The strange case of the man sacked for doing a good job - Susan Dalgety
Politics is a tough old game, as Edinburgh South MP Ian Murray knows only too well.
Ten days ago, he took a call from the Prime Minister, who sacked him from his job as Secretary of State for Scotland. Just like that.
One minute, Murray was in charge of the Scotland Office, Scotland’s voice in Keir Starmer’s Cabinet, our national champion at home and abroad.
The next he was a backbench MP, with no more influence or power than any of his colleagues elected only last year.
What had Ian Murray done to deserve his very public demotion? Bad-mouthed Keir Starmer in public? No. Avoided paying tax on his home? No. Hidden in his fancy London office, Dover House, avoiding Scotland as much as possible? Certainly not.
Facebook is awash with pictures of Ian Murray visiting businesses across the country, popping into Edinburgh pizza parlours, hosting meetings with people from across society.
In fact, in the year that he was in charge of the Scotland Office, it was open house in its Edinburgh HQ just off the Royal Mile.
Personally, I was there about six times in the last year, in various roles from press briefings to discussions about international aid.
The last time I was there, only a few weeks ago, the security officer recognised me. And I am no-one special.
Under Ian’s leadership, the Scotland Office had opened its doors to people from all walks of life.
He and his ministerial colleague, Kirsty McNeill, had made it known they wanted to listen to the concerns of the people of Scotland so that they could make the Westminster government machine work better on our behalf.
So why was he sacked from a job he was good at, and so clearly enjoying? Only the Prime Minister knows and he won’t be spilling the beans any time soon.
Murray was replaced by a Labour veteran, Douglas Alexander, who first rose to prominence in 1997 when he was elected the MP for Paisley South.
He was a victim of Labour’s rout in 2015 when every sitting Labour MP was ousted – except for one Ian Murray – and made his comeback last year, winning East Lothian.
This will be Alexander’s second spell as Secretary of State for Scotland. He first held the role in 2006, combining it with Transport Secretary. He’s a seasoned politician who has never hidden his ambition and he will do a perfectly competent job.
But he is no Ian Murray. Rumour has it that not a single Scottish Labour MP on their private WhatsApp group congratulated Alexander on his new job, while many went public with their concern at Ian Murray’s sacking.
Such was the furore around Starmer’s shock decision that 24 hours after he had tossed Ian Murray out of government, he had to invite him back in with the offer of not one, but two new jobs.
As Ian wrote in his Evening News column a few days ago, he is delighted to be a minister in the Departments of Culture, Media and Sport and Science, Innovation and Technology, but he did admit to being “gutted” at leaving the Scotland Office.
He’s not the only one.