Capital to lose an MP after drop in registered voters

EDINBURGH is now certain to lose one of its five MPs at the next general election as new figures show a fall in the number of people registered to vote in the city.

Controversial legislation passed by Westminster last month will slash the House of Commons from 650 to 600 MPs and introduce strict new rules on the size of constituencies.

Boundaries will be redrawn to create seats of 76,000 voters, regardless of natural communities and local authority areas.

New figures published by the General Register Office for Scotland show Edinburgh has 321,247 voters on the electoral register - almost 10,000 fewer than in 2005 - despite a rise in the Capital's population.

That means, even taking into account the maximum five per cent variation allowed, Edinburgh cannot expect to retain its current five MPs.

The figures suggest parts of the city could be linked with parts of East Lothian, Midlothian or West Lothian to ensure the new seats are the right size.

However, Edinburgh South Labour MP Ian Murray said the drive for equal-sized constituencies was flawed because so many students, tenement dwellers and people in poorer communities did not register to vote, yet were still entitled to be represented by their MP.

He said: "There are 10,000 students in Edinburgh South and if you assumed another 5000 vulnerable people who are not on the register, that means we could end up with well over 90,000 people while a seat in the Yorkshire Dales might get 100 per cent registration and so will genuinely be 76,000.

"And the new rules for boundaries pay no attention to local links, so some of west Edinburgh could be put in with Livingston and north Edinburgh could be linked with Fife."

Lothians MSP and Labour peer George Foulkes, who fought in the House of Lords to amend the legislation, said the latest registration data confirmed his fears that the electoral roll did not accurately reflect the city's population.

He said: "I moved an amendment to have a different criteria for the drawing of boundaries based on the census, which would be more accurate."

Edinburgh is represented by four Labour MPs - Alistair Darling (South West), Mark Lazarowicz (North & Leith), Sheila Gilmore (East) and Ian Murray (South) - and one Liberal Democrat, Mike Crockart (West).Until the new boundaries are drawn up it is difficult to say who will lose out. The Scotland Office said making constituencies the same size means every vote is of equal value.