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
Population79,077 (2019)[1]
Current constituency
Created2011
PartyScottish National Party
MSPChristine Grahame
Council areaMidlothian
Scottish Borders
Created fromMidlothian,
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

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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

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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]

Members of the Scottish Parliament

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Election Member Party
2011 Christine Grahame Scottish National Party

Election results

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2020s

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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
  1. ^ Incumbent member for this constituency

2010s

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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
  1. ^ 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
  1. ^ Incumbent member on the party list, or for another constituency
  2. ^ Incumbent member for the Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale constituency

Footnotes

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  1. ^ Scottish Parliamentary Constituency (SPC) Population Estimates (2011 Data Zone based), National Records of Scotland; retrieved 6 May 2021 (accompanying summary notes)
  2. ^ "The New Scottish Parliament Constituencies 2011" (PDF). BBC News online. 8 September 2010. p. 24. Retrieved 26 May 2021.
  3. ^ a b "First Periodic Review of Scottish Parliament Boundaries Final Report" (PDF). Boundaries Scotland. May 2010. p. 120. Retrieved 7 August 2021.
  4. ^ "Constituencies A-Z: Midlothian South, Tweeddale & Lauderdale". BBC News. Retrieved 8 May 2021.
  5. ^ "Christine Grahame elected as MSP for Midlothian South, Tweeddale and Lauderdale". Scottish Borders Council. Retrieved 9 May 2021.
  6. ^ "Scottish Parliament election results 2016". Scottish Borders Council. Retrieved 10 August 2021.
  7. ^ "Midlothian South, Tweeddale and Lauderdale 2016 election results - list" (PDF). Scottish Borders Council. 6 May 2016. Retrieved 10 August 2021.
  8. ^ "Results and turnout at the 2011 Scottish Parliament election". Electoral Commission. Retrieved 3 June 2021.
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