A LIBERAL Democrat stronghold and thorn in the SNP’s side, Edinburgh Western is a key target in Nicola Sturgeon’s quest for a Holyrood majority.

So key, the incumbent MSP claims he’s even been the victim of a smear campaign against him. Created in 2011, the seat was initially won by the SNP but then snatched away by LibDem Alex Cole-Hamiliton in 2016.

Its importance to the LibDems was shown by leader Willie Rennie having his campaign and manifesto launches here.

Although it appears largely rural on the map, the seat feels more built-up on the ground, with the M8, M9 and M90 along its western edge, the road and rail traffic over the three Forth bridges at Queen Southsferry, the dominance of Edinburgh Airport, the tram lines, and the proliferation of retail outlets at South Gyle.

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Closer to the capital, the seat includes the upmarket suburbs of Cramond, Barnton, Blackhall and Corstorphine as well as Silverknowes, Clermiston, Drumbrae, Gogar, Drylaw and Muirhouse. The city zoo also makes it the only known Holyrood constituency with pandas.

Last time around, Mr Cole-Hamilton defeated the SNP with a majority of just under 3,000. Despite the LibDem habit of burrowing into every seat they win like ticks, the SNP believe the constituency is eminently “winnable” next month.

However the incumbent is confident he will keep his job, claiming “people who would never have dreamed of voting for me are flocking to the Liberal Democrats” in the seat.

Mr Cole-Hamilton credits the threat of another independence referendum and a big local transport issue splitting opinion for months. Edinburgh City Council, run by an SNP-Labour coalition, has caused fury amongst some motorists in the city with its Spaces for People programme – a policy that rolled out infrastructure for cyclists and pedestrians during the pandemic.

The seat’s Conservative candidate, Susan Webber, a councillor and her party’s transport spokesperson, is also a leading member of the fight against the policy.

The Lib Dems also insist SNP support is “soft”, with Mr Cole-Hamilton saying the challengers will “really struggle to get their vote out in the pandemic in sufficient numbers”.

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He said: “The SNP voters are very lethargic this time around. The in-fighting and Alex Salmond scandal is really putting people off. The independence support is starting to crater.

“Given the pandemic, a lot of people can’t believe they are even considering having a referendum in the next parliament.”

He also pointed to what he labelled a “completely vexatious” campaign by the SNP to destroy his reputation, leading to him being under investigation on 19 occasions, including by the police, and cleared of wrongdoing every time.

He said: “It’s the way the SNP operates these days. They don’t like being beaten. This utopian idea they are entitled to every seat shows they have been in power far too long.”

The SNP challenger, Sarah Masson, stood against Christine Jardine, the LibDem MP for the equivalent Westminster seat of Edinburgh West in 2019, but the Lib Dems increased their majority, cementing their grip on what has become their stronghold in the capital.

Ms Masson has a background in theatre and co-founded and produced Scotland’s first LGBT playwright festival.

She insisted the “polls are very much showing that Edinburgh Western is a winnable seat for the SNP” while “taking absolutely nothing for granted” and “doing everything possible” to get her message out to voters.

She is also seizing on the perception the LibDems no longer support campaigning for the UK to rejoin the EU.

She said: “As the only candidate campaigning for our place in Europe, I want to make sure the people of west Edinburgh have the choice of a better, fairer, greener and European future as we recover from the pandemic. Returning to ‘business as usual’ is not enough. We know we can do better than the long-term damage of Tory cuts and Brexit.

“Locally, I can guarantee to be a passionate, committed and hardworking MSP, who will fight for all of our residents, who responds quickly to every constituent and is focused on helping them.”

2016 Result 

Alex Cole-Hamilton (Scottish Liberal Democrats) 16,645 

Toni Giugliano (SNP) 13,685 

Sandy Batho (Scottish Conservatives) 5,686 

Cat Headley (Scottish Labour) 3,750 

Majority: 2,960 

Turnout: 64.5% 

2021 Candidates 

Alex Cole-Hamilton (Scottish Liberal Democrats) 

Daniel Fraser (Scottish Libertarian Party) 

Margaret Graham (Scottish Labour) 

Sarah Masson (SNP) 

Sue Webber (Scottish Conservatives)