Former Scottish secretary has admitted he felt “publicly humiliated” when he was unexpectedly sacked from his job by Sir Keir Starmer.
The Edinburgh South MP, who had been Labour’s only MP for years, said the Prime Minister told him in a telephone call that he wanted to “refresh the team”.
Mr Murray had only been in the job since last July’s General Election victory and earlier had been in Edinburgh at an event linked to Hearts football club, when he received the call from No 10.
He had also welcomed the UK’s ambassador in Singapore who had hinted at investment in Grangemouth.
Earlier that day Sir Keir had replaced deputy prime minister Angela Rayner with David Lammy who had been involved in organising the Singapore trip.
Speaking today about the reshuffle said he had prepared himself for a move to the backbenches but within 24 hours was handed two junior ministerial jobs after his supporters reacted angrily to his removal from the Scotland Office.
Sir Keir brought Douglas Alexander in as Scotland Secretary and switched Mr Murray to Department for Culture, Media and Sport and the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology.
Commenting today, he said: “We’d put the Scotland Office back on the map, got a really good spending review, most of it being announced by my successor in the last week to ten days.
“I felt a little bit publicly humiliated, if I’m being honest, which I thought was unfortunate and not necessary. I was preparing to go back to the backbenches, then 24 hours later was offered a different job as a minister of state in two big departments, which I’m very happy about.
“I don’t know what the process was but things turned around in 24 hours.”
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