Edinburgh constituencies: Latest boundary proposals confirm Leith name is saved and propose further changes

And other proposals which people complained would divide established communities have also been reversed.

Boundaries Scotland today published "further proposals" in response to the consultation on a new political map they put forward in April, which would have seen Leith disappear as part of a constituency name, with the seat which included the port called just Edinburgh North Eastern.

The plan sparked a wave of protest from the public and city politicians.  Boundaries Scotland said they had received over 100 responses opposing the omission of Leith, including a petition with over 750 names.  The constituency will now be called Edinburgh North Eastern and Leith.

The area's SNP MSP Ben Macpherson and former SNP MP Deidre Brock were among the leading voices calling for Leith's distinct identity to be recognised. 

The campaign echoed a previous battle in 2002, when the Evening News ran a "Keep Leith" campaign after a review of Westminster constituencies proposed renaming Edinburgh North & Leith as Edinburgh North East, but added Leith after the protests.

The latest boundary changes: red lines show the previous proposals, the solid colours show the new plan | Boundaries Scotland

Other changes proposed in the new document include:

- Edinburgh Southern expands northwards from the previous proposal so that more of Morningside is included in the constituency rather than seeing the area divided between Edinburgh Central and Edinburgh Southern.

- Davidson's Mains, which would have been split between Edinburgh North Western and Edinburgh Northern, will now be in Edinburgh Northern.

- It had been proposed Oxgangs and Colinton Mains would move from Edinburgh South Western to Edinburgh Southern, but it will now remain in Edinburgh South Western.

- And Gorgie/Dalry was due to move to Edinburgh South Western, but will now remain as part of Edinburgh Central.

Meanwhile, in East Lothian - which loses a large area into a new Edinburgh Eastern, Musselburgh and Tranent seat - the rest of the county was to be renamed Lothian East, but will now be called East Lothian Coast and Lammermuirs - a suggestion from the public in the consultation.

Plans for a new Bathgate constituency in West Lothian have been scrapped and Linlithgow will no longer become Linlithgow and Falkirk South. Instead, West Lothian will have two seats - Linlithgow and Almond Valley - with boundaries close to the current ones, except that Whitburn and Fauldhouse are transferred to Airdrie constituency.  Plans to rename Almond Valley as Livingston and Breich Valley have been dropped.

Midlothian North and Midlothian South, Tweeddale and Lauderdale have not changed since the previous proposals.

Boundaries Scotland has also proposed changes to the eight regions which each elect seven list MSPs at Scottish Parliament elections.    

Currently Lohian Region includes all the Edinburgh and West Lothian seats and Midlothian North & Musselburgh, while East Lothian and Midlothian South, Tweeddale and Lauderdale are in South Scotland.  The proposal is to move the West Lothian seats into Central Scotland but bring East Lothian into Lothian.

All the latest proposals will now go out for a month-long public consultation from  September 26 until October 26.

Professor Ailsa Henderson, chair of Boundaries Scotland, said the changes made showed that public responses could lead to important improvements. "We look forward to receiving submissions to the consultation and encourage the public to share their views.  Submissions are particularly valuable when they offer alternatives that meet the rules as set out in the legislation.”

And she stressed that the proposed changes were purely about the Scottish Parliament and had no impact on the boundaries for UK constituencies, local authorities or health boards.  "For individuals, this review does not affect the council areas in which they live, nor the way local services are accessed."