Scottish Labour has gained the Southside/Newington seat on the City of Edinburgh Council after Ruth Elliot was elected in the 3 September 2026 by-election.
Elliot was elected at stage 13 of the single transferable vote count, taking the seat previously held by the SNP following the resignation of Simita Kumar.
The City of Edinburgh Council confirmed that Elliot received 2,153 first-preference votes, narrowly ahead of Scottish Green candidate Isabella Gastel Alejandre on 1,978.
Southside/Newington by-election result
- Ruth Elliot — Scottish Labour Party: 2,153
- Isabella Gastel Alejandre — Scottish Greens: 1,978
- Sam Alexander Mackenzie — Scottish National Party (SNP): 757
- Nick Layden — Scottish Conservative and Unionist: 717
- Artie Khovanov — Scottish Liberal Democrats: 543
- Gary Neill — Reform UK: 305
- Marc Wilkinson — Edinburgh & East Lothian People: 78
- Roisin Keirdashian — Independent: 63
- Richard Shillcock — Communist Party of Britain: 46
- Richard Crewe Lucas — Scottish Family Party – Christian Values: 38
- Sean McGregor Moffat — Alliance for Democracy and Freedom: 12
- Derrick Emms — Edinburgh & East Lothian People: 9
- Markham Rowbotham — Edinburgh & East Lothian People: 7
The electorate was 24,666, with 6,741 ballot papers received. Turnout was 27.3%, with 35 ballot papers rejected. The quota was 3,354.
Labour takes former SNP seat
The vacancy arose following the resignation of SNP councillor Simita Kumar, who had been elected to the ward at the 2022 council elections.
In 2022, Southside/Newington returned councillors from Labour, the SNP, the Scottish Greens and the Liberal Democrats. Elliot's victory therefore represents a Labour gain from the SNP.
The result was formally declared in the early hours of Friday 4 September at Waverley Court.