Background
Murray was born in 1954 in Hertfordshire, where her Scottish parents lived at the time.
politician Member of the Scottish Parliament
Murray was born in 1954 in 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 and obtained an undergraduate degree in chemistry from Edinburgh University and a Doctor of Philosophy in physical chemistry from the University of Cambridge.
At the 1999, 2003 and 2007 elections, Doctor Murray increased her percentage share of the vote. She is currently Shadow Minister for the Environment in the Scottish Parliament. After graduating from Cambridge, Murray first worked in scientific research and was from 1990 to 1993 was an associate lecturer for the Open University.
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.
Outside politics Murray enjoys reading, music, gardening, cooking and owning a horse. 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. Under Wendy Alexander"s leadership Doctor 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 also Vice-Convenor of the Life Sciences and Animal Welfare Cross Party Groups.
In September 2011 she announced her candidacy for the deputy leadership of the Scottish Labour Party. 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 Member of Parliament.
Scottish Labour Party, Labour Party.
She also worked for Alex Smith, Member of the European Parliament. Murray joined the Labour Party in 1983 and is a member of the Transport and General Workers Union. Murray was elected as for Dumfries Constituency following the first Scottish Parliamentary elections in May 1999.
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.
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.