Edinburgh East (UK Parliament constituency)

Edinburgh East
Burgh constituency for the House of Commons
Boundary of Edinburgh East in Scotland.
Subdivisions of Scotland	City of Edinburgh
Current constituency
Created	2005
Member of parliament	Tommy Sheppard (SNP)
Number of members	One
Created from	Edinburgh East & Musselburgh Edinburgh Central Edinburgh South
1885–1997
Number of members	One
Type of constituency	Burgh constituency
Created from	Edinburgh
Overlaps
European Parliament constituency	Scotland

Edinburgh East is a burgh constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It elects one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first past the post system of election.

In its present form the constituency was first used in the 2005 general election, but there was also an Edinburgh East constituency from 1885 to 1997.

Edinburgh East is now one of five constituencies covering the City of Edinburgh council area. All are entirely within the city council area. Prior to the 2005 general election, the city area was covered by six constituencies, with one straddling a boundary with another council area.

The Redistribution of Seats Act 1885 provided that the constituency was to consist of the Municipal Wards of Broughton, Calton, and Canongate, and so much of St. Leonard's Ward as lies to the north of a line drawn along the centres of East and West Richmond Streets.

In 1918 the constituency consisted of the "Burgh of Musselburgh and the Canongate and Portobello Municipal Wards of Edinburgh."

The Edinburgh East constituency, as defined in 2005, consists of areas formerly within the constituencies of Edinburgh East and Musselburgh, Edinburgh Central and Edinburgh South. It is largely a replacement for Edinburgh East and Musselburgh. Scottish Parliament constituencies retain the names and boundaries of the older Westminster constituencies.

As implied by the name, Edinburgh East covers an eastern portion of the City of Edinburgh, although it extends well into the city centre. In terms of wards used in elections to the City of Edinburgh Council, 1999 to 2007, it includes the wards of Craigmillar, Duddingston, Holyrood, Leith Links, Meadowbank, Milton, Mountcastle, Portobello, Prestonfield, Restalrig, Southside and Tollcross. The wards are due to be replaced with new wards in 2007, as a consequence of the Local Governance (Scotland) Act 2004.