Anti austerity demonstrators condemning the government cuts to social security besieged the office of Labour MP Ian Murray yesterday. Protestors encircled the office with a giant banner proclaiming “IF YOU EXPLOIT US WE WILL SHUT YOU DOWN”. The office remained closed throughout.
People waved placards portraying a DWP Grim Reaper with the wording “CUTTING DISABILITY BENEFITS KILLS”. Passing vehicles tooted support. “End the DWP’s institutionalised cruelty towards claimants, and kill the new threats to reduce eligibility and lower the level of sickness and disability benefits.” urged the protestors’ leaflets.
“No to the two child benefit limit” and “Scrap the benefit cap” were prominent demands while demonstrators urged solidarity with migrants and the abolition of the discriminatory “No recourse to public funds” law.
The demonstrators also demanded the scrapping of the “anti fraud” bill currently going through the UK Parliament which would allow the DWP to spy on claimants’ bank accounts.
The demonstration. organised by Edinburgh Coalition Against Poverty and the Austerity Resistance Front, is part of the No More Growing Up Poor – End Child Poverty Britain-wide campaign initiated by Food and Solidarity, and is in solidarity with the Disabled People Against Cuts Day of Action on 26 March
One of the organisers, Esther McDonald, said; “Today’s protest is only the start. A wave of mass direct acion is being planned Britain-wide. We will not tolerate the government robbing the poor to enrich the rich!”
Ian Murray, MP for Edinburgh South, has renewed calls for urgent action by the Scottish Government and NHS Lothian to tackle the worsening crisis in South Edinburgh GP services, as residents continue to face unacceptable delays in accessing care.
Constituents regularly report waiting hours on the phone to get appointments, with many surgeries unable to register new patients due to severe capacity issues.
The rapid expansion of new housing developments in South East Edinburgh without the necessary investment in healthcare infrastructure is exacerbating the situation.
Ian Murray has raised these concerns directly with NHS Lothian, and has met with the leadership teams of under-pressure GP practices, to discuss what support they need.
Over 3000 local residents have signed Ian Murray’s petition demanding action.
Ian Murray MP said:“GP services in Edinburgh South are at breaking point. Residents are spending hours on the phone just to get through to their surgery, only to be told they’ll have to wait weeks for an appointment.Meanwhile, new housing estates are being built without the infrastructure to support the growing population. Our community cannot be left without access to vital healthcare.
“The incredible doctors, nurses, and staff in our local practices are working tirelessly, but they are being let down by a failure to plan for demand. Following the record funding settlement given to the Scottish Government by the UK Government in the budget last year, this is unacceptable. The Scottish Government must act now to expand GP capacity, allocate the necessary resources to NHS Lothian, and ensure new developments are built alongside proper infrastructure and healthcare provision.”
Ian Murray has also welcomed Anas Sarwar’s recent announcement of Scottish Labour’s plans to reform the NHS and end the “8am rush” at GP surgeries by revising the GP contract, ensuring patients can get timely appointments.
“These plans offer real, practical solutions to fix our broken NHS and ensure people in Edinburgh South can access the care they need when they need it – representing the biggest reform of the NHS in decades.
“The Scottish Government has failed to get a grip on this crisis – Scottish Labour will.”
Ian Murray is encouraging residents to share their experiences of GP access and has launched a petition to demand better services. He vowed to continue pressing for improvements and holding the Scottish Government to account.
Residents have said:
“I’m registered at a surgery in Gilmerton. I try to get through at 8 am to get an appointment, but even just a call back is impossible. By the time I get through, all appointments are gone for the day. Been trying almost 2 weeks now and never can get through.”
“I have a chronic illness, and getting a GP appointment is virtually impossible. The stress of not being able to prebook an appointment and having to call at 8am relentlessly, normally around at least a 100 redials and then to be told there is no appointment available because they only have 1 doctor available that day and they are full, is intolerable.”
“Being a new mum I haven’t got the time to be sitting about waiting for phone calls all day. I haven’t been able to get through to our GP in over a month now for an appointment. It’s really concerning when I have a 1 year old daughter and can’t get appointments for her.“
Constituents who wish to share their experiences can contact Ian Murray’s office at ian.Murray.MP@parliament.uk.
MP IAN MURRAY RECOGNISES EDINBURGH BROTHERS FOR THEIR FUNDRAISING EFFORTS IN SUPPORT OF THE ERIC LIDDELL COMMUNITY
Two remarkable young brothers from Edinburgh, 13-year-old Seb Jellema and 10-year-old Max Jellema, have been presented with Community Hero Awards by Ian Murray, MP for Edinburgh South.
“The awards celebrate their exceptional commitment to the Eric Liddell Community’s Olympic Year Appeal, a key part of the Eric Liddell 100 campaign commemorating the centenary year of the Olympic Hero’s iconic 400m gold medal victory at the 1924 Paris Olympics. Eric Liddell’s triumph earned him the enduring title of ‘The Flying Scotsman’.
Seb and Max have embodied Eric Liddell’s values of passion, compassion, and integrity through their inspiring fundraising challenges. Both brothers have maintained extraordinary daily running challenges, with Seb on day 712 of running and Max on day 347.
As part of the Flying Scots Challenge, a September initiative within the Eric Liddell 100 campaign, the brothers also completed an impressive 100km to raise funds and awareness for the Olympic Year Appeal. This challenge united participants across Scotland in celebrating Eric Liddell’s legacy while supporting the Eric Liddell Community’s work in education, sport, and community service.
Ian Murray MP praised the brothers’ determination: “I was absolutely delighted to present Seb and Max with Community Hero Awards in recognition of their superb efforts for the Eric Liddell Community’s ‘Flying Scots’ Challenge.
“They are a real credit to themselves, their family and the whole of the south of Edinburgh. Well done Seb and Max – keep up the good work!”
Seb and Max’s journey is rooted in their admiration for Eric Liddell, a Scottish Olympic Hero renowned not only for his Olympic victory but also for his values of passion, compassion, and integrity. Earlier this year, Seb and Max were honoured with Eric Liddell 100 medals at a ceremony marking the renaming of a path in Bruntsfield Links to ‘The Eric Liddell Way.’
Reflecting on their sons’ achievements, Claire and Nick Jellema shared: “We couldn’t be prouder of Seb and Max for receiving these Community Hero Awards.
“For them, their daily running challenge isn’t just about physical effort – it’s a source of joy and personal growth. They cherish the time spent outdoors, often in nature, using it as a moment to reset from busy days, catch up with each other, and gain a real sense of accomplishment.
“Max has especially enjoyed connecting his challenge to the incredible legacy of Eric Liddell. Learning about such an inspiring figure and seeing how one person’s story can continue to influence and unite others has been profoundly motivating for him.
“It’s amazing to see our children embodying the values of passion, compassion, and integrity, and being recognised for their efforts means the world to all of us.”
John MacMillan, CEO of the Eric Liddell Community, praised the brothers’ efforts: “Seb and Max have been extraordinary ambassadors for the Eric Liddell Community.
“Their dedication reflects the spirit of Eric Liddell and shows how young people can lead the way in preserving his legacy while making a difference in their communities.”
For those who would like to support the Eric Liddell Community, the charity invites you to contribute directly to its Christmas Appeal, to donate please visit The Eric Liddell Community website at ericliddell.org.
The latest Scottish GDP stats were published yesterday here for the month of June and here for Q2 of 2024.
Responding to the latest figures, Scottish Secretary Ian Murray said: “Scotland is critical in the UK Government’s mission for economic growth, as the Chancellor underlines today in Glasgow where she’ll meet with key members of the business community to turbocharge Scotland’s regeneration.
“Rebuilding is at the root of everything we do but the £22billion black hole in spending left by the previous government – the worst economic inheritance of any incoming government since the Second World War – means that tough decisions are ahead to achieve stability.
“We are making work pay, ensuring the national minimum wage is a true living wage. And with the end of exploitative zero-hours contracts, workers will have increased job security.
“Backed by £8.3bn of UK Government investment, Scottish-based GB Energy will bring jobs and opportunity for all parts of the UK and trade talks have resumed globally to forge stronger links with our international business partners.”
Scotland’s onshore GDP is estimated to have fallen by 0.3% in June. This follows growth of 0.2% in May.
In the three months to June (Quarter 2), GDP is estimated to have grown by 0.6% compared to the previous three month period (Quarter 1). This is a slight increase on the Quarter 1 growth rate of 0.5%.
Shadow Scottish Secretary: At some point, something will break, and Scottish voters will say: ‘We can’t go on like this’.
LABOUR’S Ian Murray has blasted Nicola Sturgeon for using the Scottish Parliament to “manage decline” and push for independence.
In an exclusive interview with GB News, Mr Murray, who is Labour’s only MP in Scotland, ripped into Ms Sturgeon and said although he doesn’t think Scottish Independence will happen anytime soon opponents would have to fight “very, very hard” to prevent it in any new vote.
Speaking to Gloria De Piero, the Shadow Secretary of State for Scotland also opened up about losing his father when he was aged just nine.
He also recalled the bizarre moment he almost blew his chance of a Shadow Cabinet job – by mistakenly putting the phone down on then Labour-leader Harriet Harman when she’d called to offer him the post.
Asked by Ms Piero about the chances of Scotland ever securing independence during his lifetime he said: “I absolutely don’t think I will live to see it, because it just doesn’t work. They just cannot find a viable way of promoting a proposition that works.
“And that’s not to say they might not win it eventually. Nicola Sturgeon has said that if they lose a second one, they’ll have a third. And all this stuff about mandates, about Brexit, about the Tories. All of the excuses that they give for another referendum are all the excuses that were given the day after the last one.
“So, we’re just finding an excuse and a trigger to have one. And as all that’s happening, and I see it in my own constituency day in, day out is the NHS is getting worse, educational attainment gap’s widening, transport is dreadful, the economy is slipping behind the rest of the UK, the number of higher rate taxpayers is diminishing, the demographics are much older and therefore all the problems that comes with that.
“And none of that’s being dealt with. It’s just all Westminster’s fault: ‘so vote for independence’. And I just think at some point, something will break, and Scottish voters will go, ‘We can’t go on like this’. And maybe that’ll take another referendum, you know, I don’t want one, we shouldn’t have one, if we end up having one, we’ll fight very, very hard to stay in the United Kingdom.
“But something’s going to have to break to get out of this. Otherwise, we’re going to stay on this constitutional merry go round and things are just going to get worse. This Scottish Government essentially uses the Scottish Parliament to manage decline.”
Mr Murray, who represents Edinburgh South, also opened up to Ms Piero about losing his dad, Jim, when he was just nine years old.
Recalling the night he died, Mr Murray said: “We were playing snooker at home, mum was out at the bingo, and he was in his pyjamas. His bottoms fell down and I was only nine so I started laughing, my brother was a little bit embarrassed and a bit concerned. But, you know, he also just thought it was him messing around. Then he never missed a ball for about 10 minutes, he just potted everything and we were going: ‘This is a bit strange’.
“Then 10 minutes later, he was on the floor. He had a cerebral haemorrhage. Mum was called and rushed home. Eventually the ambulance came. Then at four o’clock in the morning mum returned and said, ‘Dad’s not coming home’. The following morning, I woke up, went into the lounge, and the whole family were sitting there, and that’s when it really sunk in.
“The lesson from it was that he had been ill for some time and didn’t tell anyone and he should have really got some advice. Whether or not, in the mid-80s, he would have been able to get the medical attention required to sort something like that, I don’t know, because obviously it’s moved on quite a bit.
“But, you know, he was having blackouts at work and wasn’t telling anyone, he was feeling a bit depressed, which is all the great symptoms of having something wrong with your brain. My dad was 39 when he died. I’m six years older than that now, so I reflect on it a lot. And being a father now as well, I reflect on it a lot. But yeah, I mean it was utterly traumatic, and my poor mum had to deal with the consequences of it. She went into 6th gear and brought up two boys on her own.”
Mr Murray said he has hardly any memories of his dad and that his mother, Lena, never talks about her husband’s death.
“She’s never, ever spoken about it,” he continued. “Apart from her regret that she didn’t let us boys go to the funeral, which was a choice she made at the time, and I think she regrets that.”
Mr Murray was the only Scottish Labour MP to keep his seat in 2015, meaning even though he’d been tipped by many to one day become Shadow Scottish Secretary he suddenly became the automatic choice.
However, as he told GB News, things didn’t run smoothly.
He explained: “Because I’d been the only person to win, my phone for 24 hours was just completely red hot. And there was this woman called Harriet from the BBC Scotland who was phoning me up constantly to say, ‘Could you do drive time? Could you do the morning show? Could you do Good Morning Scotland?’ and ‘What about Sunday Shows?’.
“Obviously because the election was on the Thursday, elected overnight on the Thursday night into Friday. And I just said, ‘Look. It’s been a really tough election. I’ve done all the media I really want to do. I have nothing else to say and until things settle down, I’m not quite sure I want to do anymore’, and she kept ringing and ringing.
“And then my phone rang again, and I just picked it up, I was in my flat at home, the flat I still live in, and I just said, ‘Ian Murray speaking’. And I just heard this, ‘It’s Harriet here’, and I didn’t hear anything else, the voice on the other side of the phone said, ‘I’d like you to join the Shadow cabinet’, and I thought I heard, ‘Are you joining the Shadow Cabinet?’.
“I went, ‘Look Harriet, will you stop bothering me? It’s been a long week. You know, I am the only one that’s left. We’re all in a bit of shock here, and I’m sick of journalists phoning me and asking me if I’m joining the Shadow Cabinet. So, the answer is no comment’, and I put the phone down. And actually, the phone rang again, and it was Harriet Harman as the acting leader of the Labour Party offering me a place in the Shadow Cabinet.”
Laughing, he added: “So, I apologised profusely, and she promised never to mention it. Oh, and I also promised I would never tell the story….”
The Scottish SPCA was delighted to welcome local MP Ian Murray out on a trip in the Edinburgh area with animal rescue officer Sarah Auldsmith. Scotland’s animal welfare charity showcased their work by taking Mr Murray out to a number of animal rescues to show him what goes on behind the scenes.Continue reading Local MP spends day with Scottish SPCA
