Jim Murphy

Infobox MP


honorific-prefix = The Right Honourable
name = Jim Murphy
honorific-suffix =MP
office = Secretary of State for Scotland
term_start = 3 October 2008
term_end =
primeminister = Gordon Brown
predecessor = Des Browne
successor =
office2 = Minister for Europe
term_start2 = 28 June 2007
term_end2 = 3 October 2008
primeminister2 = Gordon Brown
predecessor2 =
successor2 = Caroline Flint
constituency_MP3 = East Renfrewshire
Eastwood (1997-2005)
parliament3 =
majority3 = 6,657 (14.0%)
predecessor3 = Allan Stewart
successor3 = Incumbent
term_start3 = 1 May1997
term_end3 =
birth_date = Birth date and age|1967|8|23|df=yes
birth_place = Glasgow, Scotland
death_date =
death_place =
nationality = Scottish
spouse = Claire Murphy
party = Labour
relations =
children = 2 sons and a daughter
residence = Clarkston, Scotland
alma_mater =
occupation =
profession =
religion = Roman Catholic [ [http://politics.guardian.co.uk/gordonbrown/story/0,,2114911,00.html Guardian (2007-06-29): Profile: Jim Murphy] ]


website = [http://www.jimmurphymp.com www.jimmurphymp.com]
footnotes =

James Murphy (born 23 August 1967 in Glasgow, Scotland) is a Labour Party politician in the United Kingdom. He is Member of Parliament (MP) for the Scottish constituency of East Renfrewshire and is the Secretary of State for Scotland, appointed by Gordon Brown on 3 October 2008.

Life

During his early years, Murphy was raised among three generations of his family in a two-bedroom flat in Arden, Glasgow. At least one member of his family was unemployed at any time. At the age of twelve, Murphy and his family emigrated to Cape Town, South Africa to escape the economic hardships of Scotland. [cite web |url=http://www.publicfinance.co.uk/features_details.cfm?News_id=27248 |title= Jim Murphy Interview |accessdate=2008-06-10 |publisher= |date= ]

Murphy returned to Scotland at the age of eighteen. He worked as a waiter in order to fund his studies at Strathclyde University.

He is married to wife Claire who is a primary school teacher. Together they have three young children. Despite his busy schedule in London, Murphy always takes a late flight back to Glasgow on Thursday nights to spend weekends with his family. Murphy is a season ticket holder at Celtic Football Club and captains the Parliamentary Football Team. [cite web |url=http://www.jimmurphymp.com/ |title=Jim Murphy Bio|accessdate=2008-06-10 |publisher= |date= ]

Career

From 1992 to 1994, Murphy was President of the National Union of Students in Scotland, after attending the University of Strathclyde. He was then elected in 1994 as President of the UK NUS, serving until 1996. Under his leadership in 1995, the NUS dropped its opposition to the abolition of the student grant in line with the Labour Party's policies. Subsequently Murphy was condemned by a House of Commons Early Day Motion signed by 17 Labour MPs for 'intolerant and dictatorial behaviour' shortly before being elected to Parliament. [ [http://edmi.parliament.uk/EDMi/EDMDetails.aspx?EDMID=12710&SESSION=699 Early day motion 991, 1995 - 1996 Session] ]

At the 1997 general election, he was elected as MP for the Eastwood constituency, winning the formerly Conservative-held seat with a majority of 3,236. [cite web |url=http://www.psr.keele.ac.uk/area/uk/constit/613.htm |title=UK general election result, May 1997: Eastwood |publisher=Richard Kimber's Political Science Resources |accessdate=2007-10-21]

From 2000 to 2001, he was a member of the Public Accounts Committee, which oversees public expenditure. In March 2001, he was appointed as Parliamentary Private Secretary (PPS) to Helen Liddell, the Secretary of State for Scotland.

At the 2001 general election he was re-elected as MP for Eastwood, with an increased majority of 9141. [cite web |url=http://www.psr.keele.ac.uk/area/uk/constit/613.htm |title=UK general election result, June 2001: Eastwood |publisher=Richard Kimber's Political Science Resources |accessdate=2007-10-21]

In June 2002, he was appointed as a government whip, with responsibility for the Scotland Office, Scottish Group of Labour MPs and the Northern Ireland Office. His responsibilities were changed in November 2002 to cover the Department of Trade and Industry instead of the Northern Ireland Office, and in June 2003 to cover the Scotland Office, Foreign and Commonwealth Office, and the Department for International Development.

For the 2005 general election, the Eastwood constituency was renamed East Renfrewshire, although the boundaries were unchanged. Murphy was re-elected with a majority of 6657 [cite web |url=http://www.psr.keele.ac.uk/area/uk/ge05/i16.htm |title=UK general election result, May 2005: Eastwood |publisher=Richard Kimber's Political Science Resources |accessdate=2007-10-21] and promoted to ministerial rank as Parliamentary Under-Secretary at the Cabinet Office. His responsibilities included e-government, better regulation and public service modernisation.

He was promoted in May 2006 to Minister of State for Employment and Welfare Reform, with responsibilities including employment, welfare reform and child poverty. In June 2007, he was appointed Minister of State for Europe.

In an October 2008 cabinet reshuffle, the Prime Minister Gordon Brown appointed Murphy as Secretary of State for Scotland.

Labour Party Groups

As a Government Minister, Murphy's membership of these groups is suspended in line with the Ministerial Code.

*Vice Chair Labour’s Departmental Treasury Committee (1997 - 2001)
*Vice Chair Labour’s Departmental Culture, Media and Sport Committee (1997 - 2001)
*Member of Labour’s Northern Ireland Committee
*Chair Labour Friends of Israel (2000-2002)

Notes and references

*cite web | title=Jim Murphy MP | work=Guardian Unlimited Politics | url=http://politics.guardian.co.uk/person/0,9290,-3796,00.html | accessdate=2006-05-09
*cite web | title=Jim Murphy MP career| work=Guardian Unlimited Politics | url=http://politics.guardian.co.uk/person/parliament/0,,-3796,00.html | accessdate=2006-05-09
*cite web | title=Jim Murphy Profile| work=BBC News| url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/mpdb/html/725.stm | accessdate=2006-05-09
*cite web | title=Jim Murphy Interview| work=Public Finance| url=http://www.publicfinance.co.uk/features_details.cfm?News_id=27248 | accessdate=2006-05-09
*cite web | title=Jim Murphy MP Bio| work=Jim Murphy MP| url= [http://www.jimmurphymp.com | accessdate=2008-06-09

External links

* [http://www.jimmurphymp.com/ Jim Murphy MP official site]
* [http://www.fco.gov.uk/servlet/Front?pagename=OpenMarket/Xcelerate/ShowPage&c=Page&cid=1145893931404 Foreign and Commonwealth Office - Jim Murphy MP official profile]
* [http://www.dwp.gov.uk/welfarereform/blog/ Jim Murphy's Welfare Reform and Child Poverty blog] comment on welfare reform and child poverty related issues
* [http://politics.guardian.co.uk/person/0,9290,-3796,00.html Guardian Unlimited Politics - Ask aristotle: Jim Murphy MP]
* [http://www.theyworkforyou.com/mp/jim_murphy/renfrewshire_east TheyWorkForYou.com - Jim Murphy MP]
* [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/2078122.stm BBC News - Jim Murphy profile] 10 February, 2005
* [http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Jim_Murphy SourceWatch -Jim Murphy MP - a fully referenced profile]