Elaine Murray
Elaine Murray | |
---|---|
Murray in 2011 | |
Leader of Dumfries and Galloway Council | |
Assumed office 23 May 2017 | |
Deputy | Rob Davidson |
Preceded by | Ronnie Nicholson |
Councillor for Nith, Dumfries & Galloway | |
Assumed office 5 May 2017 | |
Preceded by | Colin Smyth |
Scottish Labour Group Leader, Dumfries & Galloway Council | |
Assumed office 15 May 2017 | |
Preceded by | Ronnie Nicholson |
Member of the Scottish Parliament for Dumfriesshire Dumfries (1999–2011) | |
In office 6 May 1999 – 23 March 2016 | |
Preceded by | Constituency established |
Succeeded by | Oliver Mundell |
Personal details | |
Born | Hitchin, Hertfordshire, England, UK | 22 December 1954
Nationality | British |
Political party | Labour |
Residence | Dumfries |
Alma mater | University of Edinburgh, University of Cambridge |
Occupation | Councillor |
Elaine Kildare Murray (born 22 December 1954) is a Scottish Labour politician who has been the Leader of Dumfries and Galloway Council since 2017.
Murray is a former Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP), having been MSP for Dumfries from 1999 to 2011, and then for Dumfriesshire from 2011 to 2016. At the 1999, 2003 and 2007 elections, Murray increased her percentage share of the vote. She was Shadow Minister for the Environment in the Scottish Parliament.[1] She lost her seat in 2016.
As of May 2017, Murray is one of four councillors in Dumfries & Galloway who represent the Nith ward and was elected the Group Leader of Labour in the council.
Background[]
Murray was born in 1954 in Hitchin, Hertfordshire, where her Scottish parents lived at the time. She was brought up in Edinburgh, where she was a pupil at The Mary Erskine School,[2] and graduated with an undergraduate degree in chemistry from the University of Edinburgh and a PhD in physical chemistry from the University of Cambridge.
After graduating from Cambridge, Murray first worked in scientific research, and from 1990–93 was an associate lecturer for the Open University.[3] At the same time, she worked for Alex Smith, Member of the European Parliament. In 1994 Murray was elected as a Councillor on Strathclyde Regional Council and in 1995 to South Ayrshire Council, where she was Convenor of Educational Services.[3]
Member of the Scottish Parliament[]
Murray was elected as Member of the Scottish Parliament for Dumfries Constituency following the first Scottish Parliamentary elections in May 1999.[1] She was re-elected in May 2003 and then again in May 2007.
Murray was appointed Deputy Minister for Tourism, Culture and Sport upon Jack McConnell becoming First Minister in 2001, a post she held until 2003. She has been a member of a number of Committees in the Scottish Parliament, including holding the post of Deputy Convenor of the Finance Committee between 2007 and 2008. Under Wendy Alexander's leadership Dr Murray was Enterprise Spokesman[1] and upon election of Iain Gray as Leader of the Labour Group in the Scottish Parliament, she was appointed Shadow Minister for the Environment.[1]
Murray was a member of the Rural Affairs and Environment Committee as well as Convenor of the Cross Party Groups on Science and Technology and Civil Nuclear Energy. She was also Vice-Convenor of the Life Sciences and Animal Welfare Cross Party Groups.[1]
In September 2011, Murray announced her candidacy for the deputy leadership of the Scottish Labour Party.[4] She withdrew in early November after failing to gain enough nominations. She claimed she could have got the sufficient number of nominations but said it was clear the Deputy Leadership role would go to a Westminster MP.[5]
In the 2016 Scottish Parliament election, Murray lost her seat to Oliver Mundell, a Conservative.[6]
References[]
- ^ a b c d e "Elaine Murray MSP". Democracy Live. BBC News. Archived from the original on 26 February 2015. Retrieved 5 October 2011.
- ^ School Details – Mary Erskine Archived 14 January 2016 at the Wayback Machine, The Guide to Independent Schools; retrieved 8 March 2014.
- ^ a b "Dr Elaine Murray, MSP". Debrett's. Archived from the original on 6 June 2013. Retrieved 5 October 2011.
- ^ "Elaine Murray to stand as Scottish Labour deputy leader". BBC News. Retrieved 5 October 2011.
- ^ "Labour deputy leader bid ends". Herald Scotland. Retrieved 8 May 2016.
- ^ "Holyrood 2016: Scottish Tory leader Ruth Davidson wins Edinburgh Central". BBC News. 6 May 2016. Retrieved 9 May 2016.
External links[]
- Personal website
- Scottish Parliament profiles of MSPs: Elaine Murray
- 1954 births
- Living people
- People from Hitchin
- People educated at the Mary Erskine School
- Alumni of the University of Edinburgh
- Scottish physical chemists
- Labour MSPs
- Members of the Scottish Parliament 1999–2003
- Members of the Scottish Parliament 2003–2007
- Members of the Scottish Parliament 2007–2011
- Members of the Scottish Parliament 2011–2016
- Ministers of the Scottish Government
- Women members of the Scottish Government
- 20th-century Scottish women politicians
- Leaders of local authorities of Scotland
- Women councillors in Scotland