Edinburgh South: MP, 2024 result and local figures
Edinburgh South is represented in the House of Commons by Ian Murray (Labour). On 4 July 2024 Ian Murray (Labour) won 24,976 votes, 53.3% of the valid vote; Simita Kumar (Scottish National Party) came second with 7,725. Turnout, counted as valid votes over the electorate, was 66.1% (46,826 of 70,838); the winning margin was 17,251 votes.
Key figures
What the figures show
Compared with other constituencies, Edinburgh South has the 12th lowest share of children in low income families after housing costs of the 650 constituencies with this figure (10.4%); it also has the 29th highest median full-time pay for jobs based here of the 632 constituencies with this figure (£46,148 a year).
In 2024/25, 10.4% of children under 16 in Edinburgh South (1,581) lived in relative low income families once housing costs are taken off, says the DWP; the UK figure is 26.0%. Before housing costs the share was 7.2% in 2024/25, from 8.8% in 2021/22.
Median annual pay for full-time work was £46,148 for jobs in Edinburgh South and £46,906 for its residents (April 2025, ASHE). A year before, the residents' median was £47,807. The residents' figure ranks 71st highest of 632 constituencies with an estimate. The latest year is provisional.
2,870 business sites were registered in Edinburgh South in March 2026 (2,840 a year before), and employed 30,000 people in 2024.
Survey estimates for April 2025 to March 2026 have 73.5% of working-age residents in employment, within a margin of 9.4 points. The economically inactive share was 24.0%.
1,325 people were claiming unemployment-related benefits in September 2026, 2.0% of residents aged 16 to 64. September 2025 had 1,105.
MP
Ian Murray, Labour
- MP for Edinburgh South since 4 July 2024
- In the House of Commons since 6 May 2010
Official UK Parliament page · Statements by Ian Murray on this site
In Parliament
The 5 most recent spoken contributions by Ian Murray in Hansard, from 3 September 2026 to 9 September 2026, quoted from the official report. Hansard search returns 434 spoken contributions by Ian Murray since 4 July 2024.
As I replied to my hon. Friend at the Select Committee meeting I attended last week, there were 39 Bills in the first Session of this new Government—39 very important Bills—that took us nearly two years to get through.
Read in Hansard (opening words; the full contribution is longer)
I thank my hon. Friend the Member for Ealing Central and Acton (Dr Huq) for a very dramatic speech. She went through places where she has seen concerts; I do not know if she, along with my hon.
Read in Hansard (opening words; the full contribution is longer)
In the interests of time, I will take that as a lobby and will add it to the consultation responses. I want to deal very briefly with two big issues that have been raised a lot.
Read in Hansard (opening words; the full contribution is longer)
Absolutely. The international comparisons are not there, because nobody in other regimes has done this before for prominence.
Read in Hansard (opening words; the full contribution is longer)
I thank my hon. Friend for bringing this incredibly serious question to DCMS questions this morning. There is no place for homophobia or prejudice in our society, and the media has a duty to uphold the highest standards, not polarise or divide.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ian Murray | Labour | 24,976 | 53.3% | +7.1 |
| Simita Kumar | Scottish National Party | 7,725 | 16.5% | −9.4 |
| Jo Phillips | Scottish Green Party | 4,270 | 9.1% | +6.2 |
| Christopher Cowdy | Conservative | 4,001 | 8.5% | −8.3 |
| Andy Williamson | Liberal Democrat | 2,746 | 5.9% | −2.3 |
| Cameron Rose | Reform UK | 1,845 | 3.9% | |
| Alex Martin | Independent | 466 | 1.0% | |
| Lynne Lyon | Alba Party | 454 | 1.0% | |
| Phil Holden | Scottish Family Party | 267 | 0.6% | |
| Mark Rowbotham | Independent | 76 | 0.2% |
Result summary as published: Lab hold. 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 53.3% | Scottish National Party 16.5% | 17,251 | 66.1% |
| 12 December 2019 | General election (notional result on these boundaries) | Labour 46.2% | Scottish National Party 25.9% | 10,795 | 74.7% |
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 South lies within City of Edinburgh.
- City of Edinburgh S12000036
Who has power over Edinburgh South
Every body that makes decisions for Edinburgh South, 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 South this page: Ian 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 South?
UK Parliament lists Ian Murray, Labour, as the Member of Parliament for Edinburgh South since the July 2024 general election.
What was the 2024 general election result in Edinburgh South?
Ian Murray (Labour) won with 24,976 votes, a majority of 17,251, on a turnout of 66.1% (House of Commons Library).
What is the unemployment claimant rate in Edinburgh South?
2.0% of residents aged 16 to 64 in September 2026, 1,325 people, on the ONS claimant count.
What is the average salary in Edinburgh South?
Median full-time pay of residents was £46,906 a year in April 2025 (ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings).
How many children in Edinburgh South live in low income families?
DWP counts 1,581 (10.4% 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.