EveryElectionResult.com

Election results, country by country.

Edinburgh Central — UK General Election Results

Compiled by EveryElectionResult.com's data team · Last updated 2026-08-30

Edinburgh Central was won by Labour at the 2001 general election, with a majority of 8,142 votes over Liberal Democrat. This page covers every general election in Edinburgh Central from 1885 to 2001.

Full Election History, 1885–2001

Election Elected Votes Vote Share Runner-up Majority Turnout
1885 John Wilson (Independent Liberal) 2,930 41.9% James Hall Renton (Liberal) 1,247 (17.8 pts) 84.5%
1886 William McEwan (Liberal) 3,760 62.7% John Wilson (Liberal Unionist) 1,524 (25.4 pts) 72.5%
1892 William McEwan (Liberal) 3,733 63.0% Arthur Knatchbull Connell (Liberal Unionist) 1,975 (33.3 pts) 76.7%
1895 William McEwan (Liberal) Elected unopposed — no other candidate stood, no vote count on record 0.0%
1900 George Mackenzie Brown (Liberal) 3,028 55.2% Arthur Ignatius Conan Doyle (Liberal Unionist) 569 (10.4 pts) 71.9%
1906 Charles Edward Price (Liberal) 3,935 67.9% Douglas Walker (Liberal Unionist) 2,078 (35.9 pts) 83.6%
Jan 1910 Charles Edward Price (Liberal) 3,965 66.7% David Scott (Liberal Unionist) 1,985 (33.4 pts) 84.9%
Dec 1910 Charles Edward Price (Liberal) 3,771 65.9% Geoffrey Reynolds Yonge Radcliffe (Conservative) 1,824 (31.9 pts) 81.4%
1918 William Graham (Labour) 7,161 51.3% Joseph Dobbie (Liberal) 364 (2.6 pts) 45.2%
1922 William Graham (Labour) 12,876 57.9% George McCrae (National Liberal) 3,505 (15.8 pts) 71.8%
1923 William Graham (Labour) 13,186 67.9% Thomas Lamb (Liberal) 6,961 (35.9 pts) 59.7%
1924 William Graham (Labour) 13,628 60.5% Allan Beaton (Unionist) 4,731 (21.0 pts) 68.8%
1929 William Graham (Labour) 16,762 59.0% Harold Alexander (Liberal) 10,017 (35.3 pts) 69.3%
1931 James Campbell Morrison Guy (Unionist) 17,293 59.3% William Graham (Labour) 6,727 (23.1 pts) 74.2%
1935 James Campbell Morrison Guy (Unionist) 12,612 54.0% Andrew Gilzean (Labour) 2,953 (12.6 pts) 64.5%
1945 Andrew Gilzean (Labour) 10,921 54.3% Francis Clifford Watt (Unionist) 4,220 (21.0 pts) 59.5%
1950 Andrew Gilzean (Labour) 16,568 47.9% Francis Clifford Watt (Unionist) 2,937 (8.5 pts) 74.3%
1951 Thomas Oswald (Labour) 18,429 52.2% William Kean (Unionist) 1,582 (4.5 pts) 76.7%
1955 Thomas Oswald (Labour) 16,735 51.4% Ralph Harris (Unionist) 939 (2.9 pts) 68.8%
1959 Thomas Oswald (Labour) 15,849 51.0% Norman Russell Wylie (Unionist) 617 (2.0 pts) 72.7%
1964 Thomas Oswald (Labour) 14,174 54.1% Nicholas Hardwick Fairbairn (Unionist) 2,092 (8.0 pts) 71.6%
1966 Thomas Oswald (Labour) 13,682 58.6% Nicholas Fairbairn (Conservative) 4,015 (17.2 pts) 69.4%
1970 Thomas Oswald (Labour) 9,561 46.2% Malcolm Rifkind (Conservative) 1,561 (7.5 pts) 66.0%
Feb 1974 Robin Cook (Labour) 11,354 37.8% Peter Jones (Conservative) 961 (3.2 pts) 73.6%
Oct 1974 Robin Cook (Labour) 11,129 40.3% Peter Jones (Conservative) 3,953 (14.3 pts) 67.5%
1979 Robin Cook (Labour) 12,191 47.8% David McLetchie (Conservative) 4,661 (18.3 pts) 67.5%
1983 Alex Fletcher (Conservative) 14,095 38.0% Richard Kelley (Labour) 2,566 (6.9 pts) 64.9%
1987 Alistair Darling (Labour) 16,502 40.2% Alex Fletcher (Conservative) 2,262 (5.5 pts) 69.0%
1992 Alistair Darling (Labour) 15,189 38.8% Paul Martin (Conservative) 2,126 (5.4 pts) 69.3%
1997 Alistair Darling (Labour) 20,125 47.1% Mike Scott-Hayward (Conservative) 11,070 (25.9 pts) 67.1%
2001 Alistair Darling (Labour) 14,495 42.1% Andrew Myles (Liberal Democrat) 8,142 (23.7 pts) 52.0%

Full Result Breakdown by Election

1885

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
John Wilson Independent Liberal 2,93041.9% Yes
James Hall Renton Liberal 1,68324.1% No
John Scott Napier Conservative 1,60623.0% No
Adam William Black Independent Liberal 77011.0% No

1886

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
William McEwan Liberal 3,76062.7% Yes
John Wilson Liberal Unionist 2,23637.3% No

1892

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
William McEwan Liberal 3,73363.0% Yes
Arthur Knatchbull Connell Liberal Unionist 1,75829.7% No
John Wilson Scottish United Trades Councils Labour and Scottish Socialist 4347.3% No

1895

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
William McEwan Liberal Unopposed Yes

1900

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
George Mackenzie Brown Liberal 3,02855.2% Yes
Arthur Ignatius Conan Doyle Liberal Unionist 2,45944.8% No

1906

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Charles Edward Price Liberal 3,93567.9% Yes
Douglas Walker Liberal Unionist 1,85732.1% No

Jan 1910

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Charles Edward Price Liberal 3,96566.7% Yes
David Scott Liberal Unionist 1,98033.3% No

Dec 1910

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Charles Edward Price Liberal 3,77165.9% Yes
Geoffrey Reynolds Yonge Radcliffe Conservative 1,94734.1% No

1918

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
William Graham Labour 7,16151.3% Yes
Joseph Dobbie Liberal 6,79748.7% No

1922

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
William Graham Labour 12,87657.9% Yes
George McCrae National Liberal 9,37142.1% No

1923

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
William Graham Labour 13,18667.9% Yes
Thomas Lamb Liberal 6,22532.1% No

1924

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
William Graham Labour 13,62860.5% Yes
Allan Beaton Unionist 8,89739.5% No

1929

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
William Graham Labour 16,76259.0% Yes
Harold Alexander Liberal 6,74523.8% No
John Hamilton Mackie Unionist 4,88917.2% No

1931

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
James Campbell Morrison Guy Unionist 17,29359.3% Yes
William Graham Labour 10,56636.2% No
Fred Douglas Communist 1,3194.5% No

1935

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
James Campbell Morrison Guy Unionist 12,61254.0% Yes
Andrew Gilzean Labour 9,65941.4% No
Richard Archibald Barlow Liberal 1,0864.6% No

1945

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Andrew Gilzean Labour 10,92154.3% Yes
Francis Clifford Watt Unionist 6,70133.3% No
Norman Donald Liberal 2,26211.2% No
Hume Sleigh Independent Scottish Nationalist 2321.2% No

1950

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Andrew Gilzean Labour 16,56847.9% Yes
Francis Clifford Watt Unionist 13,63139.4% No
Leonard Gellatly Liberal 3,44610.0% No
Donald Fraser Renton Communist 6461.9% No
Hume Sleigh Independent Scottish Nationalist 2820.8% No

1951

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Thomas Oswald Labour 18,42952.2% Yes
William Kean Unionist 16,84747.8% No

1955

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Thomas Oswald Labour 16,73551.4% Yes
Ralph Harris Unionist 15,79648.6% No

1959

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Thomas Oswald Labour 15,84951.0% Yes
Norman Russell Wylie Unionist 15,23249.0% No

1964

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Thomas Oswald Labour 14,17454.1% Yes
Nicholas Hardwick Fairbairn Unionist 12,08246.1% No

1966

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Thomas Oswald Labour 13,68258.6% Yes
Nicholas Fairbairn Conservative 9,66741.4% No

1970

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Thomas Oswald Labour 9,56146.2% Yes
Malcolm Rifkind Conservative 8,00038.6% No
Rena Moore SNP 1,6668.0% No
Dr Anthony Oliver Liberal 1,4867.2% No

Feb 1974

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Robin Cook Labour 11,35437.8% Yes
Peter Jones Conservative 10,39334.6% No
Christopher Scott Liberal 4,18013.9% No
Steven Rae SNP 4,07413.6% No

Oct 1974

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Robin Cook Labour 11,12940.3% Yes
Peter Jones Conservative 7,17626.0% No
Alexander William Steven Rae SNP 6,86624.8% No
Christopher Scott Liberal 2,4638.9% No

1979

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Robin Cook Labour 12,19147.8% Yes
David McLetchie Conservative 7,53029.6% No
Stewart Donaldson Liberal 3,09612.2% No
Gavin Kennedy SNP 2,4869.8% No
Colin David Boyd Scottish Labour 1760.7% No

1983

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Alex Fletcher Conservative 14,09538.0% Yes
Richard Kelley Labour 11,52931.1% No
Marion Macleod Social Democratic Party 9,49825.6% No
Ronald Neil Forbes Halliday SNP 1,8104.9% No
David Westwater Carson Communist 1190.3% No

1987

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Alistair Darling Labour 16,50240.2% Yes
Alex Fletcher Conservative 14,24034.7% No
Andrew Bruce Myles Liberal 7,33317.9% No
Brian Shaw SNP 2,5596.2% No
Linda Margaret Hendry Green 4381.1% No

1992

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Alistair Darling Labour 15,18938.8% Yes
Paul Martin Conservative 13,06333.4% No
Lynne Devine SNP 5,53914.1% No
Andrew Myles Liberal Democrat 4,50011.5% No
Robin Harper Green 6301.6% No
Richard Wilson Liberal 2350.6% No

1997

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Alistair Darling Labour 20,12547.1% Yes
Mike Scott-Hayward Conservative 9,05521.2% No
Fiona Hyslop SNP 6,75015.8% No
Karen Utting Liberal Democrat 5,60513.1% No
Linda Hendry Green 6071.4% No
Austin Skinner Referendum Party 4951.2% No
Mark Benson Independent 980.2% No

2001

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Alistair Darling Labour 14,49542.1% Yes
Andrew Myles Liberal Democrat 6,35318.5% No
Alastair Orr Conservative 5,64316.4% No
Ian McKee SNP 4,83214.1% No
Graeme Farmer Green 1,8095.3% No
Kevin Williamson Scottish Socialist 1,2583.7% No

Margin Over Time

Winning margin (percentage points) at each election, coloured by the winning party.

1885: Independent Liberal margin 17.8 pts 1886: Liberal margin 25.4 pts 1892: Liberal margin 33.3 pts 1900: Liberal margin 10.4 pts 1906: Liberal margin 35.9 pts Jan 1910: Liberal margin 33.4 pts Dec 1910: Liberal margin 31.9 pts 1918: Labour margin 2.6 pts 1922: Labour margin 15.8 pts 1923: Labour margin 35.9 pts 1924: Labour margin 21.0 pts 1929: Labour margin 35.3 pts 1931: Unionist margin 23.1 pts 1935: Unionist margin 12.6 pts 1945: Labour margin 21.0 pts 1950: Labour margin 8.5 pts 1951: Labour margin 4.5 pts 1955: Labour margin 2.9 pts 1959: Labour margin 2.0 pts 1964: Labour margin 8.0 pts 1966: Labour margin 17.2 pts 1970: Labour margin 7.5 pts Feb 1974: Labour margin 3.2 pts Oct 1974: Labour margin 14.3 pts 1979: Labour margin 18.3 pts 1983: Conservative margin 6.9 pts 1987: Labour margin 5.5 pts 1992: Labour margin 5.4 pts 1997: Labour margin 25.9 pts 2001: Labour margin 23.7 pts 1885 1886 1892 1900 1906 Jan 1910 Dec 1910 1918 1922 1923 1924 1929 1931 1935 1945 1950 1951 1955 1959 1964 1966 1970 Feb 1974 Oct 1974 1979 1983 1987 1992 1997 2001

Trend

Edinburgh Central has been contested at 31 general elections on record since 1885. Parties that have won a seat here over that span: Independent Liberal, Liberal, Labour, Unionist, Conservative.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who won Edinburgh Central in the 2001 general election?

Labour won Edinburgh Central in 2001 with 14,495 votes (42.1%), a majority of 8,142 votes over Liberal Democrat in second place.

Which parties have won Edinburgh Central since 1885?

Since 1885, Edinburgh Central has been won by: Conservative, Independent Liberal, Labour, Liberal, Unionist.

What was the closest result in Edinburgh Central?

The closest result on record for Edinburgh Central was 1959, when Labour beat Unionist by just 617 votes (2.0 percentage points).

Related Pages