Linlithgow (Scottish Parliament constituency)

Linlithgow
Former county constituency
for the Scottish Parliament
Linlithgow shown within the Lothian electoral region and the region shown within Scotland
Population95,663 (2019)[1]
Former constituency
Created1999
Abolished2026
Council areaWest Lothian
Replaced byBathgate, Falkirk East and Linlithgow

Linlithgow was a constituency of the Scottish Parliament covering part of the council area of West Lothian. Under the additional-member system used for elections to the Scottish Parliament, the seat elected one Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) by the plurality (first past the post) method of election, and was also one of nine constituencies in the Lothian electoral region, which elected seven additional members, in addition to the nine constituency MSPs, to produce a form of proportional representation for the region as a whole.

As a result of the second periodic review of Scottish Parliament boundaries in 2025, the constituency was abolished ahead of the 2026 Scottish Parliament election. Most of the area became part of the new constituency of Bathgate, however the actual town of Linlithgow was joined with areas of Falkirk to form the new seat of Falkirk East and Linlithgow.[2][3]

The seat was held by Fiona Hyslop of the Scottish National Party from the 2011 Scottish Parliament election until its abolition.

Electoral region

See also: Lothian (Scottish Parliament electoral region)

During the period the Linlithgow constituency was in existence, the other eight constituencies of the Lothian region were: Almond Valley, Edinburgh Central, Edinburgh Eastern, Edinburgh Northern and Leith, Edinburgh Pentlands, Edinburgh Southern, Edinburgh Western and Midlothian North and Musselburgh. During this period, the region included all of the City of Edinburgh council area, parts of the East Lothian council area, parts of the Midlothian council area and all of the West Lothian council area.

The Lothian electoral region was also abolished as a result of second periodic review, with the area covered now mostly forming parts of the new Edinburgh and Lothians East and Central Scotland and Lothians West regions, with a small portion also being transferred to the South Scotland region.[4]

Constituency boundaries and council area

During the period the Linlithgow constituency was in existence,the West Lothian council area was represented by two constituencies in the Scottish Parliament: Almond Valley and Linlithgow.

For the first election to the Scottish Parliament in 1999 the constituencies used were identical to those already in use for elections to the House of Commons of the United Kingdom, and thus a Scottish Parliament constituency of Linlithgow was formed which shared the name and boundaries of the Linlithgow constituency of the UK Parliament. Ahead of the 2005 United Kingdom general election the boundaries of constituencies for the House of Commons were altered, whilst being retained for elections to the Scottish Parliament. There is now no longer any link between the two sets of boundaries.[5]

Following the first periodic review of Scottish Parliament boundaries in 2011 the Linlithgow constituency was defined using the following electoral wards of the West Lothian Council:

  • In full: Armadale and Blackridge, Bathgate, Broxburn, Uphall and Winchburgh and Linlithgow
  • In part: Whitburn and Blackburn (shared with Almond Valley)

As of 2019, Linlithgow's population (95,663) was the highest among the 70 Holyrood mainland constituencies, almost one-third greater than those at the bottom of the list, the lowest being Argyll and Bute which had barely 60,000 within its boundaries.[1]

Member of the Scottish Parliament

Election Member Party
1999 Mary Mulligan Labour
2011 Fiona Hyslop SNP

Election results

2020s

2021 Scottish Parliament election: Linlithgow[6][7]
Party Candidate Constituency Regional
Votes % ±% Votes % ±%
SNP Fiona Hyslop[a] 22,693 48.4 Decrease2.0 18,735 39.8 Decrease4.2
Labour Kirsteen Sullivan 12,588 26.9 Increase0.8 10,135 21.6 Decrease1.5
Conservative Charles Kennedy 9,472 20.2 Increase0.2 10,556 22.4 Increase1.9
Green 3,566 7.6 Increase2.0
Liberal Democrats Sally Pattle 2,126 4.5 Increase1.1 1,551 3.3 Increase0.8
Alba 724 1.5 New
Animal Welfare 393 0.8 New
All for Unity 330 0.7 New
Scottish Family 221 0.5 New
Abolish the Scottish Parliament 146 0.3 New
Freedom Alliance (UK) 128 0.3 New
Reform 120 0.3 New
Women's Equality 99 0.2 Decrease0.5
Scottish Libertarian 88 0.2 New
UKIP 88 0.2 Decrease2.4
Communist 62 0.1 New
Independent Ashley Graczyk 39 0.1 New
SDP 26 0.1 New
Renew 14 0.0 New
Majority 10,105 21.5 Decrease2.8
Valid votes 46,879 47,021
Invalid votes 199 91
Turnout 47,078 62.2 Increase8.2 47,112 62.3 Increase8.3
SNP hold Swing
Notes
  1. ^ Incumbent member for this constituency

2010s

2016 Scottish Parliament election: Linlithgow[8]
Party Candidate Constituency Region
Votes % ±% Votes % ±%
SNP Fiona Hyslop[a] 19,362 50.4 Increase0.6 16,987 44.0 Decrease2.4
Labour Angela Moohan 10,027 26.1 Decrease11.7 8,905 23.1 Decrease7.6
Conservative Charles Kennedy 7,699 20.0 Increase12.3 7,931 20.5 Increase13.1
Green 2,179 5.6 Increase2.4
UKIP 1,001 2.6 Increase1.9
Liberal Democrats Dan Farthing-Sykes 1,319 3.4 Increase0.4 961 2.5 Increase0.4
Women's Equality 269 0.7 New
Solidarity 248 0.6 Increase0.5
RISE 133 0.3 New
Majority 9,335 24.3 Increase12.3
Valid votes 38,407 38,614
Invalid votes 143 35
Turnout 38,550 54.0 Increase1.3 35,649 54.0 Increase1.2
SNP hold Swing
Notes
  1. ^ Incumbent member for this constituency
2011 Scottish Parliament election: Linlithgow[9]
Party Candidate Constituency Region
Votes % ±% Votes % ±%
SNP Fiona Hyslop[a] 17,027 49.8 N/A 15,883 46.4 N/A
Labour Mary Mulligan[b] 12,936 37.8 N/A 10,517 30.7 N/A
Conservative Chris Donnelly 2,646 7.7 N/A 2,524 7.4 N/A
Independent Margo MacDonald[a] 1,644 4.8 N/A
Green 1,088 3.2 N/A
Liberal Democrats Jennifer Lang 1,015 3.0 N/A 680 2.0 N/A
National Front Michael Coyle 558 1.6 N/A
All-Scotland Pensioners Party 463 1.4 N/A
BNP 436 1.3 N/A
Socialist Labour 315 0.9 N/A
UKIP 248 0.7 N/A
Scottish Christian 142 0.4 N/A
Scottish Socialist 127 0.4 N/A
CPA 78 0.2 N/A
Liberal 52 0.2 N/A
Solidarity 24 0.1 N/A
Independent David Hogg 9 0.0 N/A
Independent Ken O'Neil 8 0.0 N/A
Independent Mev Brown 5 0.0 N/A
Majority 4,091 12.0 N/A
Valid votes 34,182 34,243
Invalid votes 113 79
Turnout 34,295 52.7 N/A 34,322 52.8 N/A
SNP win (new boundaries)
Notes
  1. ^ a b Incumbent member on the party list, or for another constituency
  2. ^ Incumbent member for this constituency

2000s

2007 Scottish Parliament election: Linlithgow
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Mary Mulligan 12,715 42.9 +1.1
SNP Fiona Hyslop 11,565 39.0 +4.4
Conservative Donald Cameron 3,125 10.5 −0.6
Liberal Democrats Martin Oliver 2,232 7.5 0.0
Majority 1,150 3.9 −3.3
Turnout 29,637 52.7 +1.6
Labour hold Swing -3.2
2003 Scottish Parliament election: Linlithgow
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Mary Mulligan 11,548 41.8 −3.3
SNP Fiona Hyslop 9,578 34.6 −1.9
Conservative Gordon Lindhurst 3,059 11.1 +1.7
Liberal Democrats Martin Oliver 2,093 7.5 −0.3
Scottish Socialist Steven Nimmo 1,367 4.9 New
Majority 1,970 7.2 −1.4
Turnout 27,645 51.1 −11.2
Labour hold Swing -3.4

1990s

1999 Scottish Parliament election: Linlithgow
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Mary Mulligan 15,247 45.1 N/A
SNP Stewart Stevenson 12,319 36.5 N/A
Conservative Gordon Lindhurst 3,158 9.4 N/A
Liberal Democrats John Barrett 2,643 7.8 N/A
Independent Irene Overstone 415 1.2 N/A
Majority 2,928 8.6 N/A
Turnout 36,710 62.3 N/A
Labour win (new seat)

Footnotes

  1. ^ a b Scottish Parliamentary Constituency (SPC) Population Estimates (2011 Data Zone based) Archived 6 May 2021 at the Wayback Machine, National Records of Scotland; retrieved 6 May 2021 (accompanying summary notes Archived 15 April 2021 at the Wayback Machine)
  2. ^ "Second Review of Scottish Parliament Boundaries: Report to Scottish Ministers" (PDF). Boundaries Scotland. April 2025. Retrieved 26 November 2025.
  3. ^ "Boundary Maps". Boundaries Scotland. Retrieved 1 December 2025.
  4. ^ "Scottish Parliament Constituencies and Regions (including New 2026 boundaries)". Boundaries Scotland. Retrieved 15 April 2026.
  5. ^ See The 5th Periodical Report of the Boundary Commission for Scotland Archived 21 September 2007 at the Wayback Machine
  6. ^ "Election Results". West Lothian Council. 8 May 2021. Retrieved 5 July 2021.
  7. ^ "Constituencies A-Z: Linlithgow]". BBC News. Retrieved 8 May 2021.
  8. ^ "Scottish Parliament Elections 2016" (PDF). West Lothian Council. Retrieved 5 July 2021.
  9. ^ "Scottish Parliament Elections 2011" (PDF). West Lothian Council. Retrieved 5 July 2021.
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