James Murray (London politician)

James Stewart Murray (born 13 July 1983) is a British Labour and Co-operative politician. He has been the Member of Parliament (MP) for Ealing North since the 2019 general election. He previously worked as Deputy Mayor for Housing for the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan.[2]

James Murray MP
Murray in 2019
Shadow Financial Secretary to the Treasury
Incumbent
Assumed office 16 October 2020
Leader	Keir Starmer
Preceded by	Dan Carden
Opposition Whip
In office 14 April 2020 – 16 October 2020
Leader	Keir Starmer
Member of Parliament for Ealing North
Incumbent
Assumed office 12 December 2019
Preceded by	Stephen Pound
Majority	12,269 (24.7%)
Personal details
Born	13 July 1983[1] Hammersmith, London
Nationality	British
Political party	Labour and Co-operative
Alma mater	Wadham College, Oxford
Profession	Politician

Early life

He was born in Hammersmith and grew up in Ealing North.[3] He attended a private school and studied PPE at Wadham College, Oxford.[2][4]

Political career

Murray served as a councillor in Islington from 2006 to 2016, representing Barnsbury ward.[5] As a member of the council's executive, Inside Housing reported he "was known as the most firebrand of London’s Labour cabinet members for housing".[6]

Murray advised Sadiq Khan during his selection and election campaigns to become Mayor of London,[7] and became London's Deputy Mayor for Housing in 2016[7] amid reports developers were lobbying against his appointment.[8]

As Deputy Mayor, Murray oversaw the Mayor's £4.8bn affordable homes programme, and launched the first-ever City Hall initiative dedicated to building council homes.[7] This programme, Building Council Homes for Londoners, boosted council homebuilding to its highest level in 34 years.[9]

Murray was elected as Member of Parliament for Ealing North in December 2019 and gave his maiden speech in January 2020.[10] He became a member of the Health and Social Care Committee in March 2020[11] and was appointed to the Opposition Whips Office in April 2020.[12]

On the 16 October 2020, he was appointed Shadow Financial Secretary to the Treasury, following the resignation of Dan Carden the previous day relating the Covert Human Intelligence Sources (Criminal Conduct) Bill.

Personal life

He is gay.[13] His mother Lynne Murray was a Labour Councillor in Cleveland Ward, Ealing 2014–18.[14]

References

1. "KIER ISLINGTON LIMITED - Overview (free company information from Companies House)". beta.companieshouse.gov.uk. Retrieved 2019-12-19.
2. "At last, Labour wins a majority! It's got more women than men". The Times (London). 15 December 2019. p. 23.
3. "Ealing's Local Web site". www.ealingtoday.co.uk. Retrieved 2019-12-20.
4. "Election winners". www.wadham.ox.ac.uk. Retrieved 2020-01-24.
5. "Councillor details - Councillor James Murray". democracy.islington.gov.uk. 2020-02-14. Retrieved 2020-02-14.
6. "Housing's head boy". Inside Housing. Retrieved 2020-02-14.
7. "James Murray (past staff)". London City Hall. 2016-05-24. Retrieved 2020-02-14.
8. Sullivan, Conor; Evans, Judith (17 May 2016). "Developers fret over Sadiq Khan's choice of housing chief". Financial Times. Retrieved 14 February 2020.
9. "Mayor boosts council homebuilding to highest level in 34 years". London City Hall. 2019-05-10. Retrieved 2020-02-14.
10. ""We must win the battle for the NHS" – James Murray's maiden speech". LabourList. 2020-03-26. Retrieved 2020-04-15.
11. "Health and Social Care Committee membership agreed - Committees - UK Parliament". committees.parliament.uk. Retrieved 2020-04-15.
12. "Labour makes Whips Office appointments". The Labour Party. Retrieved 2020-04-15.
13. "Pub manager suspended after refusing to serve gay and lesbian society". Evening Standard. 2010-06-07. Retrieved 2020-01-24.
14. "CMIS > Councillors". ealing.cmis.uk.com. Retrieved 2019-12-19.

External links

• Profile at Parliament of the United Kingdom
• Contributions in Parliament at Hansard
• Voting record at Public Whip
• Record in Parliament at TheyWorkForYou