By Alistair Grant

Copyright scotsman

A Labour minister has hailed Ian Murray as an “absolute hero” following Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer’s decision to sack him as Scottish Secretary. Blair McDougall, who was appointed a minister in the department for business and trade earlier this month, said Mr Murray was a campaigner and a fighter. He compared Mr Murray’s time as Scotland’s only Labour MP to the Battle of Rorke’s Drift, where just over 150 British and colonial troops repelled thousands of Zulu warriors. Sir Keir’s decision to sack Mr Murray and replace him with Douglas Alexander as part of a major reshuffle earlier this month sparked internal anger within Labour. Following this backlash, Mr Murray was made a junior minister jointly in the department for culture, media and sport and the department for science, innovation and technology. Asked what he made of Mr Murray’s sacking, McDougall said: “I’m glad he’s still in government. Ian’s a hero. He’s an absolute hero to all of us. He was our Rorke’s Drift moment for a while.” He added: “He’s a campaigner and he’s a fighter, and I’m delighted he’s still in government.” Asked if he shared the anger about how his colleague was treated, he said: “I think if he hadn’t been in government, we all would have felt he would have been a loss to the government, but he’s not. He’s still there contributing.” Elsewhere, Mr McDougall, who is the minister for small business and economic transformation, said he retained “100 per cent” confidence in Sir Keir despite a difficult few weeks. The East Renfrewshire MP made the comments to journalists while in Edinburgh attending a business roadshow, where he delivered a keynote address. “Scottish businesses are known for providing world-class financial and professional services, and this roadshow will be an excellent opportunity to showcase that talent and connect businesses with new international partners, opening the door to new markets,” he said. “Export success and the professional and business services sector are key to the government’s industrial strategy and plan for change, which will drive growth and create well-paid jobs. That is why we are doing everything we can to support our small and medium sized businesses to grow and succeed.”