General Election 2024: All the latest updates from across Edinburgh and the Lothians
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Labour now hold all seats in Edinburgh and the Lothians bar one, with Lib Dems’ Christine Jardine having held her seat in Edinburgh West.
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Hide AdThis means former SNP MPs Tommy Sheppard, Joanna Cherry and Deidre Brock lost their seats in Edinburgh East & Musselburgh, Edinburgh South West and Edinburgh North & Leith respectively.
The picture is similar across the UK, with a landslide victory for Labour meaning Keir Starmer is now the new Prime Minister. He arrived at 10 Downing Street earlier today and has appointed his new cabinet.
We had the latest updates in the General Election throughout the night and you can read through the highlights from Edinburgh and beyond below.
General Election 2024: Live updates from across Edinburgh and the Lothians
Key Events
- SNP loses all seats in Edinburgh as Labour sweeps in
- All the results from Edinburgh and the Lothians in full
- Joanna Cherry says Labour must 'deliver on promises' as she loses seat
- Tommy Sheppard talks of 'very bad night' for SNP as he loses to Labour
- Edinburgh South MP Ian Murray appointed Scotland Secretary
Edinburgh goes to the polls
Polling stations across the UK have opened as voters have their say at the General Election after weeks of campaigning.
Millions of people will cast their vote between 7am and 10pm , with opinion polls suggesting Labour is on course to secure a big majority in the House of Commons and form a new government.
An exit poll, published shortly after 10pm on Thursday , will provide the first indication of how the election has gone on a national level.
Reminder before you vote
This is the first General Election where voters will need to show photographic ID before they can receive their ballot paper following a law change in 2022.
Please remember to take along your photo ID otherwise you will not be able to have your say.
Dogs at polling stations
Our first picture of a dog at an Edinburgh polling station is in!
This perfect pup gets a pat outside Wilson Memorial church, located on the corner of Kekewich Avenue and Moira Terrace in Portobello.
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Battleground seats
There could be a close finish in several battleground seats in Edinburgh and the Lothians when the votes are counted.
Our political editor Ian Swanson has taken a look at the contests in each of the seats across Edinburgh and the Lothians.
National view
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer and his wife Victoria arrived to cast their votes in the 2024 General Election at Willingham Close TRA Hall in London earlier today. Sir Keir is predicted to become the UK’s next Prime Minister.
Edinburgh goes to the polls - in pictures
Take a look through our gallery as Edinburgh goes to the polls today.
Unsurprisingly taking the limelight are lots of the Capital’s canines, who have been snapped while waiting outside the city’s polling stations.
Exit polls are out
The exit poll is out and predicts a Labour landslide.
According to the exit polls:
Labour - 410
Tory - 131
Lib Dems - 61
Reform UK - 13
SNP - 10
Other - 25
Sturgeon: 'This is not a good night for the SNP'
Nicola Sturgeon has spoken after the exit polls predicted just 10 seats for the SNP.
While discussing on ITV News whether the party’s predicted downfall would be her fault, the former First Minister said: “This is not a good night for the SNP on these numbers and there will be a lot of questions that will need to be asked as we come out of it.”
First result - Labour hold
Houghton & Sunderland South is the first result to be declared, with Labour’s Bridget Phillipson having held the seat with 18,887 votes.
At the Edinburgh count
Our political editor Ian Swanson is at Highland Hall at the Royal Highland Centre, where the votes from all five Edinburgh seats are being counted.
Exit poll met with scepticism in Scotland
The exit poll has raised eyebrows in Scotland after the SNP was predicted to win just 10 seats - down 38 from last time.
But Edinburgh University politics professor Ailsa Henderson said the exit poll was reached on sampling 133 polling areas across Britain, 18 of which were in Scotland.
She described basing a national level figure on just 18 areas as ‘a difficult ask’.
Labour 'confident' about Edinburgh seats
Labour sources appear confident the party has won both Edinburgh North & Leith and Edinburgh East & Musselburgh, meaning SNP MPs Deidre Brock and Tommy Sheppard would be out.
Most attention is now focused on Joanna Cherry’s seat of Edinburgh South West which is said to be very close.
Edinburgh South West 'very tight'
An SNP source said Edinburgh South West, SNP’s Joanna Cherry’s seat, was ‘very tight’ but hinted Labour could edge it.
He said most of the Tory vote had transferred to Labour but some had gone to Reform instead.
Labour celebrations
Labour are already celebrating at the Edinburgh count in anticipation of the party winning all three of the city seats previously held by the SNP.
East Lothian result
Labour’s Douglas Alexander has won the Lothian East seat, with 23,555 votes.
He had a majority of 13,265 over SNP candidate Lyn Jardine.
National view
Sir Keir Starmer, who is set to be the UK’s new Prime Minister, has unsurprisingly held his Holborn and St Pancras seat.
Former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, who is standing as an independent, has also held his seat in Islington North, with more than 24,000 votes.
And in Clacton, Nigel Farage is celebrating after he won the seat as Reform UK party leader.
Edinburgh West result
The Lib Dems have held their seat in Edinburgh West, with Christine Jardine having received 26,645 votes.
You can see all the voting numbers and keep up to date with all the results as they come in here.
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