This page details the results for the Edinburgh and Lothians East region, and the constituencies it contains, in the 2026 Scottish Parliament Election.
List Seat Allocation Process
2026 List Candidates
Region History
Minor Party Results Summary
Edinburgh and Lothians East Region Overview
Region Map
Edinburgh and Lothians East Summary Chart
Edinburgh and Lothians East Constituency Seat Winners 2026
East Lothian Coast and Lammermuirs: 
SNP: Paul McLennan
Edinburgh Central: 
Green: Lorna Slater
Edinburgh Eastern, Musselburgh and Tranent: SNP: Kate Campbell
Edinburgh North Eastern and Leith: SNP: Ben Macpherson
Edinburgh North Western: 
Lib Dem: Alex Cole-Hamilton
Edinburgh Northern: Lib Dem: Sanne Dijkstra-Downie
Edinburgh South Western: SNP: Simita Kumar
Edinburgh Southern: 
Labour: Daniel Johnson
Midlothian North: SNP: Colin Beattie
Edinburgh and Lothians East Regional List Seat Winners 2026
1: Green: Kate Nevens
2: ➡️Reform UK: Angela Ross
3: Labour: Irshad Ahmed
4: 
Conservative: Miles Briggs
5: Green: Q Manivannan
6: Labour: Katherine Sangster
7: Green: Kayleigh Kinross-O’Neill
Edinburgh and Lothians East Constituency Vote 2026
Edinburgh and Lothians East Notional Constituency Vote Change vs 2021
Edinburgh and Lothians East Regional List Vote 2026
Edinburgh and Lothians East Notional Regional List Vote Change vs 2021
Note: Swing figures and 2021 winners are based on Ballot Box Scotland’s own calculations for the notional results of that election on the new boundaries. These may differ slightly from the notional results used by other sources. You can find the full BBS Notionals here.
East Lothian Coast and Lammermuirs
Constituency Map
East Lothian Coast and Lammermuirs Key Information
Constituency Winner: SNP over Labour
Winner versus 2021 Notional: SNP HOLD
Majority: 418 (1.2%)
Spoilt Votes (Constituency): 137
List Vote Leader: Labour over SNP
Lead: 480 (1.3%)
Spoilt Votes (Region): 63
Electorate: 59781
Turnout: 59.9%
East Lothian Coast and Lammermuirs Candidates 2026
SNP: Paul McLennan (*C), L5Conservative: Miles Briggs (*L), L1Labour: Martin Whitfield (*L), L5Lib Dem: Tim McKay
➡️Reform UK: Nigel Douglas, L3
Independent: Morgwn Davies
East Lothian Coast and Lammermuirs Constituency Vote 2026
East Lothian Coast and Lammermuirs Notional Constituency Vote Change vs 2021
East Lothian Coast and Lammermuirs Regional List Vote 2026
East Lothian Coast and Lammermuirs Notional Regional List Vote Change vs 2021
Edinburgh Central
Constituency Map
Edinburgh Central Key Information
Constituency Winner: Green over Labour
Winner versus 2021 Notional: Green GAIN from SNP
Majority: 4582 (13.0%)
Spoilt Votes (Constituency): 109
List Vote Leader: Green over Labour
Spoilt Votes (Region): 0
Lead: 6904 (19.6%)
Electorate: 64614
Turnout: 54.7%
Edinburgh Central Candidates 2026
SNP: Angus Robertson (*C), L4Conservative: Jo Mowat, L5Labour: James Dalgleish, L7Green: Lorna Slater (*L), L1Lib Dem: Charles Dundas, L3
➡️Reform UK: Gary Neill, L7
Alliance to Liberate Scotland: Craig Murray, L1Libertarian: Tam Laird, L1Independent: “Bonnie Prince Bob”, L1Independent: Chris CreightonIndependent: Robert Pownall
Edinburgh Central Constituency Vote 2026
Edinburgh Central Notional Constituency Vote Change vs 2021
Edinburgh Central Regional List Vote 2026
Edinburgh Central Notional Regional List Vote Change vs 2021
Edinburgh Eastern, Musselburgh and Tranent
Constituency Map
Edinburgh Eastern, Musselburgh and Tranent Key Information
Constituency Winner: SNP over Labour
Winner versus 2021 Notional: SNP HOLD
Majority: 4986 (15.8%)
Spoilt Votes (Constituency): 172
List Vote Leader: SNP over Labour
Lead: 1820 (5.8%)
Spoilt Votes (Region): 96
Electorate: 60707
Turnout: 52.1%
Edinburgh Eastern, Musselburgh and Tranent Candidates 2026
SNP: Kate CampbellConservative: Tim Jones, L6Labour: Katherine Sangster, L2Lib Dem: Alan Grant, L7
➡️Reform UK: Angela Ross, L1Alliance to Liberate Scotland: Joe Smith, L2
Edinburgh Eastern, Musselburgh and Tranent Constituency Vote 2026
Edinburgh Eastern, Musselburgh and Tranent Notional Constituency Vote Change vs 2021
Edinburgh Eastern, Musselburgh and Tranent Regional List Vote 2026
Edinburgh Eastern, Musselburgh and Tranent Notional Regional List Vote Change vs 2021
Edinburgh North Eastern and Leith
Constituency Map
Edinburgh North Eastern and Leith Key Information
Constituency Winner: SNP over Green
Winner versus 2021 Notional: SNP HOLD
Majority: 3071 (8.1%)
Spoilt Votes (Constituency): 175
List Vote Leader: Green over SNP
Lead: 3902 (10.2%)
Spoilt Votes (Region): 86
Electorate: 66739
Turnout (Constituency): 57.2%
Edinburgh North Eastern and Leith Candidates 2026
SNP: Ben Macpherson (*C)Conservative: Haris Young, L8Labour: Oliver Thomas, L8Green: Kate Nevens, L2Lib Dem: Liss Owen, L6
➡️Reform UK: David Lees, L4
Edinburgh North Eastern and Leith Constituency Vote 2026
Edinburgh North Eastern and Leith Notional Constituency Vote Change vs 2021
Edinburgh North Eastern and Leith Regional List Vote 2026
Edinburgh North Eastern and Leith Notional Regional List Vote Change vs 2021
Edinburgh North Western
Constituency Map
Edinburgh North Western Key Information
Constituency Winner: Lib Dem over SNP
Winner versus 2021 Notional: Lib Dem HOLD
Majority: 13016 (32.4%)
Spoilt Votes (Constituency): 131
List Vote Leader: Lib Dem over SNP
Lead: 6951 (17.3%)
Spoilt Votes (Region): 94
Electorate: 64233
Turnout: 62.7%
Edinburgh North Western Candidates 2026
SNP: Lyn Jardine, L7Conservative: Rachel Cairns, L7Labour: Irshad Ahmad, L1Lib Dem: Alex Cole-Hamilton (*C)
➡️Reform UK: Davie Thomson, L8Worker’s Party: David Henry, L1
Edinburgh North Western Constituency Vote 2026
Edinburgh North Western Notional Constituency Vote Change vs 2021
Edinburgh North Western Regional List Vote 2026
Edinburgh North Western Notional Regional List Vote Change vs 2021
Edinburgh Northern
Constituency Map
Edinburgh Northern Key Information
Constituency Winner: Lib Dem over SNP
Winner versus 2021 Notional: Lib Dem GAIN from SNP
Majority: 2493 (6.6%)
Spoilt Votes (Constituency): 132
List Vote Leader: Lib Dem over SNP
Lead: 615 (1.6%)
Spoilt Votes (Region): 97
Electorate: 66052
Turnout: 57.0%
Edinburgh Northern Candidates 2026
SNP: Euan HyslopConservative: Christopher Cowdy, L4Labour: Eleanor Ryan-Saha, L8Green: Kayleigh Kinross-O’Neill, L4Lib Dem: Sanne Dijkstra-Downie, L1
➡️Reform UK: Andrew McLaughlin, L6Worker’s Party: Abu Meron, L2
Edinburgh Northern Constituency Vote 2026
Edinburgh Northern Notional Constituency Vote Change vs 2021
Edinburgh Northern Regional List Vote 2026
Edinburgh Northern Notional Regional List Vote Change vs 2021
Edinburgh South Western
Constituency Map
Edinburgh South Western Key Information
Constituency Winner: SNP over Labour
Winner versus 2021 Notional: SNP HOLD
Majority: 3289 (10.1%)
Spoilt Votes (Constituency): 171
List Vote Leader: SNP over Labour
Lead: 1282 (3.9%)
Spoilt Votes (Region): 87
Electorate: 60829
Turnout: 53.6%
Edinburgh South Western Candidates 2026
SNP: Simita Kumar, L3Conservative: Sue Webber (*L), L2Labour: Catriona Munro, L4Lib Dem: Andy Williamson
➡️Reform UK: Cameron Rose, L9
Edinburgh South Western Constituency Vote 2026
Edinburgh South Western Notional Constituency Vote Change vs 2021
Edinburgh South Western Regional List Vote 2026
Edinburgh South Western Notional Regional List Vote Change vs 2021
Edinburgh Southern
Constituency Map
Edinburgh Southern Key Information
Constituency Winner: Labour over SNP
Winner versus 2021 Notional: Labour HOLD
Majority: 4963 (20.2%)
Spoilt Votes (Constituency): 212
List Vote Leader: Labour over Green
Lead: 2601 (10.1%)
Spoilt Votes (Region): 92
Electorate: 64868
Turnout: 61.3%
Edinburgh Southern Candidates 2026
SNP: Deidre Brock, L2Conservative: Marie-Clair Munro, L3Labour: Daniel Johnson (*C), L3Lib Dem: Jane Alliston Pickard, L2
➡️Reform UK: Charles Turner, L5Edinburgh and East Lothian People: Marc Wilkinson, L1
Edinburgh Southern Constituency Vote 2026
Edinburgh Southern Notional Constituency Vote Change vs 2021
Edinburgh Southern Regional List Vote 2026
Edinburgh Southern Notional Regional List Vote Change vs 2021
Midlothian North
Constituency Map
Midlothian North Key Information
Constituency Winner: SNP over Labour
Winner versus 2021 Notional: SNP HOLD
Majority: 2496 (8.6%)
Spoilt Votes (Constituency): 136
List Vote Leader: SNP over Labour
Lead: 995 (3.4%)
Spoilt Votes (Region): 87
Electorate: 56748
Turnout: 51.2%
Midlothian North Candidates 2026
SNP: Colin Beattie (*C), L6Conservative: Phil DoggartLabour: Caitlin Stott, L6Lib Dem: Jenny Butler, L5
➡️Reform UK: Pal Chidambaram, L2
Midlothian North Constituency Vote 2026
Midlothian North Notional Constituency Vote Change vs 2021
Midlothian North Regional List Vote 2026
Midlothian North Notional Regional List Vote Change vs 2021
List Seat Allocation Process
To allocate list seats using the D’Hondt method, each party’s share of the vote is divided by one more than the number of seats they’ve won so far in the process. This is an important part of how the list seats then more fairly represent the diversity of views amongst voters. List votes cast for a party that has won lots of constituency seats are not “wasted”, they just aren’t needed to give their voters fair representation.
Starting Point
When allocating the first list seat, this starts with the number of constituencies won by each party:
- The SNP won 5 constituencies, so their vote is divided by 6.
- The Lib Dems won 2 constituencies, so their vote is divided by 3.
- Labour won 1 constituency, so their vote is divided by 2.
- The Greens won 1 constituency, so their vote is divided by 2.
- No one else won any constituencies, so their votes aren’t divided.
Seat 1
Since the Greens have the highest total here, they receive the first regional seat. We add that to their total, giving them 2 seats overall so far, and therefore for the next round of allocation their share is divided by 3.
Seat 2
Since Reform have the highest total here, they receive the second regional seat. We add that to their total, giving them 1 seat overall so far, and therefore for the next round of allocation their share is divided by 2.
Seat 3
Since Labour have the highest total here, they receive the third regional seat. We add that to their total, giving them 2 seats overall so far, and therefore for the next round of allocation their share is divided by 3.
Seat 4
Since the Conservatives have the highest total here, they receive the fourth regional seat. We add that to their total, giving them 1 seat overall so far, and therefore for the next round of allocation their share is divided by 2.
Seat 5
Since the Greens have the highest total here, they receive the fifth regional seat. We add that to their total, giving them 3 seats overall so far, and therefore for the next round of allocation their share is divided by 4.
Seat 6
Since Labour have the highest total here, they receive the sixth regional seat. We add that to their total, giving them 3 seat overall so far, and therefore for the next round of allocation their share is divided by 4.
Seat 7
Since the Greens have the highest total here, they receive the seventh and final regional seat. We add that to their total, giving them 4 seats overall. This completes the list seat allocation process.
Edinburgh and Lothians East: 2026 Regional List Candidates
The six parties that won seats in the Scottish Parliament in 2026 are listed in order of national support on the list vote. Remaining parties are in alphabetical order, and Independents listed last. Candidates that contested both the List and Constituency ballot have their constituency noted after their name on the list.
- Tommy Sheppard
- Deidre Brock (Edinburgh Southern)
- Simita Kumar (Edinburgh South Western)
- Angus Robertson (*C, Edinburgh Central)
- Paul McLennan (*C, East Lothian Coast and Lammermuirs)
- Colin Beattie (*C, Midlothian North)
- Lyn Jardine (Edinburgh North Western)
- Angela Ross (Edinburgh Eastern, Musselburgh and Tranent)
- Pal Chidambaram (Midlothian North)
- Nigel Douglas (East Lothian Coast and Lammermuirs)
- David Lees (Edinburgh North Eastern and Leith)
- Charles Turner (Edinburgh Southern)
- Andrew McLaughlin (Edinburgh Northern)
- Gary Neill (Edinburgh Central)
- Davie Thomson (Edinburgh North Western)
- Cameron Rose (Edinburgh South Western)
- Irshad Ahmad (Edinburgh North Western)
- Katherine Sangster (Edinburgh Eastern, Musselburgh and Tranent)
- Daniel Johnson (*C, Edinburgh Southern)
- Catriona Munro (Edinburgh South Western)
- Martin Whitfield (*L, East Lothian Coast and Lammermuirs)
- Catilin Stott (Midlothian North)
- James Dalgleish (Edinburgh Central)
- Eleanor Ryan-Saha (Edinburgh Northern)
- Oliver Thomas (Edinburgh North Eastern and Leith)
- Lorna Slater (*L, Edinburgh Central)
- Kate Nevens (Edinburgh North Eastern and Leith)
- Q Manivannan
- Kayleigh Kinross-O’Neill (Edinburgh Northern)
- Chas Booth
- Adam Al-Khateb
- Jo Phillips
- Mridul Wadhwa
- Dan Heap
- Astri JS Kvassness
- Alex Staniforth
- Mariusz Cebulski
- Miles Briggs (*L, East Lothian Coast and Lammermuirs)
- Sue Webber (*L, Edinburgh South Western)
- Marie-Clair Munro (Edinburgh Southern)
- Christopher Cowdy (Edinburgh Northern)
- Jo Mowat (Edinburgh Central)
- Tim Jones (Edinburgh Eastern, Musselburgh and Tranent)
- Rachel Cairns (Edinburgh North Western)
- Haris Young (Edinburgh North Eastern and Leith)
- Sanne Dijkstra-Downie (Edinburgh Northern)
- Jane Pickard (Edinburgh Southern)
- Charles Dundas (Edinburgh Central)
- Lewis Younie
- Jenny Butler (Midlothian North)
- Liss Owen (Edinburgh North Eastern and Leith)
- Alan Grant (Edinburgh Eastern, Musselburgh and Tranent)
- Sean Moffat
- Craig Murray (Edinburgh Central)
- Joe Smith (Edinburgh Eastern, Musselburgh and Tranent)
- Hugh Kerr
- James Daly
- Anna Caro
- Mark Scott
- Lee Williscroft-Ferris
- Vivienne Moir
- Jane Smith
- Chris Cullen
- Marc Wilkinson (Edinburgh Southern)
- David Renton
- Laura MacKintosh
- Caitlin Dykes-Johnson
- Philip Holden
- Niel Deepnarain
- Mairi Lucas
- Helen MacEachen
- Peter Cox
- John Hannah
- Megan Burns
Note: Independent Green Voice are a front group for a bunch of Glasgow bampots, led by someone who was expelled from UKIP for alleged Holocaust denial. They are standing purely as a spoiler party in this election, targeting the legitimate Scottish Green Party, and their simple one candidate per region slate is further evidence of this dodgy dealing.
- Tam Laird (Edinburgh Central)
- Gary Smith
- Colin Fox
- Natalie Reid
- Ally Maxwell
- David Henry (Edinburgh North Western)
- Abu Meron (Edinburgh Northern)
- Jeremy Balfour (*L; was Conservative)
- “Bonnie Prince Bob” (Edinburgh Central)
- Morgwn Davies (East Lothian Coast and Lammermuirs)
- Ash Regan (*C; was SNP then Alba)
Region History
1999 to 2011 Boundaries
Elections in 1999, 2003 and 2007 for Lothians were fought on boundaries that covered the whole of Edinburgh and West Lothian, most of Midlothian (excluding Penicuik) and a small part of East Lothian around the centre and west of Musselburgh.
Labour won all bar one of the constituencies in the region at the first outing, far in excess of their fair share, with the Lib Dems picking up the other one. With a second Lib Dem seat via the list their tally equalled the Conservatives, whilst the SNP picked up a trio of MSPs including the weel-kent Margo MacDonald. The Greens also unexpectedly elected the first such parliamentarian anywhere in the UK, which came as a real surprise. The particular system of PR that was selected for Holyrood was expected to be proportional amongst the existing four big parties, not to let upstarts in.
The “Rainbow Parliament” came to Lothians in a big way, befitting Edinburgh’s nature as a politically diverse city. For one thing, Labour lost one constituency each to the Lib Dems and Conservatives, though their half-dozen was still slightly more than they were fairly due. The List seats meanwhile went by majority to MSPs outside the Big Four: two Greens, one for the SSP, and most notably one for Margo MacDonald as an Independent. She’d butted heads with then-leader John Swinney and been sunk too far down the SNP list to be re-elected. That was stupid of them, as Margo was that rare breed of genuinely deeply personally popular politician and she won easily by herself.
2007 saw the SNP’s first constituency gains, gaining Edinburgh East and Musselburgh and Livingston from Labour. As the other non-Labour constituencies remained where they were not only was this the first time they didn’t exceed their total share, but they actually found themselves due a list seat, and tied with the SNP overall. Although the 2003 rainbow faded nationwide, a single Green and Margo helped keep the diversity relatively high in this region.
2011 to 2026 Boundaries
Elections in 2011, 2016 and 2021 for Lothian were fought on boundaries that covered the whole of Edinburgh and West Lothian, most of Midlothian (excluding Penicuik, Newtongrange and Gorebridge), and a small part of East Lothian around Musselburgh and Wallyford.
The SNP’s 2011 landslide was so shocking in Lothian that it was their turn to exceed their fair share of seats, picking up all bar one of the constituencies to leave Labour with one. Not only did that knock the Lib Dems off the seat they would otherwise have been due, but it also did Shirley-Anne Somerville in despite her strong list placing. A readjustment on the list seats meant the Conservatives didn’t see any net loss despite losing their constituency, and since the Greens and Margo held their seats, the rest of the list MSPs went Labour’s way.
Devastatingly, Margo passed away partway through this term. Whilst party MSPs get replaced from the list, as an Independent there was no one to replace her, leaving a vacant seat for the rest of the term, a fitting tribute for one of the biggest and brightest figures in Scottish politics. Margo was so well liked that even then-Conservative Leader Ruth Davidson lamented that her passing meant she wouldn’t get to cast a vote for Scottish Independence.
Although the SNP picked up the one seat that had eluded them in 2011, they also lost one constituency apiece to the Lib Dems, Labour and most remarkably the Conservatives, as Ruth Davidson swept to an unforeseen constituency victory in Edinburgh Central. Despite much SNP grumping and girning about the Greens standing in that seat, note how the SNP’s seat tally matches their constituency haul: 6 seats. They did not win any list seats, because they were not due any more than that. Had they won that constituency, a 7th seat overall, they’d have exceeded their share and booted one of the list MSPs out: that’d have been the Greens! As such, the two Green MSPs reflected their fair share, and sat alongside another two for Labour and the remaining three for the Conservatives.
The SNP managed to gain Edinburgh Central from the Conservatives, but this time they were due 7 seats in the region anyway and thus didn’t do anyone out of a seat. That was therefore the only change in this region compared to the previous election.
Minor Party Results Summary
Due to the number of minor parties and candidates contesting the election, and the small number of votes each received, it would not be feasible to display them as part of the main entry for each constituency. Instead, they are listed here by total regional vote. Full figures per constituency are available in the published results spreadsheet.
- Advance UK: 301 (0.1%)
- Alliance to Liberate Scotland: 1508 (0.5%)
- Animal Welfare: 2032 (0.6%)
- Communist: 672 (0.2%)
- Edinburgh and East Lothian People’s Party: 1073 (0.3%)
- Equality Party: 276 (0.1%)
- Independence for Scotland Party: 871 (0.3%)
- “Independent Green Voice”: 2357 (0.7%); 3.5% the size of the genuine Green vote
- Scottish Family Party: 1684 (0.5%)
- Scottish Libertarian Party: 341 (0.1%)
- Scottish Socialist Party: 1099(0.3%)
- UKIP: 165 (0.1%)
- Worker’s Party Scotland: 647 (0.2%)
- Jeremy Balfour: 2148 (0.7%)
- “Bonnie Prince Bob”: 582 (0.2%)
- Morgwn Davies: 330 (0.1%)
- Ash Regan: 1769 (0.6%)
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