 | 'Are the government prepared to reform the Barnett formula so that all parts of the country - Scotland, Wales and the regions of England - have a basis that reflects their needs?' Alan Beith, Liberal Democrat MP for Berwick-Upon-Tweed, Hansard, Regional Affairs Standing Committee, 10 th May 2001. |  |
There was a by-election for the South East Corstorphine ward of the City of Edinburgh Council on the 11 th October 2001 following the election of Liberal Democrat Cllr John Barrett as MP for Edinburgh West in succession to Donald Gorrie on the 7 th June 2001.
South East Corstorphine is in the new Edinburgh West Westminster parliamentary seat (held by Liberal Democrat John Barrett MP) and in the Edinburgh West Scottish parliamentary seat (held by Liberal Democrat Margaret Smith MSP).
| 11 th October 2001 By-election. Turnout 31.5 % (- 39.2 %) | |||||
| Candidate | Logo | Party | Votes | % | % change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Phillip Wheeler |  |
Liberal Democrat | 1,343 | 67.5 % | + 10.8 % |
| Gordon Munro |  |
Labour | 286 | 14.3 % | - 3.6 % |
| Alex Kerr |  |
Conservative | 252 | 12.7 % | - 0.1 % |
| Sheena Cleland |  |
Scottish National Party | 109 | 5.5 % | - 7.0 % |
| Liberal Democrat hold | |
Liberal Democrat majority | 1,057 | 53.2 % | + 14.4 % |
| 6 th May 1999 Turnout 70.7 % (+ 16.8 %) | |||||
| Candidate | Logo | Party | Votes | % | % change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cllr John Barrett | |
Liberal Democrat | 2,523 | 56.7 % | + 1.6 % |
| Gordon J. Munro | |
Labour | 801 | 17.9 % | - 0.6 % |
| Ishbel K. C. Rendall | |
Conservative | 572 | 12.8 % | - 3.2 % |
| Derek John Watson | |
Scottish National Party | 566 | 12.5 % | + 2.1 % |
| Liberal Democrat hold | |
Liberal Democrat majority | 1,722 | 38.8 % | + 2.2 % |
| 6 th April 1995 Turnout 53.9 % | |||||
| Candidate | Logo | Party | Votes | % | % change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| John Barrett | |
Liberal Democrat | 1,893 | 55.1 % | |
| Gordon J. Munro | |
Labour | 635 | 18.5 % | |
| Gordon Mackenzie | |
Conservative | 549 | 16.0 % | |
| Paul Smith | |
Scottish National Party | 359 | 10.4 % | |
| Liberal Democrat win | |
Liberal Democrat majority | 1,258 | 36.6 % | |
There will be by-election in the South East Corstorphine ward of the City of Edinburgh Council following the election of Cllr John Barrett as MP for Edinburgh West in succession to Donald Gorrie.
In 1992, Labour lost overall control of Edinburgh District Council. In a swings and roundabouts election six seats changed hands leaving the Lib Dems up two, the Tories up one, the SNP down one and Labour down two. The Tories won Longstone from Labour and Moat and Queensferry from the SNP; the Lib Dems won Marchmont and Morningside from the Tories, and the SNP gained Kirkliston from Labour. This resulted in a hung council with Labour on 30 wards, the Tories on 23, the Lib Dems on seven and the SNP on two. A deal was struck between Labour and the SNP and the veteran SNP councillor Norman Irons was voted in as Lord Provost of Edinburgh.
In 1992, V. Crerar held South East Corstorphine for the Lib Dems with 1,873 votes (49.8 %) giving them a 536 majority (14.3 %) over Tory R. Macarthur who polled 1,337 votes (35.5 %). In third place was Labour's I. Farquhar with 359 votes (9.5 %) followed by the SNP's P.W. Smith with 192 votes (5.1 %).
Following local government reorganisation the number of Edinburgh wards was reduced from 62 to 58. In 1995, Labour won an overall majority of the wards in Edinburgh, taking 34 seats compared to 14 for the Tories, and 10 for the Lib Dems. The SNP, despite polling 17.2 % of the vote in the capital, just 0.9 % less than the Lib Dems, found themselves without representation on the council until Rob Munn won the Harbour ward from Labour in a by-election in 1996 and held it in 1999.
In the new City of Edinburgh Council ward of South East Corstorphine, the Lib Dems were represented by John Barrett in 1995. He took 1,893 votes (55.1 %) giving him a 1,258 majority (36.6 %) over Labour's Gordon Munro who took 635 votes (18.5 %). In third place was Tory Gordon Mackenzie who polled 549 votes (16.0 %) followed by the SNP's Paul Smith with 286 votes (8.3 %).
In John Barrett held South East Corstorphine for the Lib Dems with 2,523 votes (56.7 %) giving him a 1,722 majority (38.7 %) over his previous Labour rival, Gordon Munro who took 801 votes (18.0 %). In third place was Tory Ishbel Rendall who polled 572 votes (12.8 %) just 16 votes ahead of the SNP's Derek Watson with 556 votes (12.5 %).
Pending the three by-elections in the wards of Prestonfield (Labour), Broughton (Labour), and South East Corstorphine (Lib Dem), the political composition of the City of Edinburgh Council is 29 Labour, 13 Conservatives, 12 Lib Dems and one Scottish National Party councillor.
Thanks to Sheena Cleland for supplying the names of the by-elction candidates.
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