Speaking after his appointment as Secretary of State for Scotland, Douglas Alexander MP said:
“First, I want to pay tribute to my friend and colleague Ian Murray.
“Ian held the line against the SNP when no one else could and quite literally gave the Labour Party in Scotland a voice when it needed it most.
“As one of the most decent and well-liked people in politics, Ian has always managed to keep his warmth and wit through good and bad times alike. I, like so many others, have benefitted from the calm and common sense he brought to our team in every circumstance.
“Scotland and the Labour movement owe him a great debt of gratitude.
“As I take on this role, I do so with determination to deliver on the ambitions of people across Scotland.
“Delivering for them will always be my first priority.
“A UK Labour government has already shown what change looks like: ending Tory austerity, giving 200,000 of Scotland’s lowest-paid workers a pay rise, championing Scotland’s business with world beating trade deals and delivering the largest budget settlement in the history of devolution.
“But the SNP continue to squander that investment – and we must end two decades of SNP incompetence next year.
“So I look forward to working with Anas Sarwar to earn the trust of the people of Scotland and electing a Scottish Labour government that delivers the new direction Scotland needs.”