Edinburgh South West: MP, 2024 result and local figures
Edinburgh South West is represented in the House of Commons by Dr Scott Arthur (Labour). The 2024 count gave Scott Arthur (Labour) 18,663 votes and Joanna Cherry (Scottish National Party) 12,446, a majority of 6,217. Turnout, counted as valid votes over the electorate, was 61.9% (45,664 of 73,784).
Key figures
What the figures show
On the official figures, Edinburgh South West has the 25th highest median full-time pay for jobs based here of the 632 constituencies with this figure (£47,016 a year).
DWP figures count 2,244 children under 16 in relative low income families after housing costs in 2024/25, 14.5% of children here against 26.0% across the UK. Before housing costs the share was 9.9% in 2024/25, from 11.4% in 2021/22.
Median annual pay for full-time work was £47,016 for jobs in Edinburgh South West and £43,202 for its residents (April 2025, ASHE). A year before, the residents' median was £39,910. The residents' figure ranks 138th highest of 632 constituencies with an estimate. The latest year is provisional.
Survey estimates for April 2025 to March 2026 have 79.3% of working-age residents in employment, within a margin of 7.7 points. The economically inactive share was 17.7%.
2,275 people were claiming unemployment-related benefits in September 2026, 3.1% of residents aged 16 to 64. September 2025 had 2,020.
4,625 business sites were registered in Edinburgh South West in March 2026 (4,500 a year before), and employed 76,000 people in 2024.
MP
Dr Scott Arthur, Labour
- MP for Edinburgh South West since 4 July 2024
Official UK Parliament page · Statements by Dr Scott Arthur on this site
In Parliament
Hansard records these as Dr Scott Arthur's latest words in Parliament, from 21 October 2026 to 26 October 2026. Hansard search returns 464 spoken contributions by Dr Scott Arthur since 4 July 2024.
I am pleased to hear that a DEFRA Minister is going to meet CatsMatter to talk about this issue. I also welcome the Minister’s talk of reviewing what other jurisdictions do; will he commit to publishing that work in some shape or form, so that we can get sight of it?
Absolutely. A few years ago, we looked after my daughter’s cat for a short period—three years, it turned out.
Read in Hansard (opening words; the full contribution is longer)
I agree and we have to be honest that this is not an issue unique to prostate cancer. With so many cancers, members of the black and ethnic minority community are much more likely to be diagnosed in accident and emergency, and that never leads to a good outcome.
Read in Hansard (opening words; the full contribution is longer)
It is a pleasure to serve under you, Dr Murrison. I start by paying tribute to the right hon. Member for Richmond and Northallerton (Rishi Sunak). He is doing a fantastic job of using the convening power that comes with his former office to shed light on this subject. The hon.
Read in Hansard (opening words; the full contribution is longer)
I know this is a difficult area to work in, not least because the Scottish Government do not yet know their policy on oil and gas drilling. Yesterday, The Scotsman reported that the Scottish Energy Minister has said it will take a year for them to reach a conclusion on that.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scott Arthur | Labour | 18,663 | 40.9% | +26.5 |
| Joanna Cherry | Scottish National Party | 12,446 | 27.3% | −20.4 |
| Sue Webber | Conservative | 5,558 | 12.2% | −12.5 |
| Dan Heap | Scottish Green Party | 3,450 | 7.6% | +5.1 |
| Bruce Wilson | Liberal Democrat | 3,014 | 6.6% | −2.9 |
| Ian Harper | Reform UK | 2,087 | 4.6% | +3.4 |
| Richard Lucas | Scottish Family Party | 265 | 0.6% | |
| Marc Wilkinson | Independent | 181 | 0.4% |
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 40.9% | Scottish National Party 27.3% | 6,217 | 61.9% |
| 12 December 2019 | General election (notional result on these boundaries) | Scottish National Party 47.6% | Conservative 24.7% | 11,982 | 71.1% |
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 West lies within City of Edinburgh.
- City of Edinburgh S12000036
Who has power over Edinburgh South West
Every body that makes decisions for Edinburgh South West, 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 West this page: Dr Scott Arthur (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 West?
UK Parliament lists Dr Scott Arthur, Labour, as the Member of Parliament for Edinburgh South West since the July 2024 general election.
What was the 2024 general election result in Edinburgh South West?
Scott Arthur (Labour) won with 18,663 votes, a majority of 6,217, on a turnout of 61.9% (House of Commons Library).
What is the unemployment claimant rate in Edinburgh South West?
3.1% of residents aged 16 to 64 in September 2026, 2,275 people, on the ONS claimant count.
What is the average salary in Edinburgh South West?
Median full-time pay of residents was £43,202 a year in April 2025 (ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings).
How many children in Edinburgh South West live in low income families?
DWP counts 2,244 (14.5% 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.