James Murray (London politician) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
James Murray
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Official portrait, 2024
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| Secretary of State for Health and Social Care | |||||||||||
| Assumed office 14 May 2026 |
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| Preceded by | Wes Streeting | ||||||||||
| Chief Secretary to the Treasury | |||||||||||
| In office 1 September 2025 – 14 May 2026 |
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| Preceded by | Darren Jones | ||||||||||
| Succeeded by | Lucy Rigby | ||||||||||
| Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury | |||||||||||
| In office 9 July 2024 – 1 September 2025 |
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| Preceded by | Gareth Davies | ||||||||||
| Succeeded by | Dan Tomlinson | ||||||||||
| Member of Parliament for Ealing North |
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| Assumed office 12 December 2019 |
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| Preceded by | Stephen Pound | ||||||||||
| Majority | 12,489 (28.9%) | ||||||||||
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| Deputy Mayor of London for Housing and Residential Development |
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| In office 14 April 2016 – 16 October 2019 |
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| Mayor | Sadiq Khan | ||||||||||
| Preceded by | Rick Blakeway | ||||||||||
| Succeeded by | Tom Copley | ||||||||||
| Member of Islington Council for Barnsbury |
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| In office 6 May 2006 – 26 May 2016 |
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| Succeeded by | Rowena Champion | ||||||||||
| Personal details | |||||||||||
| Born |
James Stewart Murray
13 July 1983 Hammersmith, London, England |
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| Political party | Labour Co-op | ||||||||||
| Education | St Paul's School | ||||||||||
| Alma mater | Wadham College, Oxford (BA) | ||||||||||
James Murray is a British politician. He was born on July 13, 1983. He has been a Member of Parliament (MP) for Ealing North since 2019. An MP is someone elected to represent people in the UK government. Since May 14, 2026, he has been the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care. This means he helps lead the country's health services. Before this, he held other important roles in the government. He was the Chief Secretary to the Treasury from September 2025 to May 2026. He also served as the Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury from July 2024 to September 2025. From 2016 to 2019, he was the Deputy Mayor of London for Housing.
Contents
Early Life and Learning
James Murray was born in Hammersmith, London. His mother and grandmother were also involved in politics. He grew up in West Ealing. He went to St Paul's School. Later, he studied Philosophy, Politics, and Economics at Wadham College, Oxford. He graduated with a top degree in 2004.
Starting in Politics
James Murray began his political career as a local councillor in Islington. He served from 2006 to 2016, representing the Barnsbury area. A councillor helps manage local services for a specific area. From 2010 to 2016, he led efforts to improve housing and development in Islington. He was known for being a strong leader in this role.
Helping London with Housing
Murray helped Sadiq Khan become the Mayor of London. In 2016, Mayor Khan appointed him as London's Deputy Mayor for Housing. In this role, he helped lead housing plans for the whole city.
He introduced a new way to build more affordable homes faster. This plan encouraged builders to offer more affordable homes early on. This helped avoid complicated discussions. This new approach helped create more affordable homes and was supported by many in the building industry.
Murray also managed a large program that invested £4.8 billion into building affordable homes. He started a special program called 'Building Council Homes for Londoners'. This program helped build more homes managed by the local council. It raised council homebuilding to its highest level in 34 years.
Working in Parliament
In the 2019 general election, James Murray was elected as the MP for Ealing North. He won with a strong number of votes. He gave his first speech in Parliament in January 2020. In March 2020, he joined the Health and Social Care Committee. This group looks closely at health services. In April 2020, he became part of the Opposition Whips' Office. This office helps organize votes and keep party members informed.
In October 2020, he became the Shadow Financial Secretary to the Treasury. In this 'shadow' role, he would question the government's financial plans. He worked on important laws about money, like those affecting taxes.
Important Government Roles
James Murray was re-elected as MP for Ealing North in the 2024 general election. He again won with a strong majority. Prime Minister Keir Starmer chose him to be the Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury. This role involves helping manage the country's money.
Later, in September 2025, he became the Chief Secretary to the Treasury. This is another key role in managing government finances. He also joined the Privy Council, a group of important advisors to the King.
On May 14, 2026, he was appointed Secretary of State for Health and Social Care. In this very important job, he is in charge of the country's health and social care services.
About James Murray
James Murray lives in West Ealing. He has managed a health condition in the past and is now well.
