Simon Peregrine Gauvain Murray, Baron Murray of Blidworth (born 2 August 1974), is a British barrister[1] and Conservative member of the House of Lords.[2] He served as a minister for the Home Office (2022–2023).[3]
The Lord Murray of Blidworth | |
|---|---|
 Lord Murray of Blidworth, 2022 | |
| Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Migration and Borders [a] | |
| In office 7 October 2022 – 14 November 2023 | |
| Prime Minister | Liz Truss Rishi Sunak |
| Preceded by | The Baroness Williams of Trafford |
| Succeeded by | The Lord Sharpe of Epsom |
| Member of the House of Lords Lord Temporal | |
| Assumed office 24 October 2022 Life Peerage | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Simon Peregrine Gauvain Murray 2 August 1974 London, England |
| Nationality | British and Irish |
| Political party | Conservative |
| Alma mater | University of St Andrews |
Early life and education
editThe only son of Dr Nigel Ormiston Gauvain Murray (1944–2002) and his wife Shirley née Arbuthnot (born 1949), elder daughter and co-heiress of Commander Bernard Arbuthnot DSC,[4] scion of the Arbuthnot baronets, his matrilineal great-great-grandfather, Sir Henry Blake GCMG, was a British colonial administrator and Governor of Hong Kong who hailed from the Anglo-Irish gentry being seated at Myrtle Grove, County Cork.[5][6] Of Scots patrilineal descent, his grandfather was Dr Ronald Murray MBE FRCPE,[7] a kinsman of the Duke of Atholl.
After graduating from the University of St Andrews with an undergraduate Master of Arts (MA Hons), Murray was called to the Bar at the Inner Temple in 2000.[8] Lord Murray practises public law at 39 Essex Chambers.[1]
In 2011 he appeared on the BBC show, Fake or Fortune? for his family who claim ownership of the painting; even though the family did not remember owning the painting and presumably because they had realised its worth, Children Under a Palm by Winslow Homer, which had been found by a skip over 23 years earlier;[9] although determined to be genuine, who owns this work of art is still a matter of dispute.
Political career
editElected to Gedling Borough Council at the 2019 local elections, Murray represented Newstead Abbey Ward as a Conservative Councillor until November 2022 after being appointed to HMG.[10]
Appointed Minister of State for the Home Office[11] by Prime Minister Liz Truss on 9 October 2022,[12] he was created a Life Peer on 21 October 2022, taking the title of Baron Murray of Blidworth, of Blidworth in the County of Nottinghamshire.[13]
Lord Murray made his maiden speech in the Upper House on 26 October 2022 during a debate on British Passports for those born the Republic of Ireland but living in Northern Ireland,[14] and served in the Home Office as Parliamentary Under-Secretary from 30 October 2022 until 14 November 2023.[15]
Personal life
editMurray married Amelia May Beaumont (born 1983), a granddaughter of the Revd Baron Beaumont of Whitley and great-granddaughter of Lady May Abel Smith,[16] at Temple Church London, on 4 October 2007. Lord and Lady Murray have two children.[17]
A Freeman of the City of London and a liveryman of the Worshipful Company of Scriveners,[18] Lord Murray is a member of MCC and since 2002 serves on the ceremonial staff as an Esquire of the Order of St John.[19]
See also
edit
References
edit- ^ a b "Lord Murray of Blidworth". www.39essex.com. Retrieved 1 November 2024.
- ^ "Introduction: Lord Murray of Blidworth". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). Vol. 824. University Press: House of Lords. 24 October 2022.
- ^ "Lord Murray of Blidworth". GOV.UK. Retrieved 1 November 2024.
- ^ www.thegazette.co.uk
- ^ Hawkins, Richard (October 2009). "Blake, Sir Henry Arthur". www.dib.ie. Dictionary of Irish Biography. doi:10.3318/dib.000711.v1. Retrieved 1 November 2024.
- ^ Burke's Landed Gentry of Ireland (1958)
- ^ www.rcpe.ac.uk
- ^ "Simon Murray". www.innertemple.org.uk. Inner Temple. 1 November 2017. Retrieved 1 November 2024.
- ^ English, Eoin (5 July 2011). "Row over €150k painting found in dump to be settled". Irish Examiner. Retrieved 18 June 2023.
- ^ Council, Gedling Borough (8 October 2022). "Councillor details - Councillor Simon Murray". democracy.gedling.gov.uk. Retrieved 8 October 2022.
- ^ "Ministerial Appointments: September 2022". GOV.UK. Retrieved 8 October 2022.
- ^ "Minister of State - GOV.UK". www.gov.uk. Archived from the original on 9 October 2022. Retrieved 8 October 2022.
- ^ "Lord Murray of Blidworth". MPs and Lords. UK Parliament. Retrieved 18 June 2023.
- ^ Lord Murray of Blidworth, Minister of State, Home Office (26 October 2022). "Republic of Ireland: British Passports". Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). Vol. 824. United Kingdom: House of Lords. col. 1540–1544.
- ^ "Ministerial Appointments: October - November 2022". GOV.UK. Prime Minister's Office, 10 Downing Street. 24 November 2022. Retrieved 1 November 2024.
- ^ Debrett's Peerage & Baronetage 2019
- ^ www.burkespeerage.com
- ^ www.scriveners.org.uk
- ^ "No. 56475". The London Gazette. 7 February 2002. pp. 1555–1556.
Notes
edit- ^ Minister of State for Home Affairs until 30 October 2022
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