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Ian MurrayMP
Shadow Secretary of State for Scotland
Incumbent
Assumed office 11 May 2015
Leader	Harriet Harman (acting)
Preceded by	Margaret Curran
Member of Parliament for Edinburgh South
Incumbent
Assumed office 6 May 2010
Preceded by	Nigel Griffiths
Majority	2,637 (5.4%)
Personal details
Born	(1976-08-10) 10 August 1976 (age 48) Edinburgh, Scotland
Political party	Scottish Labour
Spouse	Hannah Catherine Woolfson
Alma mater	University of Edinburgh

Ian Murray (born 10 August 1976) is a British Labour Party politician who has been the Member of Parliament for Edinburgh South since 2010. He was previously an Edinburgh City Councillor for the Liberton/Gilmerton ward. Following the 2015 general election, he is currently the only Scottish Labour MP.

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, then Wester Hailes Education Centre.

Ian studied Social Policy and Law and the University of Edinburgh and graduated with an Honours degree at the age of 20. He supported his studies with part-time job in a local fish & chip shop, where he then set up and ran a pizza delivery service.

He went on to work at the Royal Blind and then in pensions management after graduating. After this Murray was 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. Ultimately, the company ran out of funding but, after being made redundant, he progressed to set-up his own event management business, 100 mph Events Ltd.

As an event manager, Murray was involved in television production, artistic programming, sponsorship and financial management and all other areas of the business from building scaffolding to presenting artists. In 2004, Murray organised a charity Concert for a Landmine Free World with artists Billy Bragg, Chrissie Hynde, Steve Earle, Joan Baez and Emmylou Harris, which raised over £100,000. His event management experience has included organising live music concerts and broadcasting over the internet, from various large music venues.

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

In 2003, Murray stood for the Council elections in Liberton and won a seat at the age of 27, later representing the larger Liberton/Gilmerton ward from 2007 to 2010.

Member of Parliament

Murray was elected to the seat of Edinburgh South at the 2010 General Election.

Murray served on the Business, Innovation and Skills Select Committee and the Environmental Audit Committee. In 2011, Ian was appointed to the Shadow front bench, and currently serves as an opposition shadow minister, as Shadow Trade and Investment Minister, where his responsibilities include trade and investment, export licencing, postal affairs and employment relations.

He was reelected to his Edinburgh South constituency during the 2015 General Election with an increased share of the vote and an increased majority, but due to the SNP landslide in the General Election, Murray became the only remaining Labour MP in Scotland.

Controversy

In 2014 Murray alleged that supporters of Scottish independence had vandalised his office. Critics claimed there was no evidence to support the allegation and accused Murray of "smearing" Scottish nationalists. Murray subsequently said the office had been plastered with pro-independence "Yes" stickers, which had since been removed.

Personal life

Murray lives with his long-term partner Hannah Catherine Woolfson. 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.

References

1. "Who's Who". Ukwhoswho.com. Retrieved 6 July 2013.
2. "House of Commons - The Register of Members' Financial Interests - Part 2: Part 2". Publications.parliament.uk. Retrieved 6 July 2013.
3. "Labour succeeds in Edinburgh South recount seat". BBC News. 7 May 2010. Retrieved 6 July 2013.
4. "By-election result - City of Edinburgh Council". City of Edinburgh Council. Archived from the original on 28 May 2011.
5. "Ian Murray". Scottish Labour. 11 February 2015. Retrieved 11 February 2015.
6. "You Shadow BIS Team". Labour Party. 11 February 2015. Retrieved 11 February 2015.
7. "Ian Murray row over pro-independence stickers".
8. "Meet the MP: Ian Murray". BBC News. 17 June 2010. Retrieved 6 July 2013.
9. "Foundation of Hearts Board". Foundation of Hearts. 11 February 2015. Retrieved 11 February 2015.

External links

• http://www.ianmurraymp.co.uk/
• http://news.bbc.co.uk/democracylive/hi/representatives/profiles/85111.stm
• http://www.theyworkforyou.com/mp/ian_murray/edinburgh_south
• http://www.scottishlabour.org.uk/people/entry/ian-murray

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• Alumni of the University of Edinburgh
• Councillors in Edinburgh
• Living people
• Members of the Parliament of the United Kingdom for Edinburgh constituencies
• People from Edinburgh
• Scottish businesspeople
• Scottish Labour Party MPs
• UK MPs 2010–15
• UK MPs 2015–20