The election results for Edinburgh Central were announced at the very end of all the counts in Scotland except the regional results.
The MSP is Ben Macpherson who returns to Holyrood where he was previously a Minister in Nicola Sturgeon’s cabinet.
The candidates were:
- Scottish Liberal Democrats – Bell, Rebecca 2,035 votes
- Scottish Labour Party – Faccenda, Katrina 10,874 votes
- Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party – Laidlaw, Callum 5,052 votes
- Scottish National Party (SNP) – Macpherson, Ben 22,443 votes
- Freedom Alliance– Integrity, Society, Economy – Pullman, Jon 314 votes
- Scottish Green Party – Slater, Lorna 6,116 votes
Macpherson won substantially more votes than in 2016 when he had 46.7% of the poll with 17,322 votes. At this election his 22,443 votes equates to 47.9% of the poll.
It is true to say that the number of people in the constituency has also increased. In 2016 the electorate was 67,273 and in 2021 it is 74,636.
The count took place at Royal Highland Showground over Friday and Saturday 7 and 8 May.
Three constituencies were counted each day. On Friday the results for Edinburgh Central, Southern and Western were announced.
There are six constituencies in Edinburgh – Edinburgh Central, Edinburgh Eastern, Edinburgh Northern & Leith, Edinburgh Pentlands, Edinburgh Southern and Edinburgh Western.
The Lothian Region also includes the three constituencies Almond Valley, Linlithgow and Midlothian North & Musselburgh. The list candidates were declared late on Saturday.
There were 33 individual candidates standing across Edinburgh’s constituencies. 18 parties and one independent are contesting the seven seats available for the Lothian Region, with a total of 94 candidates involved.
Founding Editor of The Edinburgh Reporter.
Edinburgh-born multimedia journalist and iPhoneographer.
