Len Murray
Encyclopedia
Lionel Murray, Baron Murray of Epping Forest, OBE
PC
, known as Len Murray (2 August 1922 – 20 May 2004) was a British Labour
politician and union leader.
, Telford
, Shropshire
, the son of a farmworker. Both his parents died in accidents when he was eight, and he lived with relatives. He attended Wellington Grammar School in Wellington
. He studied English at the Queen Mary College
, University of London
, but left after a year because of the emphasis on Anglo-Saxon language
. He briefly became a teacher but found he was unsuitable then joined the army.
. Six days later he was badly wounded and in October 1944 he was invalided out of the Army with the rank of Lieutenant
. He had banged his head against a tree, later waking up in London.
as a storekeeper, then sold the Daily Worker
on street corners and joined the Communist Party
for a short time. Whilst selling the Daily Worker, he met his former headmaster, who told him he was wasting his time. Shortly afterwards he found his way into New College, Oxford
, where he gained a First in PPE after studying for two years.
(TUC) employee from 1947 where he joined as an assistant in the Economics Dept, and seven years later he became head of the department. He became assistant general secretary in 1969. He was made General Secretary
(leader) of the Trades Union Congress in 1973, and led the group during the time of the Winter of Discontent
, and of confrontations with Margaret Thatcher
's government.
. He was a Methodist local preacher
. He had a heart attack in 1976.
He was made OBE in 1966. He retired in 1984, three years early. On his retirement in early May 1984, he made the following statement - "There are places to go, books to read, flowers to smell and trees to look at. I would like to walk through Epping Forest". He had been made a member of the Privy Council
in 1976 and was made a life peer
as Baron Murray of Epping Forest, of Telford in the County of Shropshire
in 1985. He died in hospital in 2004 from emphysema
and pneumonia
.
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
PC
Privy Council of the United Kingdom
Her Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council, usually known simply as the Privy Council, is a formal body of advisers to the Sovereign in the United Kingdom...
, known as Len Murray (2 August 1922 – 20 May 2004) was a British Labour
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
politician and union leader.
Early life
He was born in HadleyHadley, Shropshire
Hadley is a part of the new town of Telford in the borough of Telford and Wrekin and ceremonial county of Shropshire, England. It lies approximately 5 miles north-west of Telford Town Centre, and is registered under the parish of Hadley and Leegomery...
, Telford
Telford
Telford is a large new town in the borough of Telford and Wrekin and ceremonial county of Shropshire, England, approximately east of Shrewsbury, and west of Birmingham...
, Shropshire
Shropshire
Shropshire is a county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. It borders Wales to the west...
, the son of a farmworker. Both his parents died in accidents when he was eight, and he lived with relatives. He attended Wellington Grammar School in Wellington
Wellington, Shropshire
Wellington is a town in the unitary authority of Telford and Wrekin and ceremonial county of Shropshire, England and now forms part of the new town of Telford. The population of the parish of Wellington was recorded as 20,430 in the 2001 census, making it the third largest town in Shropshire if...
. He studied English at the Queen Mary College
Queen Mary, University of London
Queen Mary, University of London is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom and a constituent college of the federal University of London...
, University of London
University of London
-20th century:Shortly after 6 Burlington Gardens was vacated, the University went through a period of rapid expansion. Bedford College, Royal Holloway and the London School of Economics all joined in 1900, Regent's Park College, which had affiliated in 1841 became an official divinity school of the...
, but left after a year because of the emphasis on Anglo-Saxon language
Old English language
Old English or Anglo-Saxon is an early form of the English language that was spoken and written by the Anglo-Saxons and their descendants in parts of what are now England and southeastern Scotland between at least the mid-5th century and the mid-12th century...
. He briefly became a teacher but found he was unsuitable then joined the army.
Army
Murray was commissioned into the King's Shropshire Light Infantry in April 1943 and landed on the Normandy beaches on D-DayD-Day
D-Day is a term often used in military parlance to denote the day on which a combat attack or operation is to be initiated. "D-Day" often represents a variable, designating the day upon which some significant event will occur or has occurred; see Military designation of days and hours for similar...
. Six days later he was badly wounded and in October 1944 he was invalided out of the Army with the rank of Lieutenant
Lieutenant
A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
. He had banged his head against a tree, later waking up in London.
Demobilisation
He worked in an engineering works in WolverhamptonWolverhampton
Wolverhampton is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands, England. For Eurostat purposes Walsall and Wolverhampton is a NUTS 3 region and is one of five boroughs or unitary districts that comprise the "West Midlands" NUTS 2 region...
as a storekeeper, then sold the Daily Worker
The Morning Star
The Morning Star is a left wing British daily tabloid newspaper with a focus on social and trade union issues. Articles and comment columns are contributed by writers from socialist, social democratic, green and religious perspectives....
on street corners and joined the Communist Party
Communist Party of Great Britain
The Communist Party of Great Britain was the largest communist party in Great Britain, although it never became a mass party like those in France and Italy. It existed from 1920 to 1991.-Formation:...
for a short time. Whilst selling the Daily Worker, he met his former headmaster, who told him he was wasting his time. Shortly afterwards he found his way into New College, Oxford
New College, Oxford
New College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom.- Overview :The College's official name, College of St Mary, is the same as that of the older Oriel College; hence, it has been referred to as the "New College of St Mary", and is now almost always...
, where he gained a First in PPE after studying for two years.
Career
He started as a manager for a Liverpool catering firm. He was a Trades Union CongressTrades Union Congress
The Trades Union Congress is a national trade union centre, a federation of trade unions in the United Kingdom, representing the majority of trade unions...
(TUC) employee from 1947 where he joined as an assistant in the Economics Dept, and seven years later he became head of the department. He became assistant general secretary in 1969. He was made General Secretary
General Secretary of the TUC
The General Secretary of the TUC is the chief permanent officer of the Trades Union Congress, and a major figurehead in the trade union movement in the United Kingdom....
(leader) of the Trades Union Congress in 1973, and led the group during the time of the Winter of Discontent
Winter of Discontent
The "Winter of Discontent" is an expression, popularised by the British media, referring to the winter of 1978–79 in the United Kingdom, during which there were widespread strikes by local authority trade unions demanding larger pay rises for their members, because the Labour government of...
, and of confrontations with Margaret Thatcher
Margaret Thatcher
Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher, was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990...
's government.
Personal life
He married Heather Woolf, a nurse, in 1945 and they had two sons and two daughters, living at LoughtonLoughton
Loughton is a town and civil parish in the Epping Forest district of Essex. It is located between 11 and 13 miles north east of Charing Cross in London, south of the M25 and west of the M11 motorway and has boundaries with Chingford, Waltham Abbey, Theydon Bois, Chigwell and Buckhurst Hill...
. He was a Methodist local preacher
Methodist local preacher
A Methodist local preacher is a lay person who has been accredited by a Methodist church to lead worship on a regular basis. Local preachers play an important role in the Methodist Church of Great Britain and other churches historically linked to it, and have also been important in English social...
. He had a heart attack in 1976.
He was made OBE in 1966. He retired in 1984, three years early. On his retirement in early May 1984, he made the following statement - "There are places to go, books to read, flowers to smell and trees to look at. I would like to walk through Epping Forest". He had been made a member of the Privy Council
Privy Council of the United Kingdom
Her Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council, usually known simply as the Privy Council, is a formal body of advisers to the Sovereign in the United Kingdom...
in 1976 and was made a life peer
Life peer
In the United Kingdom, life peers are appointed members of the Peerage whose titles cannot be inherited. Nowadays life peerages, always of baronial rank, are created under the Life Peerages Act 1958 and entitle the holders to seats in the House of Lords, presuming they meet qualifications such as...
as Baron Murray of Epping Forest, of Telford in the County of Shropshire
Shropshire
Shropshire is a county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. It borders Wales to the west...
in 1985. He died in hospital in 2004 from emphysema
Emphysema
Emphysema is a long-term, progressive disease of the lungs that primarily causes shortness of breath. In people with emphysema, the tissues necessary to support the physical shape and function of the lungs are destroyed. It is included in a group of diseases called chronic obstructive pulmonary...
and pneumonia
Pneumonia
Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung—especially affecting the microscopic air sacs —associated with fever, chest symptoms, and a lack of air space on a chest X-ray. Pneumonia is typically caused by an infection but there are a number of other causes...
.
External links
- News of Murray's death (The GuardianThe GuardianThe Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
) - Obituary of Len Murray (Daily Telegraph)