Name = Edinburgh West
| Map = Image:EdinburghWestUKParliamentConstituency.png
| Type = Burgh
| Entity = Scotland
| DivisionType = Council areas
| Division = City_of_Edinburgh
| Year = 1885
| MP = John_Barrett
| Party = Liberal Democrats
| EP = Scotland
}}
'''Edinburgh West''' is a constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament_of_the_United_Kingdom (Westminster), first used in the 1885 general election. It elects one Member_of_Parliament_(MP) by the First_past_the_post_system of election.
Prior to the 2005 general election the constituency had the same boundaries as the Scottish_Parliament constituency with the same name, which had been created in 1999. See ''Edinburgh_West_(Scottish_Parliament_constituency)''.
== Boundaries ==
The constituency was created when the Edinburgh constituency was abolished, in 1885, in favour of four new constituencies: Edinburgh East, Edinburgh Central, Edinburgh South and Edinburgh West. The Central constituency was abolished in 2005. The East constituency was abolished in 1997, but a new Edinburgh East was created in 2005. The South and West constituencies have been in continuous use (with alterations to boundaries) since 1885.
Prior to the 2005 general election, Edinburgh West was one of six constituencies 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.
Constituency boundaries were revised for the 2005 election. Edinburgh West was enlarged, to include an area formerly within Edinburgh Central, and became one of five constituencies covering the city area.[''Fifth Periodical Review'', Boundary Commission for Scotland]
The constituency now covers a north western portion of the city area. It is mostly suburban, but takes in rural areas within the city area, to the west of central Edinburgh. In terms of wards used in elections to the City_of_Edinburgh_Council, 1999 to 2007, the constituency includes the wards of Cramond, Dalmeny_and_Kirkliston, Davidson's_Mains, East_Craigs, Gyle, Muirhouse_and_Drylaw, Murrayfield, North_East_Corstorphine, Queensferry, South_East_Corstorphine and Stenhouse. These wards are due to be replaced with new wards in 2007, as a result of the Local_Governance_(Scotland)_Act_2004.
== Member of Parliament ==
*1885 - 1892: Thomas_Ryburn_Buchanan
*1892 - 1895: William Waldegrave Palmer,Viscount Wolmer,later Earl of Selborne
*1895 - 1909: Sir Lewis_McIver
*1909 - 1918: James_Avon_Clyde
*1918 - 1922: John_Gordon_Jameson
*1922 - 1924: Henry_Vivian_Phillipps
*1924 - 1929: Ian_MacIntyre
*1929 - 1931: George_Mathers, Liberal
*1931 - 1935: Wilfrid_Guild_Normand, Unionist
*1935 - 1941: Thomas Mackay Cooper, Unionist
*1941 - 1959: Ian_Clark_Hutchison, Unionist
*1959 - 1974: James_Anthony_Stodart, Unionist/Conservative
*1974 - 1997: James_Douglas-Hamilton, Conservative
*1997 - 2001: Donald_Gorrie, Liberal Democrat
*2001 - present: John_Andrew_Barrett, Liberal Democrat
== Election results ==
{{Template:Election box begin |
|title=General Election 2005: Edinburgh West
}}
{{Template:Election box candidate with party link|
|party = Liberal Democrats (UK)
|candidate = John_Barrett
|votes = 22,417
|percentage = 49.5%
|change = +11.2
}}
{{Template:Election box candidate with party link|
|party = Conservative Party (UK)
|candidate = David Brogan
|votes = 8,817
|percentage = 19.5%
|change = -2.2
}}
{{Template:Election box candidate with party link|
|party = Labour Party (UK)
|candidate = Navraj Singh Ghaleigh
|votes = 8,433
|percentage = 18.6%
|change = -7.9
}}
{{Template:Election box candidate with party link|
|party = Scottish National Party
|candidate = Sheena Cleland
|votes = 4,124
|percentage = 9.1%
|change = -1.6
}}
{{Template:Election box candidate with party link|
|party = Scottish Green Party
|candidate = Ailsa Spindler
|votes = 964
|percentage = 2.1%
|change = +2.1
}}
{{Template:Election box candidate with party link|
|party = Scottish Socialist Party
|candidate = Gary Clark
|votes = 510
|percentage = 1.1%
|change = -1.0
}}
{{Template:Election box majority|
|votes = 13600
|percentage = 30.0%
|change =
}}
{{Template:Election box turnout|
|votes = 45,265
|percentage = 68.9
|change = +5.4
}}
{{Template:Election box hold with party link|
|winner = Liberal Democrats (UK)
|swing = +6.7
}}
{{Template:Election box end}}
{{Template:Election box begin |
|title=General Election 2001: Edinburgh West
}}
{{Template:Election box candidate with party link|
|party = Liberal Democrats (UK)
|candidate = John_Barrett
|votes = 16,719
|percentage = 42.4
|change = -0.9
}}
{{Template:Election box candidate with party link|
|party = Labour Party (UK)
|candidate = Elspeth Alexandra
|votes = 9,130
|percentage = 23.1
|change = +4.3
}}
{{Template:Election box candidate with party link|
|party = Conservative Party (UK)
|candidate = Iain Whyte
|votes = 8,894
|percentage = 22.5
|change = -5.4
}}
{{Template:Election box candidate with party link|
|party = Scottish National Party
|candidate = Alyn Smith
|votes = 4,047
|percentage = 10.3
|change = +1.4
}}
{{Template:Election box candidate with party link|
|party = Scottish Socialist Party
|candidate = Bill Scott
|votes = 688
|percentage = 1.7
|change = ''N/A''
}}
{{Template:Election box majority|
|votes = 7,589
|percentage = 19.3
|change =
}}
{{Template:Election box turnout|
|votes = 39,478
|percentage = 63.2
|change = -14.8
}}
{{Template:Election box hold with party link|
|winner = Liberal Democrats (UK)
|swing =
}}
{{Template:Election box end}}
== Politics and history of the constituency ==
This commuter belt constituency, distinctively in the city, was a safe Unionist/Conservative seat for over 65 years, from 1931 general election until the 1997 general election; since that election the seat has been held by the Liberal Democrats.
==Notes and references==
=== See also ===
* Politics_of_Edinburgh
{{Constituencies in Scotland}}
Category:Parliamentary_constituencies_in_Scotland_(Westminster)
West