Jump to content

Ian Murray (Scottish politician)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by KasparBot (talk | contribs) at 02:58, 2 May 2016 (migrating Persondata to Wikidata, please help, see challenges for this article). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

Ian Murray
MP
Shadow Secretary of State for Scotland
Incumbent
Assumed office
11 May 2015
LeaderHarriet Harman (Acting)
Jeremy Corbyn
Preceded byMargaret Curran
Member of Parliament
for Edinburgh South
Incumbent
Assumed office
6 May 2010
Preceded byNigel Griffiths
Majority2,637 (5.4%)
Personal details
Born (1976-08-10) 10 August 1976 (age 48)
Edinburgh, Scotland
Political partyLabour
SpouseHannah Woolfson
Alma materUniversity of Edinburgh

Ian Murray (born 10 August 1976) is a British Labour Party politician who has represented Edinburgh South as Member of Parliament (MP) since the 2010 general election.[1]

He served as an Edinburgh City Councillor for Liberton & Gilmerton Ward from 2003 to 2010,[2] before his Westminster election as an Edinburgh MP.

Murray is the only Labour Party MP representing a Scottish constituency in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom, and is a member of the Blairite Progress faction.

Early life and education

Murray was born to a cooper father and shop worker mother in 1976. Brought up in the Wester Hailes area of Edinburgh, he attended Dumbryden Primary School,[3] then Wester Hailes High School, before going up to read Social Policy and Law at the University of Edinburgh's Academy of Government. He graduated with an honours degree (BA) at the age of 20; whilst at university he supported his studies with part-time job in a local fish & chip shop before setting up and running a pizza delivery service.

After graduation, Murray worked for Royal Blind in pensions management, before being head-hunted by an Edinburgh-based internet television station (Worldart.com) during the dot.com boom where he helped to build a new online TV station. Despite his efforts, the company ran out of funding and was made redundant; he then founded his own event management business (100 mph Events Ltd).

Murray also organised a student exchange programme in Nepal to fund school buildings and staff.[4]

In 2003, Murray stood in the council elections for Liberton winning the seat for Labour at the age of 27; he later represented the larger Liberton & Gilmerton Ward from 2007 to 2010.

Parliamentary career

2010–2015 Parliamentary term

Murray was returned for the seat of Edinburgh South at the 2010 General Election.

Murray served on the Business, Innovation and Skills Select Committee and the Environmental Audit Select Committee. In 2011, he was appointed to the Shadow Frontbench.[5]

2014 Scottish independence referendum

In the 2014 Scottish independence referendum Murray campaigned for a 'No' vote. He claims to have encountered hostility from independence activists and reported that his office premises had been plastered with pro-independence "Yes" stickers,[6] which were immediately removed.

2015–2020 Parliamentary term

Murray was re-elected to his Edinburgh South constituency in the 2015 General Election with an increased share of the vote and an increased majority but following the SNP landslide he became the only Labour MP returned for a Scottish seat. He was appointed as Shadow Secretary of State for Scotland on 11 May 2015 by Acting Labour Leader Harriet Harman. He was appointed to the same role by new Labour Leader Jeremy Corbyn in September 2015.

Directly following Corbyn's reshuffle in January 2016, three Shadow Ministers resigned and were criticised by the Shadow Chancellor, John McDonnell, as being part of a "narrow right wing clique" aligned with the Blairite Progress group. Murray as a Progress member was interviewed on the Sunday Politics Scotland programme on 10 January 2016 and offered criticism of McDonnell, commenting that he should "ramp down the rhetoric".[7]

Personal life

Murray lives with his long-term partner Hannah Catherine Woolfson.[8][9]

He supports Edinburgh football team Hearts and is Chair of the Foundation of Hearts, a bid by a fans' group to buy the club out of administration.[10]

References

  1. ^ "Labour succeeds in Edinburgh South recount seat". BBC News. 7 May 2010. Retrieved 6 July 2013.
  2. ^ "By-election result - City of Edinburgh Council". City of Edinburgh Council. Archived from the original on 28 May 2011.
  3. ^ www.scotlandsplaces.gov.uk
  4. ^ "Ian Murray". Scottish Labour. 11 February 2015. Retrieved 11 February 2015.
  5. ^ "You Shadow BIS Team". Labour Party. 11 February 2015. Retrieved 11 February 2015.
  6. ^ "Ian Murray row over pro-independence stickers".
  7. ^ "Labour's Ian Murray critical of John McDonnell on Progress". BBC News. Retrieved 11 January 2016.
  8. ^ "House of Commons - The Register of Members' Financial Interests - Part 2: Part 2". Publications.parliament.uk. Retrieved 6 July 2013.
  9. ^ "Meet the MP: Ian Murray". BBC News. 17 June 2010. Retrieved 6 July 2013.
  10. ^ "Foundation of Hearts Board". Foundation of Hearts. 11 February 2015. Retrieved 11 February 2015.
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by Member of Parliament
for Edinburgh South
2010–present 		Incumbent
Political offices
Preceded by Shadow Secretary of State for Scotland
2015–present 		Incumbent

Template:UK Shadow Cabinet

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ian_Murray_(Scottish_politician)&oldid=718196108"