Ian Murray has been MP for Edinburgh South since the 2010 General Election. In 2015 he was the only Labour MP to be elected to any of the 59 Scottish constituencies and to serve in the parliament until 2017 when Theresa May called a snap election.
During the selection process for this election, local members of the Labour Party voted overwhelmingly to choose him as candidate, despite Unite the union trying to force a full blown selection process.
We met him during his busy campaign, when he was being helped by around a dozen or more party volunteers. He told us about his values, his campaign and his relationship with the Labour leader.
-He said : “Well, I’m standing to be reelected. I’ve been the Member of Parliament around here now for the last nine years and this is the fourth general election we’ve had in the last nine years. So I’m standing on my local record. Everyone around here will ll know someone I’ve helped. I have been supporting local community groups, supporting local organisations fighting for the issues that people around here tell me are important to them, both locally and in Parliament.
“So that’s why I’m standing, but the other two big issues of course, that people are telling me on the doorstep, and I agree with them, is to try and find a way of getting the issue of the European Union back to them. A final say referendum with the option to remain which has been my policy since I helped set up the People’s Vote Campaign in April last year, and also to try and stop the disaster and chaos of a second divisive Independence Referendum.
“So that’s the three things I’m standing on. And hopefully if I get reelected, we’ll have a wee look at making sure that climate change stays top of the political agenda.”
The Edinburgh Reporter asked about Murray’s involvement in the Brexit court action earlier in the year and asked whether he considered it to be a success or something worth doing. He answered : “Well, I think it was worth doing. What it showed us actually is that our court system will take the views of the public and hold our government to account.
“And the one thing that we’ve seen since the Brexit debacle has been brought upon us by this Conservative government, is that parliament won’t be pushed around by a powerful executive when they’re doing stuff that’s damaging to the country. And the court systems will help local people and the public to defend them against the government.
“That’s something we should cherish in our constitution.
“And it’s something that we’ve used to make sure the government doesn’t get their own way. And of course we won as well!”
We asked about the well publicised fact that Murray’s views do not align with those of Jeremy Corbyn. He replied : “My values – and Labour Party values have always been my values – and always been the party’s values and that’s what I’m fighting for at this election. People have very strong views either for or against Jeremy Corbyn, but the main message from me to them as a Labour Party candidate is they’re voting for their local MP for the next five years. I have a proven track record of being a very active local MP and always being on their side here in this constituency.
“And they need to get me back to Parliament to make sure we can deliver on the things that are important to them.
“In terms of local issues, there are lots of planning issues. The South Edinburgh greenbelt is under threat. And we have to fight those on behalf of local people local infrastructure in terms of primary places, GP places, and transport infrastructure really creaking at the seams, and local people can’t see how we can fit thousands more homes on our greenbelt without resolving that issue.
“And of course, we have the big issues around health. We’ve got a Sick Kids Hospital, a new hospital, just a stone’s throw from where we’re filming this still closed hundreds of millions of pounds wasted It may be torn down and costing residents around here one and a half million pounds a week to keep it closed. That’s what people are really talking about on the doorsteps and they know that I’ve always been on their side with these issues and will always continue to be.”
Edinburgh South candidates 2019
BEAL, Alan Christopher – Scottish Liberal Democrats
COOK, Nick – Scottish Conservative and Unionist
MACDONALD, Catriona Mary Elizabeth – Scottish National Party
MURRAY, Ian – Scottish Labour Party
NEVENS, Kate – Scottish Green Party
Founding Editor of The Edinburgh Reporter.
Edinburgh-born multimedia journalist and iPhoneographer.
