David Murray (Scottish politician)

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David Murray (born 1900, date of death unknown), was a Scottish nationalist and Liberal Party politician.

Liberal Party (UK) political party of the United Kingdom, 1859–1988

The Liberal Party was one of the two major parties in the United Kingdom with the opposing Conservative Party in the 19th and early 20th centuries. The party arose from an alliance of Whigs and free trade Peelites and Radicals favourable to the ideals of the American and French Revolutions in the 1850s. By the end of the 19th century, it had formed four governments under William Gladstone. Despite being divided over the issue of Irish Home Rule, the party returned to government in 1905 and then won a landslide victory in the following year's general election.

Contents

Background

Murray was educated at Glasgow University where he took a Bachelor of Science in engineering. [1]

A Bachelor of Science is an undergraduate academic degree awarded for completed courses that generally last three to five years, or a person holding such a degree.

Professional career

Murray studied steel making in Germany. He was an engineer in Australia. He was a steel salesman in the United States and South America. He became an industrial journalist and author. [2] In 1960 he published The first nation in Europe: a portrait of Scotland and the Scots. In 1962 he published Ecurie Ecosse: the story of Scotland's international racing team.

Political career

Murray was an early advocate of Scottish Home Rule. He was a member of the committee of the Scottish Covenant Association, and took part in the launching of the Scottish Covenant. [3] He was an independent Scottish Home Rule candidate for the Western Isles division at the 1950 General Election, having unsuccessfully sought endorsement from the Scottish Liberal Party. He finished a poor third. At the 1951 General Election, he stood in the Western Isles after being endorsed as the Liberal candidate but then had to compete for the nationalist vote when a Scottish National Party candidate intervened. [4] Murray finished third. He remained active for the Liberal Party on the Western Isles, but the local association decided not to run a candidate at the 1955 General Election. He decided to contest the 1958 Glasgow Kelvingrove by-election and stood as an Independent Liberal candidate. He finished third, but in the wake of this defeat, an alliance was formed to co-operate in promoting Scottish self-government. [5] Murray was an Independent candidate for the Motherwell division at the 1959 General Election, finishing a poor third. He did not stand for parliament again. [6]

Scottish Covenant Association

The Scottish Covenant Association was a non-partisan political organisation in Scotland in the 1940s and 1950s seeking to establish a devolved Scottish Assembly. It was formed by John MacCormick who had left the Scottish National Party in 1942 when they decided to support all-out independence for Scotland rather than devolution as had been their position.

Na h-Eileanan an Iar (UK Parliament constituency) Parliamentary constituency in the United Kingdom

Na h-Eileanan an Iar (; Scottish Gaelic pronunciation: [nəˈhelanən əˈɲiəɾ]; formerly Western Isles is a constituency of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, created in 1918. It elects one Member of Parliament by the first past the post system of election.

1950 United Kingdom general election

The 1950 United Kingdom general election was the first general election ever to be held after a full term of Labour government. The election was held on Thursday 23 February 1950. Despite polling over 700,000 votes more than the Conservatives, and receiving more votes than they had during the 1945 general election, Labour obtained a slim majority of just five seats—a stark contrast to 1945, when they had achieved a comfortable 146-seat majority. There was a national swing towards the Conservatives, who gained 90 seats. Labour called another general election in 1951.

Collections of his papers are held in the National Library of Scotland. [7] [8]

National Library of Scotland legal deposit library of Scotland

The National Library of Scotland is the legal deposit library of Scotland and is one of the country's National Collections. Its main public building is in Edinburgh city centre on George IV Bridge, between the Old Town and the university quarter. This building is Category A listed. There is also a more modern building (1980s) in a residential area on the south side of the town centre, on Causewayside. This was built to accommodate some of the specialist collections, such as maps and science collections, and to provide extra large-scale storage. In 2016 a new public centre opened at Glasgow's Kelvin Hall providing access to the Library's digital and moving image collections.

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References

  1. ↑ The Times House of Commons, 1950
  2. ↑ The Times House of Commons, 1959
  3. ↑ The Times House of Commons, 1951
  4. ↑ "Labour in danger in the Western Isles. Liberal-Unionist Challenge". The Glasgow Herald . 8 October 1951. p. 6. Retrieved 12 March 2016.
  5. ↑ "Home Rulers set up new organisation. Scottish Alliance "Born" at Kelvingrove By-election". The Glasgow Herald. 5 April 1958. p. 4. Retrieved 12 March 2016.
  6. ↑ British parliamentary election results 1950-1970, Craig, F.W.S.
  7. ↑ "Inventory. Acc 7914. Papers, 1937-42, of David Murray, Industrial Journalist, writer and broadcaster, Relating to the Independent Labour Party and to the Spanish Civil War" (PDF). National Library of Scotland . Retrieved 12 March 2016.
  8. ↑ "Inventory. Acc 7915. Further Papers, 1934-51, of David Murray, on Political and Industrial Affairs" (PDF). National Library of Scotland. Retrieved 12 March 2016.
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