Following Streeting’s departure, who is the new health secretary?

©House of Commons

By Daniel Pye

The government has announced James Murray, MP for Ealing North, as the new health and social care secretary following Wes Streeting's resignation. Who is he and what previous experience does he have?

Murray's appointment follows Wes Streeting’s resignation from the cabinet amid growing calls for a new leader to replace Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

But who is Murray, and does he have any prior experience in health?

A career in politics

Before becoming an MP in 2019, Murray was a councillor in Islington, serving six years as the executive member for housing and development from 2010.

He then became the deputy London mayor for housing in 2016. In his role he headed London Mayor Sadiq Khan’s £4.8 billion affordable homes programme.

According to his website, he grew up in Ealing with his brother and mother, who was a Labour councillor from 2014 to 2018.

In an interview with the Ealing News before the 2024 general election, he said his grandmother was a campaigner for the Labour Party and was the one who got him interested in politics.