Ian Murray fights off bid to stop him contesting his Edinburgh South seat
Last updated 25th Oct 2019
Labour MP Ian Murray has been re-selected to contest Edinburgh South at the next general election, surviving an attempt by the Unite union to oust him.
All four member branches in the constituency voted to re-select him at a meeting in Edinburgh on Thursday evening.
Five trade union and affiliate branches also backed Mr Murray though Unite voted in favour of a contest to replace him.
Under Labour Party rules, a contest to replace a sitting MP is triggered if a third of local members or affiliated unions back it.
Mr Murray said he looks forward to fighting the next general election and is now focused on standing up for the 80,000 people in his constituency.
He said: "It is a huge honour to have been re-selected as Labour's candidate in Edinburgh South for the forthcoming general election.
"Representing my home city of Edinburgh is a great privilege, and I have always put this constituency first and foremost.
"I would not have become the MP in 2010 and certainly would not have held on in 2015 and ended up with the largest majority in Scotland in 2017 if it wasn't for the hard-working and committed local Labour Party activists. I am grateful for their continued support and the support of the overwhelming majority of trade unions.
"I am also extremely grateful to the hundreds of people in Edinburgh South and further afield, from all parties and none, who have been in touch in recent days to offer their support and kind words. Thank you - it meant a huge deal.''
There were 158 votes in favour of re-selecting Mr Murray and 13 in favour of a contest.
Mr Murray won the Edinburgh South seat for Labour in 2010 and became the party's only Scottish MP five years later when a wipeout north of the border saw them lose 40 out of the 41 seats.
In 2017 he won for a third time with a majority of 15,514