Edinburgh East and Musselburgh: MP, 2024 result and local figures
Edinburgh East and Musselburgh is represented in the House of Commons by Chris Murray (Labour). The 2024 count gave Chris Murray (Labour) 18,790 votes and Tommy Sheppard (Scottish National Party) 15,075, a majority of 3,715. Turnout, counted as valid votes over the electorate, was 59.8% (45,575 of 76,188).
Key figures
What the figures show
DWP figures count 2,411 children under 16 in relative low income families after housing costs in 2024/25, 16.6% of children here against 26.0% across the UK. Before housing costs the share was 11.7% in 2024/25, from 14.5% in 2021/22.
78.9% of residents aged 16 to 64 were in work in April 2025 to March 2026, on the Annual Population Survey estimate (95% confidence interval ±7.8 points). The economically inactive share was 17.7%.
Full-time employees living in Edinburgh East and Musselburgh had median pay of £39,935 a year in April 2025; for jobs based in the constituency the median was £39,264. A year before, the residents' median was £36,455. The residents' figure ranks 235th highest of 632 constituencies with an estimate. The latest year is provisional.
2,585 people were claiming unemployment-related benefits in September 2026, 3.0% of residents aged 16 to 64. That is up from 2,285 twelve months before.
4,755 business sites were registered in Edinburgh East and Musselburgh in March 2026 (4,875 a year before), and employed 100,000 people in 2024.
MP
Chris Murray, Labour
- MP for Edinburgh East and Musselburgh since 4 July 2024
Official UK Parliament page · Statements by Chris Murray on this site
In Parliament
Hansard records these as Chris Murray's latest words in Parliament, from 16 October 2026 to 26 October 2026. Hansard search returns 263 spoken contributions by Chris Murray since 4 July 2024.
As someone who served on the Home Affairs Committee for two years, I pay tribute to the Chair and the other members, who I can see around the Chamber.
Read in Hansard (opening words; the full contribution is longer)
Illegal immigration is by definition a cross-border phenomenon, which is why we are required to work with our friends and partners across borders.
Read in Hansard (opening words; the full contribution is longer)
I thank the Minister for that answer. Musselburgh Sea Cadets and Royal Marines Cadets have been giving young people in Musselburgh a head start for more than 70 years, and celebrated the first ever National Cadets Week last month with an open day.
Read in Hansard (opening words; the full contribution is longer)
6. What steps he is taking to support cadet forces.
My hon. Friend makes an incredibly important point. Scotland is the world capital of whisky. On the one hand, the spirits industry and the whisky industry are a crucial part of keeping pubs open.
Read in Hansard (opening words; the full contribution is longer)
Read from the Hansard API on 27 October 2026. Up to two items per debate; remarks under 40 characters are left out. All contributions in Hansard.
General election, 4 July 2024
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Change in share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chris Murray | Labour | 18,790 | 41.2% | +14.8 |
| Tommy Sheppard | Scottish National Party | 15,075 | 33.1% | −15.9 |
| Amanda Grimm | Scottish Green Party | 4,669 | 10.2% | +6.6 |
| Marie-Clair Munro | Conservative | 2,598 | 5.7% | −8.4 |
| Derek Winton | Reform UK | 2,129 | 4.7% | |
| Charles Dundas | Liberal Democrat | 1,949 | 4.3% | −2.7 |
| Jane Gould | Independent | 365 | 0.8% |
Result summary as published: Lab gain from SNP. Change in share is in percentage points against the notional 2019 result on the new boundaries. Source: House of Commons Library, election results (data, read 14 October 2026).
Results on these boundaries
| Date | Election | First | Second | Majority | Turnout |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 July 2024 | General election | Labour 41.2% | Scottish National Party 33.1% | 3,715 | 59.8% |
| 12 December 2019 | General election (notional result on these boundaries) | Scottish National Party 49.0% | Labour 26.4% | 11,796 | 69.0% |
Only results on the constituency boundaries first used at the 2024 general election are shown. The 2019 figures are the House of Commons Library's notional estimates of how votes cast in 2019 would have fallen on these boundaries, not a result that was declared. Source: House of Commons Library, constituency results.
Councils
Edinburgh East and Musselburgh covers wards in 2 local authority areas, listed by the number of wards in the constituency.
- City of Edinburgh S12000036
- East Lothian S12000010
Who has power over Edinburgh East and Musselburgh
Every body that makes decisions for Edinburgh East and Musselburgh, from the street up to the G20. Each one links to its page on the official record. How the ten levels work.
Level 1: Neighbourhood and community power
Residents' and tenants' groups, neighbourhood forums and local policing panels.
Level 2: Parish, town and community councils
Community councils, where the area has them, sit below the council.
Level 5: Devolved and state governments
- Scottish Parliament and Scottish Government makes law for Scotland on devolved subjects
Level 6: National government
- Edinburgh East and Musselburgh this page: Chris Murray (Labour) MP
- All 650 MPs votes, interests and costs
- UK government and Parliament official figures and sources
Level 7: Regional blocs and supranational bodies
- Council of Europe and the European Court of Human Rights (CoE / ECtHR) The UK Government says the United Kingdom was one of the Council of Europe's founding members.
Level 8: The UN and global treaty bodies
- United Nations (General Assembly and Security Council) The UN lists the United Kingdom as a member admitted on 24 October 1945.
- United Nations Security Council (UNSC) The UK is one of the five permanent members of the Security Council and holds the veto, according to the UN.
- NATO NATO lists the United Kingdom among its 12 founding members, which signed the North Atlantic Treaty in Washington, D.C.
- World Health Organization (WHO) WHO's list of member states includes the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
- World Trade Organization (WTO) The WTO says the United Kingdom has been a WTO member since 1 January 1995 and a member of GATT since 1 January 1948.
- Commonwealth of Nations The UK is one of the 56 members, one of three European members with Cyprus and Malta, and the Commonwealth Secretariat is headquartered at Marlborough House in London.
Level 9: The IMF, World Bank and global finance
- International Monetary Fund (IMF) The UK has been a member since 27 December 1945 and has a quota of SDR 20,155.1 million (IMF country page for the United Kingdom).
- World Bank Group (WBG) The UK holds 3.75% of voting power in the IBRD (data as of 30 June 2026) and 6.92% in IDA (as of 30 June 2026), according to the World Bank's voting tables.
Level 10: G7, G20, Davos and global forums
Sources
| Figure | Period | Publisher | Read | Links |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Claimants as a share of residents aged 16 to 64 | September 2026 | ONS | 29 October 2026 | data · area |
| Claimant count | September 2026 | ONS | 29 October 2026 | data · area |
| Employment rate, aged 16 to 64 | April 2025 to March 2026 | ONS | 14 October 2026 | data · area |
| Median full-time pay of residents | April 2025 | ONS | 14 October 2026 | data · area |
| Median full-time pay of people working here | April 2025 | ONS | 14 October 2026 | data · area |
| Children in relative low income families, after housing costs | 2024/25 | DWP | 14 October 2026 | data · release |
| Children in relative low income families, before housing costs | 2024/25 | DWP | 14 October 2026 | data · release |
| Business sites (local units) | March 2026 | ONS | 14 October 2026 | data · area |
| People employed by businesses here | 2024 | ONS | 14 October 2026 | data · area |
| Economically inactive, aged 16 to 64 | April 2025 to March 2026 | ONS | 14 October 2026 | data · area |
"Data" is the file or query each figure was read from (its SHA-256 is in the link title); "area" shows the same table for this constituency alone.
Common questions
Who is the MP for Edinburgh East and Musselburgh?
UK Parliament lists Chris Murray, Labour, as the Member of Parliament for Edinburgh East and Musselburgh since the July 2024 general election.
What was the 2024 general election result in Edinburgh East and Musselburgh?
Chris Murray (Labour) won with 18,790 votes, a majority of 3,715, on a turnout of 59.8% (House of Commons Library).
What is the unemployment claimant rate in Edinburgh East and Musselburgh?
3.0% of residents aged 16 to 64 in September 2026, 2,585 people, on the ONS claimant count.
What is the average salary in Edinburgh East and Musselburgh?
Median full-time pay of residents was £39,935 a year in April 2025 (ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings).
How many children in Edinburgh East and Musselburgh live in low income families?
DWP counts 2,411 (16.6% of under-16s) in relative low income after housing costs for 2024/25.
Built 14 October 2026 from official records; how these pages are compiled. This page lists what the record shows and gives no verdict on the MP or the area. Link moved or figure wrong? Tell us.