East Renfrewshire MP Jim Murphy has been appointed as the new Scottish Secretary.

Mr Murphy, 41, who was elected to parliament in 1997, succeeds Des Browne, who was also Defence Secretary. News of his appointment has been welcomed by Jim Sheridan, the chair of the Scottish group of Labour MPs.

He said Mr Murphy, who was appointed Europe Minister in June 2007, would bring "enthusiasm and vigour" to the new role.

It is understood that Des Browne, the MP for Kilmarnock and Loudon, was asked to stay on in Scotland and was also offered Northern Ireland. He is said to have turned down both.

The defence brief is to be taken over by John Hutton, who was business secretary.

The Scottish Chambers of Commerce welcomed Mr Murphy's appointment and that of Peter Mandelson as business secretary.

'Fighting hard'

Its chief executive, Liz Cameron, said: "The appointment of Jim Murphy and Peter Mandelson to these key government roles is very important to businesses in Scotland.

"In the midst of challenging economic conditions, our firms are fighting hard to maintain their position and boost their competitive advantage on the global stage.

"It is vital that they are supported in this role by every level of government and by political leaders who understand the needs and ambitions of our business community."

She said the chambers would be looking for early dialogue with both ministers.

The Scottish Conservatives said they were pleased that combining the roles of Defence and Scottish Secretaries had ended.

But David Mundell MP, the shadow Scottish Secretary said: "I believe that the fact that the two Scotland Office ministers have found themselves, in as many weeks, unable to continue in Gordon Brown's Government reflects the widespread doubts that exist even within the Labour Party about his leadership."

Source: BBC - 3rd Oct 2008

Email (will not be published)

Name

Title

Comment
 remaining characters

Post