David Murray (Scottish politician)
David Murray (born 1900, date of death unknown), was a Scottish nationalist and Liberal Party politician.
Background[edit]
Murray was educated at Glasgow University where he took a Bachelor of Science in engineering.[1]
Professional career[edit]
Murray studied steelmaking 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[edit]
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]
Collections of his papers are held in the National Library of Scotland.[7][8]
References[edit]
- ^ The Times House of Commons, 1950
- ^ The Times House of Commons, 1959
- ^ The Times House of Commons, 1951
- ^ "Labour in danger in the Western Isles. Liberal-Unionist Challenge". The Glasgow Herald. 8 October 1951. p. 6. Retrieved 12 March 2016.
- ^ "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.
- ^ British parliamentary election results 1950-1970, Craig, F.W.S.
- ^ "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.
- ^ "Inventory. Acc 7915. Further Papers, 1934-51, of David Murray, on Political and Industrial Affairs" (PDF). National Library of Scotland. Retrieved 12 March 2016.
External links[edit]
- Murray article from the Journal of Liberal Democrat History: http://www.liberalhistory.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/22_egan_from_liberalism_to_nationalism.pdf