Douglas Alexander named Scottish secretary after Ian Murray sacked

Douglas Alexander has been appointed Secretary of State for Scotland

Douglas Alexander has become Secretary of State for Scotland after the sacking of Ian Murray in a UK government reshuffle.

The Labour veteran was MP for Paisley and Renfrewshire South from 1997 until 2015 and was re-elected in Lothian East last year.

Alexander replaces Murray - Scottish Labour's longest serving MP and a close ally of the party's Scottish leader Anas Sarwar.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has reshuffled his team following the resignation of his deputy Angela Rayner.

In a statement following his appointment, Alexander said "there is a huge amount to be done".

He said: "I'm very much looking forward to making sure that Scotland continues to be at the very centre of the government's work – including on our drive to clean power and ensuring our country's security."

Ian Murray is Scottish Labour's longest serving MP

Alexander previously served as Scottish secretary in Tony Blair's cabinet from 2006 to 2007 and has held several government roles.

After losing his seat in a shock defeat to the SNP's Mhairi Black in 2015, he stepped back from politics until the 2024 general election.

In Keir Starmer's government he has been minister in the Department for Business and Trade and minister of state in the Cabinet Office.

Paying tribute to his predecessor, Alexander said Ian Murray was "one of the most decent and well-liked people in politics" and that the Labour party owed him "a great debt of gratitude".

Alexander (left) and Murray (right) celebrate Labour success in Scotland at the 2024 general election

Murray served as MP for Edinburgh South from 2010 and was made Scottish secretary when Labour returned to power last July.

He said he was disappointed at losing his post but would be "forever proud" of his role in Labour's resurgence in Scotland.

"I have worked tirelessly with my wonderful political and civil service team at the Scotland Office, to put Scotland at the heart of this UK government," he said.

"Together, we have already delivered so much for Scotland."

Murray pledged his support to his "friend" Anas Sarwar ahead of next year's Holyrood election.

The Scottish labour leader thanked Murray for his service adding that he held the "party together during the most difficult and dark times".

Sarwar also congratulated Alexander who he said would "use his experience, knowledge and skills" to deliver for Scotland.

Ian Murray addresses the Scottish Labour MSPs, watched by Anas Sarwar and Sir Keir Starmer

Murray's sacking in the reshuffle came as a surprise to many at Westminster with some immediate discontent within Scottish Labour.

One candidate for next year's Holyrood election said it was a "shocker" and that "our electoral success last year was built on his back".

Labour peer Lord George Foulkes branded it "a disgraceful decision".

He said he Murray "held the fort well through the lean years and has been a brilliant secretary of state".

Murray had been due to front a government announcement next week, with the media invited to interview him on Monday.

Murray was joined by in the Scottish Labour ranks by Michael Shanks (centre) in 2023

For years he was as Scotland's sole Labour MP, after the party lost 40 of its 41 seats in the SNP's 2015 general election landslide.

In 2017 Murray increased his majority as Labour returned seven Scottish MPs, but he again became Scotland's sole Labour MP in 2019.

In October 2023 he gained a colleague when Michael Shanks won the Rutherglen and Hamilton West by-election.

He has twice served as shadow Scottish secretary, quitting in 2016 in protest over Jeremy Corbyn's leadership. He was reappointed by Keir Starmer in 2020.

The reshuffle follows the resignation of Rayner, who was found not to have paid enough tax on a flat.

The leader of the House of Commons, Lucy Powell, has also been removed from government.

David Lammy has been appointed as deputy prime minister and justice secretary; Yvette Cooper has become foreign secretary; and Shabana Mahmood becomes home secretary.

What could this mean for the Scottish election?

The campaign for Holyrood 2026 already fully under way. Anas Sarwar makes the same argument every week - that Scotland needs a change of government because the SNP is out of steam and letting down services.

He wants to continue the wave of change and Labour wins we saw in the general election last year.

But this kind of turmoil doesn't help him to make that case - or indeed argue that Labour can provide a steadier hand on the tiller.

The SNP are seeking to capitalise by saying this is more chaos at Westminster, and that Scotland would be better off independent.

Labour will be hoping that their new-look team can turn things around, and that this huge reshuffle can be the reset they have been scratching around for.

It remains to be seen whether the shockwaves are still reverberating next May.