Midlothian North and Musselburgh (Scottish Parliament constituency)

Midlothian North and Musselburgh is a constituency of the Scottish Parliament (Holyrood) covering parts of the council areas of Midlothian and East Lothian. It elects one Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) by the plurality (first past the post) method of election. It is one of nine constituencies in the Lothian electoral region, which elects seven additional members, in addition to the nine constituency MSPs, to produce a form of proportional representation for the region as a whole.

Midlothian North and Musselburgh
County constituency for the Scottish Parliament
Midlothian North and Musselburgh shown within the Lothian electoral region and the region shown within Scotland
Population	85,799 (2019)[1]
Current constituency
Created	2011
Party	Scottish National Party
MSP	Colin Beattie
Council area	Midlothian East Lothian
Created from	East Lothian, Edinburgh East & Musselburgh, Tweeddale, Ettrick & Lauderdale, Midlothian

The seat was created for the 2011 Scottish Parliament election, and covers areas that were formerly part of the constituencies of Midlothian and Edinburgh East and Musselburgh, both of which were abolished.^[2] It has been held by Colin Beattie of the Scottish National Party since creation.

Electoral region

See also: Lothian (Scottish Parliament electoral region)

The other eight constituencies of the Lothian region are: Almond Valley, Edinburgh Central, Edinburgh Eastern, Edinburgh Northern and Leith, Edinburgh Pentlands, Edinburgh Southern, Edinburgh Western and Linlithgow.

The region includes all of the City of Edinburgh council area, parts of the East Lothian council area, parts of the Midlothian council area and all of the West Lothian council area.

Constituency boundaries and council area

Map of boundaries from 2011

Midlothian is represented by two constituencies in the Scottish Parliament, these are Midlothian North and Musselburgh and Midlothian South, Tweeddale and Lauderdale, the latter is part of the South Scotland region. Part of the constituency is within the East Lothian council area, the remainder of which is represented by the East Lothian constituency (also within the South Scotland region).

From the 2011 Scottish Parliament election, the newly formed constituency of Midlothian North and Musselburgh is formed from the following electoral wards:^[3]

• In full: Bonnyrigg, Dalkeith, Midlothian East, (all from Midlothian council area), Musselburgh (from East Lothian council area)
• In part: Midlothian West (from Midlothian council area, shared with Midlothian South, Tweeddale and Lauderdale constituency), Tranent/Wallyford/Macmerry (from East Lothian council area, shared with East Lothian constituency)

Member of the Scottish Parliament

Election		Member	Party
	2011	Colin Beattie	SNP

Election results

2020s

2021 Scottish Parliament election: Midlothian North and Musselburgh^[4][5][6]

Party		Candidate	Constituency			Regional
			Votes	%	±%	Votes	%	±%
	SNP	Colin Beattie[a]	21,165	49.7	0.8	17,620	41.2	0.4
	Labour	Stephen Curran	13,259	31.1	2.5	10,212	23.9	3.3
	Conservative	Iain Whyte	6,529	15.3	2.8	7,723	18.1	0.4
	Scottish Green					3,800	8.9	1.6
	Liberal Democrats	Charles Dundas	1,630	3.8	0.7	1,372	3.2	0.5
	Alba					645	1.5	New
	Animal Welfare					285	0.7	New
	All for Unity					278	0.6	New
	Scottish Family					216	0.5	New
	Women's Equality					116	0.3	0.4
	Abolish the Scottish Parliament					101	0.2	New
	Reform UK					81	0.2	New
	Scottish Libertarian					79	0.2	New
	Communist					69	0.2	New
	Freedom Alliance (UK)					69	0.2	New
	UKIP					57	0.1	2.0
	Independent	Ashley Graczyk				34	0.1	New
	SDP					19	0.0	New
	Renew					7	0.0	New
Majority			7,906	18.6	1.7
Valid Votes			42,583			42,783
Invalid Votes			159			92
Turnout			42,742	61.7	6.7	42,875	61.9	6.9
	SNP hold		Swing
Notes Incumbent member for this constituency

2010s

2016 Scottish Parliament election: Midlothian North and Musselburgh^[7][8]

Party		Candidate	Constituency			Region
			Votes	%	±%	Votes	%	±%
	SNP	Colin Beattie[a]	16,948	48.9	1.7	14,208	40.8	2.2
	Labour	Bernard Harkins	9,913	28.6	8.6	9,455	27.2	4.0
	Conservative	Jeremy Balfour[b]	6,267	18.1	9.6	6,425	18.5	10.9
	Scottish Green					2,530	7.3	3.6
	Liberal Democrats	Jacquie Bell	1,557	4.5	0.3	951	2.7	0.1
	UKIP					718	2.1	1.5
	Women's Equality					250	0.7	New
	Solidarity					171	0.5	0.4
	RISE					104	0.3	New
Majority			7,035	20.3	10.3
Valid Votes			34,685			34,812
Invalid Votes			140			53
Turnout			34,825	55.0	3.7	34,865	55.0	3.7
	SNP hold		Swing
Notes Incumbent member for this constituency Elected on the party list

2011 Scottish Parliament election: Midlothian North and Musselburgh^[9][10]

Party		Candidate	Constituency			Region
			Votes	%	±%	Votes	%	±%
	SNP	Colin Beattie	14,079	47.2	N/A	12,821	43.0	N/A
	Labour	Bernard Harkins	11,083	37.2	N/A	9,297	31.2	N/A
	Conservative	Scott Douglas	2,541	8.5	N/A	2,274	7.6	N/A
	Independent	Margo MacDonald[a]				1,963	6.6	N/A
	Scottish Green					1,105	3.7	N/A
	Liberal Democrats	Ian Younger	1,254	4.2	N/A	844	2.8	N/A
	Independent	Alan Hay	861	2.9	N/A
	All-Scotland Pensioners Party					400	1.3	N/A
	Socialist Labour					297	1.0	N/A
	BNP					238	0.8	N/A
	UKIP					190	0.6	N/A
	Scottish Christian					104	0.3	N/A
	Scottish Socialist					85	0.3	N/A
	CPA					77	0.3	N/A
	Liberal					61	0.2	N/A
	Solidarity					34	0.1	N/A
	Independent	Ken O'Neil				17	0.1	N/A
	Independent	David Hogg				15	0.0	N/A
	Independent	Mev Brown				10	0.0	N/A
Majority			2,996	10.0	N/A
Valid Votes			29,818			29,832
Invalid Votes			98			109
Turnout			29,916	51.3	N/A	29,941	51.3	N/A
	SNP win (new seat)
Notes Incumbent member on the party list, or for another constituency