Editing East Lothian (section)

== Politics ==
In the [[2014 Scottish independence referendum]], a majority of voters in the East Lothian council area opted for Scotland to remain a part of the United Kingdom - with 61.72% casting their ballots for the Union and 38.28% voting for independence.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/events/scotland-decides/results|title=Scottish independence referendum - Results|publisher=BBC News}}</ref>

=== Parliament of the United Kingdom ===
[[Lothian East (UK Parliament constituency)|Lothian East]] is a constituency in the [[House of Commons of the United Kingdom|House of Commons]], electing one [[Member of Parliament (United Kingdom)|Member of Parliament]]. It is one of only four UK Parliamentary Constituencies in Scotland—along with [[Inverclyde (UK Parliament constituency)|Inverclyde]], [[Moray (UK Parliament constituency)|Moray]] and [[Na h-Eileanan an Iar (UK Parliament constituency)|Na h-Eileanan an Iar]]—that matches the boundaries of its [[Local government in Scotland|Local Authority]] area.

The current MP for Lothian East is [[Douglas Alexander]] of the Labour Party, who has represented the constituency since the [[2024 United Kingdom general election|2024 general election]], replacing Alba Party MP, [[Kenny MacAskill]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.eastlothiancourier.com/news/24432281.labours-douglas-alexander-wins-lothian-east-huge-majority/|title=Labour's Douglas Alexander wins Lothian East with huge majority|first=Marie|last=Sharp|date=5 July 2024|website=East Lothian Courier}}</ref>

Former [[Prime Minister of the United Kingdom|UK Prime Minister]] [[Arthur Balfour]] was born on 25 July 1848 at [[Whittingehame House]] in what is now the Lothian East constituency.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.countrylife.co.uk/property/whittingehame-house-splendid-mansion-grecian-architecture-hosted-king-edward-vii-winston-churchill-comes-market-152150|title=The magnificent apartment that hosted Lloyd George, Churchill and Conan Doyle|first=Agnes|last=Stamp|date=14 March 2017|website=[[Country Life (magazine)|Country Life]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.scotsman.com/news/world/who-was-arthur-balfour-the-scottish-politician-who-was-instrumental-in-the-creation-of-israel-4404339|title=Who was Arthur Balfour, the Scottish politician who was instrumental in the creation of Israel?|last=Bradley|first=Jane|date=12 November 2023|website=The Scotsman}}</ref>

{{Election box begin|
|title=[[2024 United Kingdom general election|General election 2024]]: Lothian East<ref>{{cite news |title=Lothian East results |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/election/2024/uk/constituencies/S14000096 |access-date=16 July 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=UK General Election Results – 4 July 2024 |url=https://www.eastlothian.gov.uk/info/210600/elections_and_voting/12030/election_results |website=East Lothian Council |access-date=16 July 2024}}</ref>
}}
{{Election box winning candidate with party link||party=Labour and Co-operative|candidate=[[Douglas Alexander]]|votes=23,555|percentage=49.2|change=+18.5|}}
{{Election box candidate with party link||party=Scottish National Party|candidate=Lyn Jardine|votes=10,290|percentage=21.5|change=−13.4|}}
{{Election box candidate with party link||party=Scottish Conservatives|candidate=Scott Hamilton|votes=5,335|percentage=11.1|change=−16.0|}}
{{Election box candidate with party link||party=Reform UK|candidate=Robert Davies|votes=3,039|percentage=6.3|change=''N/A''|}}
{{Election box candidate with party link||party=Scottish Liberal Democrats|candidate=Duncan Dunlop|votes=2,649|percentage=5.5|change=−0.8|}}
{{Election box candidate with party link||party=Scottish Greens|candidate=Shona McIntosh|votes=2,477|percentage=5.2|change=''N/A''|}}
{{Election box candidate with party link||party=Alba Party|candidate=[[George Kerevan]]|votes=557|percentage=1.2|change=''N/A''|}}
{{Election box majority|votes=13,265|percentage=27.7|change=''N/A''}}
{{Election box turnout|votes=47,902|percentage=63.4|change=-8.3}}
{{Election box registered electors| reg. electors = 75,546}}
{{Election box end}}

[[File:Haddington.jpg|thumb|Haddington, with the Town House]]

=== Scottish Parliament ===
Most of East Lothian is in the [[East Lothian (Scottish Parliament constituency)|East Lothian Scottish Parliament constituency]] and [[South Scotland (Scottish Parliament electoral region)|South Scotland]] region with the exception of Musselburgh which is in [[Midlothian North and Musselburgh (Scottish Parliament constituency)|Midlothian North and Musselburgh]] and the [[Lothians (Scottish Parliament electoral region)|Lothians]] region.

=== Local government ===
[[East Lothian Council]] is based in the historic county town of Haddington, with the council meeting at the [[Haddington Town House]] and offices at nearby at John Muir House.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.scottish-places.info/features/featurefirst8175.html|title=John Muir House|publisher=Gazetteer for Scotland|access-date=9 July 2021}}</ref> The unitary local authority contains six wards, electing 22 councillors.