# Colinton/Fairmilehead (ward)

Colinton/Fairmilehead 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 three Councillors.
As its name suggests, the ward's territory is based around the communities of Colinton and Fairmilehead in the far south of the city's urban area up to the boundary with Midlothian, also including Bonaly, Comiston, Firrhill, Hunter's Tryst / New Swanston, Oxgangs and Redford, plus the separate hamlet of Swanston. In 2019, the ward had a population of 25,257.

## Councillors

| Election | Councillors | Councillors | Councillors | Councillors | Councillors | Councillors |
| 2007 | | Elaine Aitken (Conservative) | | Jason Rust (Conservative) | | Eric Barry (Labour) |
| 2012 | | Elaine Aitken (Conservative) | Richard Lewis (SNP) | Jason Rust (Conservative) |
| 2017 | Philip Doggart (Conservative) | | Scott Arthur (Labour) | Jason Rust (Conservative) |
| 2022 | | Marco Biagi (SNP) | Scott Arthur (Labour) | Jason Rust (Conservative) |
| 2024 by-election | | Marco Biagi (SNP) | Louise Spence (Liberal Democrats) | Jason Rust (Conservative) |
| 2025 by-election | | Connor Savage (Labour) | | Jason Rust (Conservative) | Neil Cuthbert (Conservative) |

## Election results
### 2025 by-election

Colinton/Fairmilehead by-election (23 January 2025) – 2 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 | Neil Cuthbert | 32.6 | 2,027 | 2,027 | 2,028 | 2,030 | 2,034 | 2,039 | 2,050 | 2,100 | | | | | |
| | Labour | Connor Savage | 18.4 | 1,146 | 1,147 | 1,148 | 1,149 | 1,152 | 1,159 | 1,166 | 1,191 | 1,193 | 1,209 | 1,342 | 1,615 | 2,192 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Peter Nicholson | 16.2 | 1,009 | 1,009 | 1,009 | 1,009 | 1,012 | 1,015 | 1,023 | 1,059 | 1,064 | 1,103 | 1,187 | 1,380 | |
| | SNP | Marianna Clyde | 13.5 | 840 | 840 | 840 | 843 | 843 | 848 | 849 | 870 | 870 | 892 | 1,032 | | |
| | Scottish Green | Daniel Milligan | 6.8 | 426 | 426 | 426 | 426 | 432 | 436 | 444 | 460 | 460 | 467 | | | |
| | Reform UK | Grant Lidster | 5.5 | 345 | 345 | 345 | 347 | 348 | 354 | 364 | 384 | 387 | | | | |
| | Independent | Marc Wilkinson | 4.1 | 256 | 256 | 258 | 260 | 264 | 278 | 288 | | | | | | |
| | Scottish Family | Richard Lucas | 1.0 | 65 | 65 | 68 | 69 | 70 | 70 | | | | | | | |
| | Independent | David Henry | 0.6 | 38 | 38 | 43 | 54 | 61 | | | | | | | | |
| | Independent | Bonnie Prince Bob | 0.5 | 30 | 32 | 32 | 32 | | | | | | | | | |
| | Independent | Mev Brown | 0.4 | 23 | 23 | 25 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Independent | Nick Horning | 0.2 | 13 | 15 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Independent | Mark Ney-Party | 0.1 | 5 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Electorate: 19,669 Valid: 6,223 Spoilt: 58 Quota: 2,075 Turnout: 31.9% |||||||||||||||||
Source:

### 2024 by-election

Colinton/Fairmilehead by-election (14 November 2024) – 1 seat :
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | 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 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Louise Spence | 36.3 | 2,683 | 2,684 | 2,685 | 2,687 | 2,697 | 2,704 | 2,763 | 2,793 | 2,898 | 3,096 | 3,751 |
| | Conservative | Neil Cuthbert | 19.6 | 1,454 | 1,458 | 1,458 | 1,465 | 1,476 | 1,483 | 1,517 | 1,638 | 1,643 | 1,676 | |
| | Labour | Sheila Gilmore | 19.5 | 1,441 | 1,441 | 1,444 | 1,446 | 1,453 | 1,463 | 1,480 | 1,495 | 1,611 | 1,886 | 2,055 |
| | SNP | Marianna Clyde | 10.8 | 800 | 800 | 800 | 801 | 806 | 816 | 826 | 835 | 963 | | |
| | Scottish Green | Daniel Milligan | 5.3 | 393 | 393 | 396 | 397 | 402 | 407 | 414 | 423 | | | |
| | Reform UK | Grant Lidster | 3.6 | 268 | 269 | 269 | 281 | 283 | 287 | 300 | | | | |
| | Independent | Marc Wilkinson | 2.3 | 173 | 173 | 175 | 177 | 179 | 190 | | | | | |
| | Independent | David Henry | 0.8 | 57 | 57 | 57 | 63 | 75 | | | | | | |
| | Scottish Family | Richard Lucas | 0.7 | 51 | 51 | 51 | | | | | | | | |
| | Independent | Mev Brown | 0.7 | 50 | 51 | 60 | 62 | | | | | | | |
| | Independent | Bonnie Prince Bob | 0.3 | 22 | 22 | | | | | | | | | |
| | Scottish Libertarian | Tam Laird | 0.1 | 9 | | | | | | | | | | |
| Electorate: 19,907 Valid: 7,401 Spoilt: 45 Quota: 3,701 Turnout: 37.4% |||||||||||||||
Source:

### 2022 election

Colinton/Fairmilehead - 3 seats :
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count |
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
| | Labour | Scott Arthur (incumbent) | 33.4 | 3,812 | | | | | | |
| | Conservative | Jason Rust (incumbent) | 20.3 | 2,317 | 2,435 | 2,480 | 2,507 | 3,512 | | |
| | SNP | Marco Biagi | 17.3 | 1,969 | 2,123 | 2,142 | 2,561 | 2,590 | 2,614 | 3,216 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Louise Watson Spence | 12.4 | 1,416 | 1,719 | 1,739 | 1,950 | 2,044 | 2,329 | |
| | Conservative | Neil Cuthbert | 9.6 | 1,100 | 1,185 | 1,211 | 1,221 | | | |
| | Scottish Green | Helen McCabe | 5.4 | 621 | 739 | 763 | | | | |
| | Scottish Family | Richard Crewe Lucas | 1.6 | 179 | 195 | | | | | |
| Electorate: 19,454 Valid: 11,414 Spoilt: 126 Quota: 2,854 Turnout: 59.3% |||||||||||
Source:

### 2017 election

2017 City of Edinburgh Council election
Colinton/Fairmilehead - 3 seats :
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count |
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |
| | Conservative | Jason Rust (incumbent) | 33.25% | 3,783 | | | | | |
| | Labour | Scott Arthur | 20.59% | 2,343 | 2,423 | 2,541 | 2,855 | | |
| | Conservative | Philip Doggart | 16.51% | 1,879 | 2,580 | 2,602 | 2,724 | 2,727 | 3,430 |
| | SNP | Richard John Lewis (incumbent) | 20.73% | 2,359 | 2,387 | 2,610 | 2,712 | 2,714 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | David Richard Walker | 4.64% | 528 | 584 | 680 | | | |
| | Scottish Green | Sara Marsden | 4.28% | 487 | 500 | | | | |
| Electorate: 19,085 Valid: 11,379 Spoilt: 111 Quota: 2,845 Turnout: 60.2% ||||||||||

### 2012 election

2012 City of Edinburgh Council election
Colinton/Fairmilehead - 3 seats :
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count |
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
| | Conservative | Jason Rust (incumbent) | 28.71% | 2,692 | | | | | | |
| | Conservative | Elaine Aitken (incumbent) | 23.29% | 2,184 | 2,427 | | | | | |
| | SNP | Richard Lewis | 20.59% | 1,931 | 1,953 | 1,962 | 1,975 | 2,021 | 2,187 | 2,816 |
| | Labour | Eric Barry (incumbent) | 17.87% | 1,676 | 1,699 | 1,708 | 1,724 | 1,831 | 2,070 | |
| | Scottish Green | Andy Saunders | 4.91% | 460 | 474 | 484 | 501 | 647 | | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Alan Beal | 3.62% | 339 | 350 | 365 | 368 | | | |
| | UKIP | Malcolm MacKay | 1.01% | 95 | 100 | 105 | | | | |
| Electorate: 18,521 Valid: 9,377 Spoilt: 74 (0.78%) Quota: 2,345 Turnout: 9,451 (51%) |||||||||||

### 2007 Election

2007 City of Edinburgh Council election
2007 Council election: Colinton/Fairmilehead :
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count |
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |
| | Conservative | Elaine Aitken | 23.1 | 2,877 | 2,878 | 2,907 | 3,111 | | |
| | Conservative | Jason Rust | 22.6 | 2,815 | 2,816 | 2,844 | 2,994 | 3,012.70 | 3,595.21 |
| | Labour | Eric Barry | 18.7 | 2,332 | 2,41 | 2,442 | 2,758 | 2,760.15 | 3,639.03 |
| | SNP | Thomas Kielty | 14.9 | 1,861 | 1,881 | 1,983 | | | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Stuart Bridges | 14.8 | 1,842 | 1,845 | 2,020 | 2,589 | 2,593.21 | |
| | Scottish Green | Alastair J Tibbitt | 4.2 | 517 | 546 | | | | |
| | Scottish Socialist | Robert Mathie | 0.6 | 80 | | | | | |
| Electorate: 18,413 Valid: 12,324 Spoilt: 132 Quota: 3,082 Turnout: 67.6% ||||||||||