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Edinburgh East — UK General Election Results

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

Edinburgh East was won by SNP at the 2019 general election, with a majority of 10,417 votes over Labour. This page covers every general election in Edinburgh East from 1885 to 2019.

Full Election History, 1885–2019

Election Elected Votes Vote Share Runner-up Majority Turnout
1885 George Joachim Goschen (Independent Liberal) 4,337 69.2% Benjamin Francis Conn Costelloe (Liberal) 2,408 (38.4 pts) 82.0%
1886 Robert Wallace (Liberal) 3,694 62.1% George Joachim Goschen (Liberal Unionist) 1,441 (24.2 pts) 77.9%
1892 Robert Wallace (Liberal) 3,969 58.6% Ralph Wardlaw McLeod Fullarton (Liberal Unionist) 1,160 (17.1 pts) 76.7%
1895 Robert Wallace (Liberal) 3,499 53.4% Harry Younger (Liberal Unionist) 449 (6.9 pts) 69.4%
1900 George McCrae (Liberal) 4,461 58.5% Robert Scott-Brown (Liberal Unionist) 1,291 (16.9 pts) 69.2%
1906 George McCrae (Liberal) 6,606 73.1% Rankin Dawson (Liberal Unionist) 4,174 (46.2 pts) 78.1%
Jan 1910 James Puckering Gibson (Liberal) 6,760 61.3% Patrick Johnstone Ford (Liberal Unionist) 2,487 (22.5 pts) 88.0%
Dec 1910 James Puckering Gibson (Liberal) 6,436 63.0% Robert Macfarlane Cameron (Conservative) 2,654 (26.0 pts) 81.0%
1918 James Myles Hogge (Liberal) 8,460 62.2% Alexander Balfour (National Democratic and Labour) 3,324 (24.4 pts) 52.5%
1922 James Myles Hogge (Liberal) 10,551 59.8% Sam McDonald (National Liberal) 3,463 (19.6 pts) 66.0%
1923 James Myles Hogge (Liberal) 10,876 68.3% Charles John Morris Mancor (Unionist) 5,831 (36.6 pts) 58.5%
1924 Thomas Drummond Shiels (Labour) 8,460 41.9% Charles Black Milne (Unionist) 2,355 (11.7 pts) 73.5%
1929 Thomas Drummond Shiels (Labour) 13,933 47.2% Thomas Pringle McDonald (Liberal) 5,246 (17.8 pts) 76.5%
1931 David Marshall Mason (Liberal) 17,372 57.0% Thomas Drummond Shiels (Labour) 7,128 (23.4 pts) 76.8%
1935 Frederick William Pethick-Lawrence (Labour) 13,341 43.2% Minna Galbraith Cowan (Unionist) 1,112 (3.6 pts) 68.6%
1945 Frederick William Pethick-Lawrence (Labour) 19,300 56.4% William Angus Sinclair (Unionist) 6,529 (19.1 pts) 69.4%
1950 John Thomas Wheatley (Labour) 24,072 53.2% Charles Edward McArthur Donaldson (Unionist) 6,541 (14.5 pts) 83.2%
1951 John Thomas Wheatley (Labour) 25,201 54.1% William Grant (Unionist) 3,801 (8.2 pts) 83.8%
1955 Eustace George Willis (Labour) 21,240 52.5% W Ian R Fraser (Unionist) 2,042 (5.1 pts) 75.4%
1959 Eustace George Willis (Labour) 22,244 50.4% Earl of Dalkeith (Unionist) 312 (0.7 pts) 80.7%
1964 Eustace George Willis (Labour) 24,808 56.1% Robert Lindley McEwen (Unionist) 5,432 (12.3 pts) 81.0%
1966 George Willis (Labour) 25,423 60.5% James Henderson (Conservative) 8,809 (21.0 pts) 77.4%
1970 Gavin Strang (Labour) 22,171 51.9% Neil Gow (Conservative) 5,514 (12.9 pts) 74.5%
Oct 1974 Gavin Strang (Labour) 19,669 44.9% George Cormack MacDougall (SNP) 8,456 (19.3 pts) 76.2%
Feb 1974 Gavin Strang (Labour) 20,163 43.7% Douglas James May (Conservative) 5,549 (12.0 pts) 81.1%
1979 Gavin Strang (Labour) 23,477 53.7% Geoffrey Alexander Campbell (Conservative) 8,817 (20.2 pts) 76.1%
1983 Gavin Strang (Labour) 16,169 44.9% Paul Charles Martin (Conservative) 5,866 (16.3 pts) 70.4%
1987 Gavin Strang (Labour) 18,257 50.4% John Frederick Renz (Conservative) 9,295 (25.6 pts) 74.1%
1992 Gavin Strang (Labour) 15,446 45.7% Kenneth Ward (Conservative) 7,211 (21.4 pts) 73.9%
2005 Gavin Strang (Labour) 15,899 40.0% Gordon Mackenzie (Liberal Democrat) 6,202 (15.6 pts) 61.3%
2010 Sheila Gilmore (Labour) 17,314 43.4% George Kerevan (SNP) 9,181 (23.0 pts) 65.5%
2015 Tommy Sheppard (SNP) 23,188 49.2% Sheila Gilmore (Labour) 9,106 (19.3 pts) 70.2%
2017 Tommy Sheppard (SNP) 18,509 42.5% Patsy King (Labour) 3,425 (7.9 pts) 66.2%
2019 Tommy Sheppard (SNP) 23,165 48.4% Sheila Gilmore (Labour) 10,417 (21.8 pts) 69.1%

Full Result Breakdown by Election

1885

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
George Joachim Goschen Independent Liberal 4,33769.2% Yes
Benjamin Francis Conn Costelloe Liberal 1,92930.8% No

1886

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Robert Wallace Liberal 3,69462.1% Yes
George Joachim Goschen Liberal Unionist 2,25337.9% No

1892

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Robert Wallace Liberal 3,96958.6% Yes
Ralph Wardlaw McLeod Fullarton Liberal Unionist 2,80941.4% No

1895

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Robert Wallace Liberal 3,49953.4% Yes
Harry Younger Liberal Unionist 3,05046.6% No

1900

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
George McCrae Liberal 4,46158.5% Yes
Robert Scott-Brown Liberal Unionist 3,17041.5% No

1906

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
George McCrae Liberal 6,60673.1% Yes
Rankin Dawson Liberal Unionist 2,43226.9% No

Jan 1910

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
James Puckering Gibson Liberal 6,76061.3% Yes
Patrick Johnstone Ford Liberal Unionist 4,27338.7% No

Dec 1910

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
James Puckering Gibson Liberal 6,43663.0% Yes
Robert Macfarlane Cameron Conservative 3,78237.0% No

1918

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
James Myles Hogge Liberal 8,46062.2% Yes
Alexander Balfour National Democratic and Labour 5,13637.8% No

1922

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
James Myles Hogge Liberal 10,55159.8% Yes
Sam McDonald National Liberal 7,08840.2% No

1923

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
James Myles Hogge Liberal 10,87668.3% Yes
Charles John Morris Mancor Unionist 5,04531.7% No

1924

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Thomas Drummond Shiels Labour 8,46041.9% Yes
Charles Black Milne Unionist 6,10530.2% No
James Myles Hogge Liberal 5,62527.9% No

1929

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Thomas Drummond Shiels Labour 13,93347.2% Yes
Thomas Pringle McDonald Liberal 8,68729.4% No
Richard Cobden Thyne Unionist 6,88923.3% No

1931

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
David Marshall Mason Liberal 17,37257.0% Yes
Thomas Drummond Shiels Labour 10,24433.6% No
Thomas Thomson Alexander National Party of Scotland 2,8729.4% No

1935

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Frederick William Pethick-Lawrence Labour 13,34143.2% Yes
Minna Galbraith Cowan Unionist 12,22939.6% No
David Marshall Mason Liberal 5,31317.2% No

1945

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Frederick William Pethick-Lawrence Labour 19,30056.4% Yes
William Angus Sinclair Unionist 12,77137.3% No
Frederick Yeaman SNP 2,1496.3% No

1950

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
John Thomas Wheatley Labour 24,07253.2% Yes
Charles Edward McArthur Donaldson Unionist 17,53138.8% No
John Hope Liberal 3,6328.0% No

1951

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
John Thomas Wheatley Labour 25,20154.1% Yes
William Grant Unionist 21,40045.9% No

1955

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Eustace George Willis Labour 21,24052.5% Yes
W Ian R Fraser Unionist 19,19847.5% No

1959

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Eustace George Willis Labour 22,24450.4% Yes
Earl of Dalkeith Unionist 21,93249.6% No

1964

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Eustace George Willis Labour 24,80856.1% Yes
Robert Lindley McEwen Unionist 19,37643.9% No

1966

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
George Willis Labour 25,42360.5% Yes
James Henderson Conservative 16,61439.5% No

1970

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Gavin Strang Labour 22,17151.9% Yes
Neil Gow Conservative 16,65739.0% No
Helen Buchan Davidson SNP 3,5028.2% No
Irene Swann Communist 4131.0% No

Oct 1974

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Gavin Strang Labour 19,66944.9% Yes
George Cormack MacDougall SNP 11,21325.6% No
Andrew Myles Hogg Conservative 10,11123.1% No
Geoffrey Niall Legh Dalzell Liberal 2,5785.9% No
Irene Swann Communist 2130.5% No

Feb 1974

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Gavin Strang Labour 20,16343.7% Yes
Douglas James May Conservative 14,61431.6% No
George Cormach MacDougall SNP 7,12815.4% No
John Malcolm Melling Liberal 3,9988.7% No
Irene Swann Communist 2740.6% No

1979

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Gavin Strang Labour 23,47753.7% Yes
Geoffrey Alexander Campbell Conservative 14,66033.5% No
George Cormack MacDougall SNP 5,29612.1% No
Carol Downes Communist 1730.4% No
Walter Terence Charles Brotherstone Workers Revolutionary 1240.3% No

1983

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Gavin Strang Labour 16,16944.9% Yes
Paul Charles Martin Conservative 10,30328.6% No
Roderick John Macleod Liberal 7,57021.0% No
Paul Henderson Scott SNP 1,9765.5% No

1987

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Gavin Strang Labour 18,25750.4% Yes
John Frederick Renz Conservative 8,96224.7% No
Judith Catherine Aitken Liberal 5,59215.4% No
Mungo Bovey SNP 3,4349.5% No

1992

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Gavin Strang Labour 15,44645.7% Yes
Kenneth Ward Conservative 8,23524.4% No
Debin McKinney SNP 6,22518.4% No
Devin Scobie Liberal Democrat 3,43210.2% No
Graham Farmer Green 4241.3% No

2005

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Gavin Strang Labour 15,89940.0% Yes
Gordon Mackenzie Liberal Democrat 9,69724.4% No
Stefan Tymkewycz SNP 6,76017.0% No
Mev Brown Conservative 4,09310.3% No
Cara Gillespie Green 2,2665.7% No
Catriona Grant Scottish Socialist 8682.2% No
Brett Harris Death, Dungeons and Taxes Party 890.2% No
Peter Clifford Communist League 370.1% No

2010

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Sheila Gilmore Labour 17,31443.4% Yes
George Kerevan SNP 8,13320.4% No
Beverley Hope Liberal Democrat 7,75119.4% No
Martin Donald Conservative 4,35810.9% No
Robin Harper Green 2,0355.1% No
Gary Clark Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition 2740.7% No

2015

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Tommy Sheppard SNP 23,18849.2% Yes
Sheila Gilmore Labour 14,08229.9% No
James McMordie Conservative 4,6709.9% No
Peter McColl Green 2,8096.0% No
Karen Utting Liberal Democrat 1,3252.8% No
Oliver Corbishley UKIP 8981.9% No
Ayesha Saleem Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition 1170.2% No

2017

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Tommy Sheppard SNP 18,50942.5% Yes
Patsy King Labour 15,08434.7% No
Katie Mackie Conservative 8,08118.6% No
Tristan Gray Liberal Democrat 1,8494.2% No

2019

CandidatePartyVotesShareElected
Tommy Sheppard SNP 23,16548.4% Yes
Sheila Gilmore Labour 12,74826.7% No
Eleanor Price Conservative 6,54913.7% No
Jill Reilly Liberal Democrat 3,2896.9% No
Claire Miller Green 2,0644.3% No

Margin Over Time

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

1885: Independent Liberal margin 38.4 pts 1886: Liberal margin 24.2 pts 1892: Liberal margin 17.1 pts 1895: Liberal margin 6.9 pts 1900: Liberal margin 16.9 pts 1906: Liberal margin 46.2 pts Jan 1910: Liberal margin 22.5 pts Dec 1910: Liberal margin 26.0 pts 1918: Liberal margin 24.4 pts 1922: Liberal margin 19.6 pts 1923: Liberal margin 36.6 pts 1924: Labour margin 11.7 pts 1929: Labour margin 17.8 pts 1931: Liberal margin 23.4 pts 1935: Labour margin 3.6 pts 1945: Labour margin 19.1 pts 1950: Labour margin 14.5 pts 1951: Labour margin 8.2 pts 1955: Labour margin 5.1 pts 1959: Labour margin 0.7 pts 1964: Labour margin 12.3 pts 1966: Labour margin 21.0 pts 1970: Labour margin 12.9 pts Oct 1974: Labour margin 19.3 pts Feb 1974: Labour margin 12.0 pts 1979: Labour margin 20.2 pts 1983: Labour margin 16.3 pts 1987: Labour margin 25.6 pts 1992: Labour margin 21.4 pts 2005: Labour margin 15.6 pts 2010: Labour margin 23.0 pts 2015: SNP margin 19.3 pts 2017: SNP margin 7.9 pts 2019: SNP margin 21.8 pts 1885 1886 1892 1895 1900 1906 Jan 1910 Dec 1910 1918 1922 1923 1924 1929 1931 1935 1945 1950 1951 1955 1959 1964 1966 1970 Oct 1974 Feb 1974 1979 1983 1987 1992 2005 2010 2015 2017 2019

Trend

Edinburgh East has been contested at 34 general elections on record since 1885. Parties that have won a seat here over that span: Independent Liberal, Liberal, Labour, SNP.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who won Edinburgh East in the 2019 general election?

SNP won Edinburgh East in 2019 with 23,165 votes (48.4%), a majority of 10,417 votes over Labour in second place.

Which parties have won Edinburgh East since 1885?

Since 1885, Edinburgh East has been won by: Independent Liberal, Labour, Liberal, SNP.

What was the closest result in Edinburgh East?

The closest result on record for Edinburgh East was 1959, when Labour beat Unionist by just 312 votes (0.7 percentage points).

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