# City Centre (Edinburgh ward)

City Centre is one of the seventeen wards used to elect members of the City of Edinburgh Council. Established in 2007 along with the other wards, it elects four Councillors. As its name suggests, the ward's territory is based around a compact area in the centre of Edinburgh, including Calton Hill, the Canongate, Haymarket, Lauriston, the New Town, the Old Town, West Coates and the West End. A minor 2017 boundary change saw the loss of Abbeyhill and the gain of Tollcross and Dumbiedykes, but the overall population rose considerably and one further representative was added. In 2019, the ward had a population of 32,410.

## Councillors

| Election | Councillors | Councillors | Councillors | Councillors | Councillors | Councillors | Councillors |
| 2007 | | Charles C Dundas (Liberal Democrats) | | Joanna Mowat (Conservative) | | David Beckett (SNP) | 3 seats |
| 2011 by | Alasdair Rankin (SNP) | Charles C Dundas (Liberal Democrats) | | Joanna Mowat (Conservative) | | | 3 seats |
| 2012 | Alasdair Rankin (SNP) | | Karen Doran (Labour) | Joanna Mowat (Conservative) | | | 3 seats |
| 2017 | Alasdair Rankin (SNP) | | Karen Doran (Labour) | Joanna Mowat (Conservative) | Claire Miller (Greens) |
| 2022 | Margaret Graham (Labour) | Finlay McFarlane (SNP) | | Joanna Mowat (Conservative) | Claire Miller (Greens) |

## Election results
### 2022 election

City Centre - 4 seats :
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count |
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 |
| | Conservative | Jo Mowat (incumbent) | 21.4 | 1,896 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Scottish Green | Claire Miller (incumbent) | 19.8 | 1,755 | 1,760 | 1,760 | 1,761 | 1,765 | 1,770 | 1,784 | | | | | | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Andy Foxall | 15.1 | 1,341 | 1,396 | 1,396 | 1,398 | 1,402 | 1,415 | 1,422 | 1,423 | 1,449 | 1,476 | 1,495 | 1,551 | |
| | Labour | Margaret Arma Graham | 14.6 | 1,297 | 1,315 | 1,318 | 1,318 | 1,319 | 1,326 | 1,333 | 1,336 | 1,348 | 1,385 | 1,471 | 1,570 | 2,349 |
| | SNP | Finlay McFarlane | 13.3 | 1,182 | 1,183 | 1,185 | 1,187 | 1,190 | 1,191 | 1,203 | 1,206 | 1,210 | 1,237 | 2,120 | | |
| | SNP | Marianne Mwiki | 11.1 | 984 | 985 | 987 | 987 | 988 | 990 | 1,004 | 1,008 | 1,011 | 1,033 | | | |
| | Independent | Bonnie Prince Bob | 1.3 | 117 | 119 | 119 | 119 | 121 | 125 | 153 | 153 | 182 | | | | |
| | Alba | Kevan Shaw | 1.2 | 105 | 106 | 108 | 108 | 109 | 110 | | | | | | | |
| | Independent | Norrie Rowan | 0.9 | 84 | 90 | 90 | 97 | 100 | 114 | 126 | 126 | | | | | |
| | Independent | Kevin Illingworth | 0.6 | 50 | 52 | 52 | 52 | 58 | | | | | | | | |
| | Independent | Pete Carson | 0.2 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | | | | | | | | | |
| | Independent | Paul R. Penman | 0.2 | 14 | 16 | 18 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Independent | Maria Pakpahan-Campbell | 0.1 | 11 | 12 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Electorate: 23,510 Valid: 8,857 Spoilt: 81 Quota: 1,772 Turnout: 37.7% |||||||||||||||||
Source:

### 2017 election

2017 City of Edinburgh Council election
City Centre - 4 seats :
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count |
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |
| | Conservative | Jo Mowat (incumbent) | 32.68% | 2,904 | | | | | |
| | SNP | Alasdair Rankin (incumbent) | 25.07% | 2,228 | | | | | |
| | Scottish Green | Claire Miller | 20.52% | 1,823 | | | | | |
| | Labour | Karen Doran (incumbent) | 13.25% | 1,177 | 1,372 | 1,512 | 1,534 | 1,566 | 2,424 |
| | Liberal Democrats | David Stevens | 8.00% | 711 | 1,185 | 1,304 | 1,318 | 1,388 | |
| | Scottish Libertarian | Peter Sidor | 0.48% | 43 | 91 | 135 | 137 | | |
| Electorate: 20,451 Valid: 8,886 Spoilt: 52 Quota: 1,776 Turnout: 8,938 (43.7%) ||||||||||

### 2012 election

2012 City of Edinburgh Council election
City Centre - 3 seats :
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count |
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |
| | Conservative | Joanna Mowat (incumbent) | 27.69% | 1,402 | | | | | |
| | SNP | Alasdair Rankin (incumbent) | 24.97% | 1,264 | 1,272 | | | | |
| | Labour | Karen Doran | 21.33% | 1,080 | 1,093 | 1,094 | 1,101 | 1,235 | 1,777 |
| | Scottish Green | Julita Mazurek | 17.06% | 864 | 887 | 890 | 907 | 1,111 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Iain Coleman | 7.94% | 402 | 439 | 440 | 463 | | |
| | Liberal | Karen Hetherington | 1.01% | 51 | 58 | 59 | | | |
| Electorate: 13,943 Valid: 5,063 Spoilt: 38 (0.74%) Quota: 1,266 Turnout: 5,101 (36.6%) ||||||||||

### 2011 by-election

A by-election arose following the resignation of SNP councillor David Beckett on 9 June 2011. The seat was held by the SNP's Alasdair Rankin on 18 August 2011.
City Centre By-Election (18 August 2011) - 1 seat :
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count |
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| | Conservative | Iain McGill | 24.2 | 837 | 904 | 1,043 | 1,110 | 1,264 |
| | SNP | Alasdair Rankin | 23.1 | 797 | 825 | 893 | 1,081 | 1,368 |
| | Labour | Karen Doran | 19.7 | 682 | 716 | 745 | 968 | |
| | Scottish Green | Melanie Main | 14.3 | 494 | 576 | 635 | | |
| | Independent | John Carson | 11.4 | 394 | 402 | | | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Alistair Hodgson | 7.3 | 251 | | | | |
| Electorate: 14,810 Valid: 3,455 Spoilt: 11 Quota: 1,728 Turnout: 3,466 |||||||||

### 2007 election

2007 City of Edinburgh Council election
2007 Council election: City Centre :
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count |
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 |
| | SNP | David Beckett | 20.3 | 1,630 | 1,644 | 1,661 | 1,688 | 1,983 | 2,027.02 | | |
| | Conservative | Joanna Mowat | 20.1 | 1,614 | 1,628 | 1,665 | 1,670 | 1,742 | 1,783.63 | 1,788.75 | 2,221.13 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Charles C Dundas | 19.7 | 1,587 | 1,605 | 1,627 | 1,637 | 2,225 | | | |
| | Labour | Bill Cunningham | 17.9 | 1,437 | 1,446 | 1,454 | 1,468 | 1,705 | 1,774.35 | 1,782.67 | |
| | Scottish Green | Gavin N Corbett | 16.8 | 1,352 | 1,363 | 1,384 | 1,450 | | | | |
| | Scottish Socialist | Catriona Grant | 1.8 | 142 | 143 | 146 | | | | | |
| | Independent | Brian R Ferrier | 1.6 | 130 | 133 | | | | | | |
| | Liberal | Karen M Hetherington | 1.0 | 83 | | | | | | | |
| Electorate: 15,829 Valid: 7,975 Spoilt: 73 Quota: 1,994 Turnout: 50.8% ||||||||||||