19 Facts About Elaine Murray

Elaine Kildare Murray was born on 22 December 1954 and is a retired Scottish Labour politician.

Elaine Murray was the Member of the Scottish Parliament 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.

Elaine Murray was Shadow Minister for the Environment in the Scottish Parliament.

In May 2017, Elaine Murray was elected one of four councillors in Dumfries and Galloway who represent the Nith ward and was elected the Group Leader of Labour in the council.

Elaine Murray was born in Hitchin, Hertfordshire, where her Scottish parents lived at the time.

Elaine Murray was brought up in Edinburgh, where she was a pupil at The Mary Erskine School, and graduated with an undergraduate degree in chemistry from the University of Edinburgh and a PhD in physical chemistry from the University of Cambridge.

In 1994 Elaine Murray was elected as a Councillor on Strathclyde Regional Council and in 1995 to South Ayrshire Council, where she was Convenor of Educational Services.

Elaine Murray was elected as Member of the Scottish Parliament for the Dumfries constituency following the first Scottish Parliamentary elections in May 1999.

Elaine Murray was re-elected in 2003 and then again in 2007,2011 and 2016.

Elaine Murray was appointed Deputy Minister for Tourism, Culture and Sport upon Jack McConnell becoming First Minister in 2001, a post she held until 2003.

Elaine Murray 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.

Elaine Murray was Enterprise Spokesman under Wendy Alexander's leadership and upon election of Iain Gray as Leader of the Labour Group in the Scottish Parliament, she was appointed Shadow Minister for the Environment.

Elaine 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.

Elaine Murray was Vice-Convenor of the Life Sciences and Animal Welfare Cross Party Groups.

In September 2011, Elaine Murray announced her candidacy for the deputy leadership of the Scottish Labour Party.

Elaine Murray 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.

At the 2016 Scottish Parliament election, Elaine Murray lost her seat to Oliver Mundell, a Conservative.

At the 2017 Scottish local elections, Elaine Murray stood for election in the Dumfries and Galloway ward of Nith and was elected as one of four councillors for the ward.