David Murray (Scottish politician)

Murray was an early advocate of Scottish home rule. He was a member of the committee of the Scottish Covenant Association, and took part in the launching of the Scottish Covenant.^[3] He was an independent Scottish Home Rule candidate for the Western Isles division at the 1950 general election, having unsuccessfully sought endorsement from the Scottish Liberal Party. He finished a poor third. At the 1951 general election, he stood in the Western Isles after being endorsed as the Liberal candidate, but then had to compete for the nationalist vote when a Scottish National Party candidate intervened.^[4] Murray finished third. He remained active for the Liberal Party on the Western Isles, but the local association decided not to run a candidate at the 1955 general election. He decided to contest the 1958 Glasgow Kelvingrove by-election and stood as an Independent Liberal candidate. He finished third, but in the wake of this defeat, an alliance was formed to co-operate in promoting Scottish self-government.^[5] Murray was an Independent candidate for the Motherwell division at the 1959 general election, finishing a poor third. He did not stand for parliament again.^[6]

Collections of his papers are held in the National Library of Scotland.^[7][8]

• Murray article from the Journal of Liberal Democrat History: http://www.liberalhistory.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/22_egan_from_liberalism_to_nationalism.pdf