Midlothian South, Tweeddale and Lauderdale (Scottish Parliament constituency)

Midlothian South, Tweeddale and Lauderdale is a constituency of the Scottish Parliament (Holyrood) covering parts of the council areas of Midlothian and Scottish Borders. Created for the 2011 election, 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 South Scotland electoral region, which elects seven additional members, in addition to nine constituency MSPs, to produce a form of proportional representation for the region as a whole.

Midlothian South, Tweeddale and Lauderdale
County constituency for the Scottish Parliament
Midlothian South, Tweeddale and Lauderdale shown within the South Scotland electoral region and the region shown within Scotland
Population	79,077 (2019)[1]
Current constituency
Created	2011
Party	Scottish National Party
MSP	Christine Grahame
Council area	Midlothian Scottish Borders
Created from	Midlothian, Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale

The constituency covers parts of the former constituencies of Midlothian and Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale. The remainder of Midlothian council area lies within the constituency of Midlothian North and Musselburgh, whilst the remainder of Scottish Borders forms the Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire constituency.^[2][3]

Electoral region

See also: South Scotland (Scottish Parliament electoral region)

The other eight constituencies of the South Scotland region are: Ayr, Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley, Clydesdale, Dumfriesshire, East Lothian, Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Galloway and West Dumfries and Kilmarnock and Irvine Valley.

The region covers the Dumfries and Galloway council area, part of the East Ayrshire council area, part of the East Lothian council area, part of the Midlothian council area, the Scottish Borders council area, the South Ayrshire council area and part of the South Lanarkshire council area.

Midlothian North and Musselburgh, which covers the rest of Midlothian, is part of the Lothian region.

Constituency boundaries and council area

Map of boundaries from 2011

Since the 2011 Scottish Parliament election, the constituency of Midlothian South, Tweeddale and Lauderdale has been formed from the following electoral wards:^[3]

• In full:
  • Galashiels and District (Scottish Borders)
  • Leaderdale and Melrose (Scottish Borders)
  • Midlothian South (Midlothian)
  • Penicuik (Midlothian)
  • Tweeddale East (Scottish Borders)
  • Tweeddale West (Scottish Borders)
• In part
  • Midlothian West (in Midlothian, and shared with Midlothian North and Musselburgh constituency)

Members of the Scottish Parliament

Election		Member	Party
	2011	Christine Grahame	Scottish National Party

Election results

2020s

2021 Scottish Parliament election: Midlothian South, Tweeddale and Lauderdale^[4][5]

Party		Candidate	Constituency			Regional
			Votes	%	±%	Votes	%	±%
	SNP	Christine Grahame[a]	19,807	46.0	0.9	17,902	41.51	1.84
	Conservative	Shona Haslam	12,981	30.2	1.6	12,079	28.01	0.65
	Labour	Katherine Sangster	5,410	12.6	3.4	5,679	13.17	0.85
	Liberal Democrats	AC May	2,615	6.1	4.3	2,832	6.57	1.59
	Scottish Green	Dominic Ashmole	2,154	5.0	New	3,007	6.97	0.18
	All for Unity					427	0.99	New
	Alba					405	0.94	New
	Independent Green Voice					202	0.47	New
	Scottish Family					154	0.36	New
	Reform UK					116	0.27	New
	Abolish the Scottish Parliament					94	0.22	New
	Freedom Alliance (UK)					86	0.20	New
	Scottish Libertarian					56	0.13	New
	UKIP					50	0.12	1.57
	Vanguard Party (UK)	Michael Banks	67	0.2	New	21	0.05	New
	Scotia Future					19	0.04	New
Majority			6,863	15.8	0.7
Valid Votes			43,034			43,129
Invalid Votes			137			62
Turnout			43,171	66.4	7.0	43,191	66.4	7.0
	SNP hold		Swing		0.4
Notes Incumbent member for this constituency

2010s

2016 Scottish Parliament election: Midlothian South, Tweeddale and Lauderdale^[6][7]

Party		Candidate	Constituency			Regional
			Votes	%	±%	Votes	%	±%
	SNP	Christine Grahame[a]	16,031	45.1	1.6	14,162	39.7	3.5
	Conservative	Michelle Ballantyne	10,163	28.6	16.8	10,230	28.7	14.7
	Labour	Fiona Dugdale	5,701	16.0	0.7	5,005	14.0	2.8
	Liberal Democrats	Kris Chapman	3,686	10.4	17.6	2,912	8.2	7.1
	Scottish Green					2,426	6.8	2.1
	UKIP					602	1.7	0.7
	Clydesdale and South Scotland Independent					125	0.4	New
	Solidarity					121	0.3	1.4
	RISE					114	0.3	New
Majority			5,868	16.5	1.0
Valid Votes			35,581			35,697
Invalid Votes			156			54
Turnout			35,737	59.4	4.1	35,751	59.4	4.1
	SNP hold		Swing
Notes Incumbent member for this constituency

2011 Scottish Parliament election: Midlothian South, Tweeddale and Lauderdale^[8]

Party		Candidate	Constituency			Regional
			Votes	%	±%	Votes	%	±%
	SNP	Christine Grahame[a]	13,855	43.5	N/A	13,796	43.2	N/A
	Liberal Democrats	Jeremy Purvis[b]	8,931	28.0	N/A	4,894	15.3	N/A
	Labour	Ian Miller	5,312	16.7	N/A	5,353	16.8	N/A
	Conservative	Peter Duncan	3,743	11.8	N/A	4,465	14.0	N/A
	Scottish Green					1,500	4.7	N/A
	Solidarity					527	1.7	N/A
	All-Scotland Pensioners Party					396	1.2	N/A
	UKIP					319	1.0	N/A
	Scottish Christian					196	0.6	N/A
	BNP					186	0.6	N/A
	Socialist Labour					180	0.6	N/A
	Scottish Socialist					100	0.3	N/A
Majority			4,924	15.5	N/A
Valid Votes			31,841			31,912
Invalid Votes			126			53
Turnout			31,967	55.3	N/A	31,965	55.3	N/A
	SNP win (new seat)
Notes Incumbent member on the party list, or for another constituency Incumbent member for the Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale constituency