Frequently Asked Questions — Edinburgh North and Leith Constituency

Who won the Edinburgh North and Leith constituency election in 2017?

Scottish National Party gained Edinburgh North and Leith constituency at the 8 June 2017 General Election, taking the seat from Labour. Scottish National Party won with a majority of 1,625 votes (2.9%). Turnout was 71.2%.

What was the swing in Edinburgh North and Leith at the 2017 election?

The swing in Edinburgh North and Leith was 8.8% from LAB to SNP — a significant shift towards SNP. Swing is calculated using the Butler two-party formula: the average of the change in winner's vote share and the fall in the runner-up's vote share compared to the previous election here.

What does swing mean in UK elections?

Swing measures how much support has shifted between two parties compared to a previous election. The Butler swing formula — used in British election reporting since the 1950s — takes the average of the gain in the winner's vote share and the loss in the runner-up's. A 5% swing is considered large at ward level; anything above 10% is exceptional. The swing figure for Edinburgh North and Leith in 2017 is shown in the statistics above.