The results in Edinburgh West were decisive with a 75.4% turnout, a small increase on 2017.

Craig Bolton Scottish Labour Party 4,460 votes

Elaine Gunn Scottish Green Party 1,027 votes

Graham Hutchison Scottish Conservative and Unionist 9,283 votes

Christine Jardine Scottish Liberal Democrats 21,766 votes (majority of 3,769)

Sarah Masson SNP 17,997 votes

Christine Jardine making her victory speech in Edinburgh PHOTO ©2019 The Edinburgh Reporter

Jardine made her victory speech from the stage at Ingliston when she lamented that Liberal Democrat leader Jo Swinson had lost her seat. She explained that it was Swinson had encouraged her to get into politics saying : “For those of us in the Liberal Democrats who believe in the United Kingdom and the EU we have a bit of a battle on our hands on both sides of the border. We will hold this government to account on climate change, education, health and attacking the poverty that has become such a growing ill in British society.”

Ms Jardine told The Edinburgh Reporter : “Obviously I’m absolutely delighted to have the honour of representing Edinburgh West again. I will do my best to be a good MP for the next five years probably now, but the fact that we have lost Jo tonight in such a close contest, when she was you know attacked with so many things, personal things and I just feel she’s a loss to  British politics.

“So it’s a big upset here tonight – in Scotland particularly – well it didn’t go with the poll.”

We interjected that she was projected to lose her seat and she agreed saying, “Yes, I would have been. But the poll got it wrong because our vote went up. Seats across the country, Liberal Democrats were getting an increased share of the votes and increased actual vote so it’s the poll was wrong somewhere They were saying at the start of the night I was only 1% likely to win then here I am. But unfortunately it didn’t work out elsewhere.”

Website | + posts

Founding Editor of The Edinburgh Reporter.
Edinburgh-born multimedia journalist and iPhoneographer.