Elaine Murray
Encyclopedia
Dr Elaine Murray is a Scottish Labour politician, and Member of the Scottish Parliament
for Dumfriesshire
(previously Dumfries
) since 1999. At the 1999
, 2003
and 2007
elections, Dr Murray increased her percentage share of the vote. She is currently Shadow Minister for the Environment in the Scottish Parliament
.
, where her Scottish parents lived at the time. She was brought up in Edinburgh
and obtained an undergraduate degree in chemistry from Edinburgh University and a PhD
in physical chemistry
from the University of Cambridge
.
After graduating from Cambridge, Murray first worked in scientific research and was from 1990 to 1993 was an associate lecturer for the Open University
. She also 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.
Murray joined the Labour Party
in 1983 and is a member of the Transport and General Workers Union. Murray lives in Dumfries
and is married with three grownup children. Outside of politics Dr Murray enjoys reading, music, gardening, cooking and owning a horse.
for Dumfries
Constituency following the first Scottish Parliamentary elections in May 1999. She was re-elected in May 2003 and then again in May 2007.
She 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 to 2008. Under Wendy Alexander's
leadership Dr Murray was Enterprise Spokesman and upon election of Iain Gray
as Leader of the Labour Group in the Scottish Parliament, she was appointed Shadow Minister for the Environment. She is currently 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 is also Vice-Convenor of the Life Sciences and Animal Welfare Cross Party Groups.
. 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.
Member of the Scottish Parliament
Member of the Scottish Parliament is the title given to any one of the 129 individuals elected to serve in the Scottish Parliament.-Methods of Election:MSPs are elected in one of two ways:...
for Dumfriesshire
Dumfriesshire (Scottish Parliament constituency)
Dumfriesshire is a constituency of the Scottish Parliament . It elects one Member of the Scottish Parliament by the plurality method of election...
(previously Dumfries
Dumfries (Scottish Parliament constituency)
Dumfries was a constituency of the Scottish Parliament . It elected one Member of the Scottish Parliament by the plurality method of election...
) since 1999. At the 1999
Scottish Parliament election, 1999
The Scottish Parliament election, 1999 was the first general election of the Scottish Parliament, with voting taking place on 6 May 1999 to elect 129 members...
, 2003
Scottish Parliament election, 2003
The Scottish Parliament election, 2003, was the second general election of the Scottish Parliament. It was held on 1 May 2003 and it brought no change in terms of control of the Scottish Executive...
and 2007
Scottish Parliament election, 2007
The 2007 Scottish Parliament election was held on Thursday 3 May 2007 to elect members to the Scottish Parliament. It was the third general election to the devolved Scottish Parliament since it was created in 1999...
elections, Dr Murray increased her percentage share of the vote. She is currently Shadow Minister for the Environment in the Scottish Parliament
Scottish Parliament
The Scottish Parliament is the devolved national, unicameral legislature of Scotland, located in the Holyrood area of the capital, Edinburgh. The Parliament, informally referred to as "Holyrood", is a democratically elected body comprising 129 members known as Members of the Scottish Parliament...
.
Background
Murray was born in 1954 in HertfordshireHertfordshire
Hertfordshire is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England. The county town is Hertford.The county is one of the Home Counties and lies inland, bordered by Greater London , Buckinghamshire , Bedfordshire , Cambridgeshire and...
, where her Scottish parents lived at the time. She was brought up in Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
and obtained an undergraduate degree in chemistry from Edinburgh University and a PhD
PHD
PHD may refer to:*Ph.D., a doctorate of philosophy*Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*PHD finger, a protein sequence*PHD Mountain Software, an outdoor clothing and equipment company*PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
in physical chemistry
Physical chemistry
Physical chemistry is the study of macroscopic, atomic, subatomic, and particulate phenomena in chemical systems in terms of physical laws and concepts...
from the University of Cambridge
University of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...
.
After graduating from Cambridge, Murray first worked in scientific research and was from 1990 to 1993 was an associate lecturer for the Open University
Open University
The Open University is a distance learning and research university founded by Royal Charter in the United Kingdom...
. She also worked for Alex Smith
Alex Smith
Alexander Douglas Smith is a professional American football player and starting quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League. Smith was drafted with the 1st-overall pick in the 1st round of the 2005 NFL Draft by San Francisco from the University of Utah...
, Member of the European Parliament
Member of the European Parliament
A Member of the European Parliament is a person who has been elected to the European Parliament. The name of MEPs differ in different languages, with terms such as europarliamentarian or eurodeputy being common in Romance language-speaking areas.When the European Parliament was first established,...
. In 1994 Murray was elected as a Councillor
Councillor
A councillor or councilor is a member of a local government council, such as a city council.Often in the United States, the title is councilman or councilwoman.-United Kingdom:...
on Strathclyde Regional Council and in 1995 to South Ayrshire Council, where she was Convenor of Educational Services.
Murray joined the Labour Party
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
in 1983 and is a member of the Transport and General Workers Union. Murray lives in Dumfries
Dumfries
Dumfries is a market town and former royal burgh within the Dumfries and Galloway council area of Scotland. It is near the mouth of the River Nith into the Solway Firth. Dumfries was the county town of the former county of Dumfriesshire. Dumfries is nicknamed Queen of the South...
and is married with three grownup children. Outside of politics Dr Murray enjoys reading, music, gardening, cooking and owning a horse.
Member of the Scottish Parliament
Murray was elected as Member of the Scottish ParliamentMember of the Scottish Parliament
Member of the Scottish Parliament is the title given to any one of the 129 individuals elected to serve in the Scottish Parliament.-Methods of Election:MSPs are elected in one of two ways:...
for Dumfries
Dumfries
Dumfries is a market town and former royal burgh within the Dumfries and Galloway council area of Scotland. It is near the mouth of the River Nith into the Solway Firth. Dumfries was the county town of the former county of Dumfriesshire. Dumfries is nicknamed Queen of the South...
Constituency following the first Scottish Parliamentary elections in May 1999. She was re-elected in May 2003 and then again in May 2007.
She was appointed Deputy Minister for Tourism, Culture and Sport upon Jack McConnell
Jack McConnell
Jack Wilson McConnell, Baron McConnell of Glenscorrodale is a British Labour life peer in the House of Lords. He was third First Minister of Scotland from 2001 to 2007, making him the longest serving First Minister in the history of the Scottish Parliament...
becoming First Minister
First Minister of Scotland
The First Minister of Scotland is the political leader of Scotland and head of the Scottish Government. The First Minister chairs the Scottish Cabinet and is primarily responsible for the formulation, development and presentation of Scottish Government policy...
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 to 2008. Under Wendy Alexander's
Wendy Alexander
Wendy Alexander is a Scottish politician and the former Member of the Scottish Parliament for Paisley North. She held various Scottish Government cabinet posts and was the leader of the Labour Party group in the Scottish Parliament from 2007-2008...
leadership Dr Murray was Enterprise Spokesman and upon election of Iain Gray
Iain Gray
Iain Gray is a Scottish politician and the Leader of Scottish Labour Party Opposition in the Scottish Parliament. Gray was elected as the Member of the Scottish Parliament for the East Lothian constituency in 2007 having previously represented Edinburgh Pentlands from 1999 to 2003.-Background and...
as Leader of the Labour Group in the Scottish Parliament, she was appointed Shadow Minister for the Environment. She is currently 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 is also Vice-Convenor of the Life Sciences and Animal Welfare Cross Party Groups.
Scottish Labour Deputy Leadership bid
In September 2011 she announced her candidacy for the deputy leadership of the Scottish Labour PartyScottish Labour Party leadership election, 2011
The 2011 Scottish Labour Party leadership election is an internal party election to choose a new leader of the Scottish Labour Party. The election follows the announcement by Iain Gray that he would stand down as leader in the autumn of 2011 followin the party's heavy defeat to the Scottish...
. 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.
External links
- Personal website
- Scottish Parliament Biography
- Twitter page
- Facebook profile
- Youtube channel Contains videos of speeches etc.