Murdo Fraser

Murdo Fraser MSP
Deputy Leader of the Scottish Conservatives
In office 31 October 2005 – 10 November 2011
Leader	Annabel Goldie
Succeeded by	Jackson Carlaw
Deputy Convener of the Scottish Parliament Public Audit Committee
Incumbent
Assumed office 20 June 2007
Preceded by	Andrew Welsh (as Deputy Convener of the Audit Committee)
Member of the Scottish Parliament for Mid Scotland and Fife
Incumbent
Assumed office 10 August 2001
Personal details
Born	5 September 1965 (1965-09-05) Inverness, Scotland
Political party	Scottish Conservative Party
Alma mater	University of Aberdeen
Website	Conservative Profile

Murdo Fraser (born 5 September 1965; Inverness) is a Scottish politician and the former Deputy leader of the Scottish Conservative Party in the Scottish Parliament. He has been a Member of the Scottish Parliament for the Mid Scotland and Fife region since 2001.

Early life

Born in 1965, he was educated at Inverness Royal Academy. He studied law at the University of Aberdeen, and was chairman of the Scottish Young Conservatives from 1989 to 1992.

After undertaking a postgraduate Diploma in Legal Studies, he worked as a solicitor in Aberdeen and Edinburgh. latterly as an associate with Ketchen and Stevens WS in Edinburgh, specialising in commercial law. Fraser lives with his wife and two children in Perthshire.

Political career

At the 1999 Scottish Parliamentary Election, he was an unsuccessful candidate for Tayside North.

He became an MSP in 2001, after the resignation of Nick Johnston, as next name on the Conservative Party's Mid Scotland and Fife list. He was re-elected in 2003 and 2007.

He became deputy leader of the Scottish Conservatives in November 2005 when Annabel Goldie became leader. After the election, at which 15 Conservative MSP's were elected, Annabel Goldie triggered a leadership election by announcing that she would stand down in Autumn 2011.

Party leadership election

After being re-elected again in 2011, he announced in August his decision to seek the leadership of the Scottish Conservative Party, and launched his campaign on 4 September in Edinburgh. His launch plans included a commitment to further devolution to the Scottish Parliament from Westminster, as well as launching a new party to redefine the politics of Scotland, harnessing the support of the centre-right, but independent of the UK Conservative Party and with a new name and identity. Fraser was unsuccessful in his attempt to be elected party leader, losing out to Ruth Davidson, and following the election was succeeded as deputy leader by Jackson Carlaw.

External links

• Personal website
• Murdo Fraser MSP profile at Scottish Parliament site
• Murdo Fraser MSP profile at Scottish Conservative Party
• Murdo Fraser MSP profile at the site of the Conservative Party